11.2 Moist Heat Methods of Meat Cookery
Objectives
- Prepare less tender cuts of meat by various methods of moist heat cookery.
- Determine the combined effects of heat and moisture on various meat proteins.
Moist Heat Recipes for Less Tender Cuts of Meat
Beef Stew
Ingredients
- ½ lb. beef stew meat
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups water
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- very small piece of bay leaf
- ¼ cup cubed carrots
- ¼ cup potatoes, cut into ¾ -inch cubes
- ¼ cup chopped onions
Instructions
Cut stew meat into ¾” cubes. In a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and heat. Brown meat cubes thoroughly.
Add salt, pepper, water, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaf. Simmer, covered, until tender, approximately 1–1½ hours. Check liquid levels and add more water as needed.
Remove the bay leaf. Skim most of the vegetable oil from the stew liquid. Add vegetables to the stew; continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.
While the stew is simmering, prepare a roux. When vegetables are done cooking, add roux* a small amount at a time, bringing to a boil after each addition, until adequately thickened.
*Roux: Measure 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a saucepan and blend in 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Cook for 1–2 minutes over medium heat until lightly browned.
Creamy Flank Steak and Mushrooms
Ingredients
- ½ lb. flank steak
- ¾ teaspoon beef bouillon
- 1 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- ½ bay leaf
- 4 ounces pearl onions, peeled*
- 4 ounces small mushrooms, sliced
- 1 oz egg noodles
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
Cut flank steak into 1-inch pieces. Lightly coat a saucepan with cooking spray. Preheat the saucepan over medium heat. Brown flank steak in a hot saucepan.
Add beef bouillon, water, thyme, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes.
Peel* and halve any large fresh pearl onions. Stir onions and mushrooms into the flank steak mixture. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes more or until onions and mushrooms are tender.
In a separate small saucepan, prepare egg noodles: Bring 3 cups water to boil in a saucepan, add 1 teaspoon salt and noodles. Stir gently, return to a boil, and cook uncovered for 6–8 min. Drain.
Combine evaporated milk, flour, and nutmeg. Add to the flank steak mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Remove from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in cooked noodles and lemon juice.
*Blanch onions in boiling water for about 10 seconds. Drain, chill, trim, and slip off skins.
Swissed and Braised Beef Round Steak
Ingredients
- ¼ lb. round steak, 1-inch thick
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1–2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ⅓ -⅔ cup tomato juice or water
Instructions
Cut through the epimysium at 1-inch intervals around the piece of meat. Mix cornstarch, oregano, salt, and pepper. Place meat on a cutting board, sprinkle with seasoned cornstarch, and pound with swissing iron. Turn meat, add more seasoned cornstarch, and pound. Repeat this process until the meat is about ½ of its original thickness.
Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan; brown meat on both sides. Add juice or water, cover tightly, and simmer on low heat for approximately 90 minutes, or until fork tender. Add more water as needed.
Braised Breaded Pork
Ingredients
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tablespoon milk
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons fine cracker crumbs
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- ¼ lb. pork blade chop
Instructions
Mix egg and milk. Coat meat with a mixture of flour and salt. Dip meat in egg wash and then in cracker crumbs.
Heat vegetable oil in a large sauté pan. Brown meat on both sides in vegetable oil, being careful not to loosen the breading. Use a spatula as needed to keep the breading on the meat.
Cover and cook on low heat until fork tender, approximately 45–60 minutes.
Pressure Pan Pot Roast
Ingredients
- ½ lb. heel of round beef or shank
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 3 cups water
- For Gravy:
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 3/4 cup beef broth
Instructions
Brown meat slowly in vegetable oil in a pressure pan. Pour off drippings into a liquid measuring cup, save for gravy. Set the rack into the pressure cooker and place browned meat on the rack. Season with salt and pepper; add onions and water.
Cook for 30 minutes at 15 lbs. pressure. Cool the pan at room temperature until the pressure indicator has dropped. Serve with gravy.
To Make Gravy:
Allow the fat to separate from retained drippings in the liquid measuring cup. Skim off the fat and add to a saucepan. The fat or oil amount should be ~1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons. If needed, add vegetable oil to get to that amount.
Stir in the cornstarch and heat for 1–2 minutes. Add beef broth to the remaining liquid in the measuring cup to make 1 cup; add to the saucepan. Stir constantly until the mixture boils. Continue to boil for one minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Oven Pot Roast with Vegetables
Ingredients
- ½ lb. blade roast (beef)
- 1–2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- ½ cup tomato juice
- 1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped in 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
Brown roast in vegetable oil in a sauté pan that can be put into the oven. Add tomato juice and onions; season with salt and pepper. Cover tightly and cook in a 300°F oven for 1½ to 2 hours.
If the liquid evaporates, add water during the baking period. About 45 minutes to one hour before serving time, add potatoes and carrots.
Remove meat from the saute pan and cut it into bite-size pieces. Serve the meat and vegetables with the reduced tomato sauce from the pan.
Lamb Chops with Sour Cream
Ingredients
- 2 blade or arm lamb chops
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- dash salt and pepper
- ½ cup water
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- ⅛ teaspoon thyme
- ¼ cup chopped celery
- 2 Tablespoons sliced green onions
- 2 Tablespoons dairy sour cream
- 2 teaspoons sliced green onion tops
- ½ teaspoon fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
In a large sauté pan, brown lamb chops in vegetable oil. Drain vegetable oil if excess exists after browning.
Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Add the next 5 ingredients (water, chicken bouillon, thyme, chopped celery, and sliced green onions) to saute pan.
Cover; simmer for 30–45 minutes until meat is tender.
Remove from heat, and cover the chops with sour cream; cover and heat through without curdling sour cream.
Top with green onion tops and parsley before serving.
Chicken in Chili Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 chicken thighs
- ⅓ cup tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon parsley
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon Tabasco sauce
Instructions
Place chicken thighs, skin side up, in a 1-pint microwave-safe casserole, with the thickest parts toward the outside edge of the dish. Mix remaining ingredients; spread over chicken.
Cover dish and microwave on medium-high setting (385 watts) until the thickest parts of the chicken are 165°F and juices run clear, approximately 9 to 11 minutes.
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients
- 2–3 pieces chicken
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup sliced fresh mushrooms
- ¼ medium onion, sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup canned diced tomatoes, with
liquid - 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
In a sauté pan, cook chicken in hot olive oil for about 10 minutes or until light brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken, and set aside.
Add mushrooms, onion, and garlic to the drippings in the sauté pan. Cook for about 5 minutes or until vegetables are just tender. Return the chicken to the saute pan.
In a small bowl, combine tomatoes, paste, broth, sugar, and dried spices. Pour over chicken in the sauté pan.
Bring to boiling; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30–35 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle with parsley.
Sausage Gravy
Ingredients
- ½ pound breakfast sausage
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic
- 1 ½ cups milk
Instructions
Cook the breakfast sausage in a sauté pan. Break up the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Once thoroughly cooked, take the sausage out of the pan and set it aside.
Leave the fat and grease from the sausage in the sauté pan. Add the cornstarch while continuously stirring to break up any lumps. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then mix the ingredients thoroughly. While stirring slowly, add the milk and continue to heat the mixture until it becomes thick. Let the mixture bubble (boil thickly) for 1 minute.
Put the sausage back into the gravy and mix it all together. Serve hot (to be eaten with biscuits).
Sensory Evaluation
| Recipe | Moist Heat Method | Sensory Observations |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Stew | ||
| Creamy Flank Steak and Mushrooms | ||
| Swissed and Braised Beef Round Steak | ||
| Braised Breaded Pork Blade Chop | ||
| Pressure Pan Pot Roast | ||
| Oven Pot Roast with Vegetables | ||
| Lamb Chops with Sour Cream | ||
| Chicken in Chili Sauce | ||
| Chicken Cacciatore | ||
| Sausage Gravy |
