★ HOW TO Cook Meat - Recipes for Beef | Pork | Lamb | Chicken | Turkey ★

ROASTING:
The larger the joint, the better it is for roasting. Choose a joint from the back, ribs, fillet or sirloin. Traditional roasting cuts are the forerib (known as rib of beef) or sirloin. Leaving in the bone adds flavour, and bone is a good conductor of heat so the meat cooks evenly, but a boned and rolled cut is easier to carve.

Roasting guidelines for topside, rib, sirloin and silverside
A 2.5kg/5½lb joint of beef on the bone (or 1.5kg/3lb 5oz boned and rolled joint) will feed six people generously.

Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. For an extra flavoursome roast sear the beef in a hot pan for about 10 minutes before roasting (if you don't sear it first then add an extra 10 minutes to the following cooking times). Roast for the following times:

Rare: 11 minutes per 450g/1lb
Medium: 14 minutes per 450g/1lb
Well done: 16 minutes per 450g/1lb

To be sure your meat is cooked you can use a meat thermometer. There are two varieties available - one you insert in the thickest part of the raw joint and cook until the desired internal temperature is reached. The other is inserted into the cooked joint after roasting.

Recommended temperatures for beef are:
Rare 60C;
Medium 70C;
Well done 80C

Baste the meat with the juices at least three times during cooking. When it's done, take out the meat and leave it to rest for at least 20 minutes. This enables the joint to re-absorb the delicious juices that have bubbled up and makes it easier to carve. Serve with roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and gravy, with horseradish and mustard on the side.

POT-ROASTING and BRAISING
Brisket, thick flank, topside and silverside are all good cuts for braising or pot-roasting. The meat is usually dusted with flour and fried first to brown it, then placed on vegetables and herbs; stock is poured in to cover the meat. It's then cooked on a gentle heat in the oven with the lid on. The meat and vegetable juices combine to make a delicious sauce.

STEWING or CASSEROLING
This method of cooking is best for cheaper cuts that need long, gentle cooking such as shin and leg, brisket, chuck and blade, neck and clod and skirt. Many supermarkets sell packets of "stewing steak" that's likely to originate from the tougher cuts and which need longer cooking than cubes of "braising steak".

GRILLING, BARBECUING or PAN-FRYING
These are all fast methods of cooking - ideal for steaks (rump, sirloin and fillet). Rump and fillet are suited to stir-frying and should be cut into long, even strips. Stir-fried beef is the basis of many Chinese recipes including beef in oyster sauce.

ACCOMPANIMENTS
Autumnal vegetables go well with beef - potatoes obviously, but also celeriac, parsnip, artichoke and fennel - particularly when braised alongside the meat. Unlike other roasts, beef isn't served with jams and jellies, just simple horseradish sauce or mustard.

Green vegetables are delicious stir-fried with beef; use a mixture of broccoli, sugar-snap peas, beans and pak choi. Veal goes well with citrusy flavours, so experiment with herbs such as lemon thyme, citrus sauces and oriental flavours such as ginger and lemongrass.

Watercress, rocket and spinach also make good accompaniments. Cold roast beef is delicious eaten with fruit pickles or mustards, or try roast beef sandwiches with a little horseradish cream or mustard.

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ROASTING:
Leg of lamb is the favourite cut of lamb to roast as it's very tender and has enough fat to keep the meat from drying out when cooking. Most cuts, except scrag or neck, are suitable for roasting.
Roast leg of lamb is a favourite for Sunday lunch. Alternatively, ask your butcher to butterfly a leg of lamb or do it yourself. This can then be marinated or stuffed with various flavourings.
Rack of lamb is also a popular roast as is shoulder - a slightly less expensive option than leg. Roast shoulder on or off the bone, or rolled and stuffed.
To be sure your meat is cooked you can use a meat thermometer. There are two varieties available - one you insert in the thickest part of the raw joint and cook until the desired internal temperature is reached. The other is inserted into the cooked joint after roasting.
Recommended temperatures for lamb are:
Medium 70-75C;
Well done 75-80C.

SLOW COOKING:
Pot roasting and braising - lamb shanks or knuckles are full of flavour. They're best gently cooked until the meat almost falls from the bone. Any cut of lamb can be braised or pot-roasted, and this method also works well for mutton. A whole shoulder, boned and rolled, is perfect for braising or as a pot roast. Lamb neck pieces also respond well to slow, moist cooking and are a popular choice for making a British favourite, Lancashire hotpot. They're slightly less meaty than other cuts, but have a great flavour. Stewed and braised lamb should be cooked gently in wine, stock, tomato juice or similar liquid until the meat is tender.

STEWING or CASSEROLING
Lamb stewing meat sold in supermarkets generally comes from the shoulder, neck, breast, or shank. For a leaner cut you can also buy diced leg. Meat from the shoulder and neck has the best flavour and is traditionally used in Irish stew. There are various versions of this dish; some cooks brown the meat first, some add carrots, others cook the meat on the bone. The French have some delicious lighter lamb stews such as Navarin of lamb. Slow-cooked lamb curry or tagine is also a great way to cook stewing lamb.

OTHER METHODS:
Because lamb is such a tender meat, most cuts lend themselves well to the main cooking methods. Marinating lamb works wonders, helping enhance its flavour and making it meltingly tender. Lamb is popular in many cuisines - used in rich spicy stews, kebabs and rice dishes in French, Spanish, Greek and Middle Eastern cookery. Mutton frequently appears in Indian recipes.

Chops of all kinds are suitable for grilling, barbecuing and pan-frying. Leg or shoulder steaks are excellent cooked whole. For kebabs and stir-fries use diced leg or neck fillet.

Other lamb dishes might involve a combination of cooking methods - such as shepherd's pie (traditionally made with minced lamb) where the meat is fried first and then put into a casserole dish with a potato topping and oven-baked. Minced lamb is the traditional meat used in moussaka and can be shaped into Koftas (delicious fragrant kebabs flavoured with spices and fresh herbs). It makes a great stuffing for vegetables. Minced lamb can also be used to make juicy burgers - as in Spicy lamb and carrot burgers - but remember that lamb has more fat than beef or pork, so fry off as much as possible.

ACCOMPANIMENTS:
Mint and rosemary spring to mind immediately, but lamb sits well with many different ingredients including French mustard, tarragon, tomatoes, olive oil, aubergine, yoghurt, couscous, apricots, coriander and cumin. Although lamb doesn't often feature in oriental cookery, it's delicious with soy sauce, ginger or honey. Because of its seasonality and its mild flavour, new season lamb goes well with spring vegetables.

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ROASTING AND SLOW COOKING:
Pork joints can be roasted long and slow at a lower heat, or fast at a higher heat. Different cookbooks and chefs each have their own preferred method. We recommend that for medium meat you cook your pork at 180C/350F/Gas 4 for the first half of cooking then increase the temperature to 200C/375F/Gas 5 for the second half of cooking (this helps crisp up the crackling). Cook for 25 minutes per 450g/1lb.

As oven temperatures can vary it's worth investing in an inexpensive meat thermometer to be sure your meat is cooked through. There are two varieties available - one you insert in the thickest part of the raw joint and cook until the desired internal temperature is reached. The other is inserted into the cooked joint after roasting.

Recommended temperatures for cooking pork are:
Rare 65C (it must maintain this temperature for ten minutes);
Medium 70C (it must maintain this temperature for two minutes);
Well done 80C (it must maintain this temperature for 30 seconds).
Remember to take the temperature from the centre of the meat.

Leave roast pork to rest for at least 15 minutes to half an hour before carving. Serve with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and apple sauce.

Pork fillet (or tenderloin) can be roasted as long as it's basted well, or 'barded' with slices of bacon, as in stuffed pork fillet with roasted apples. Other good roasting joints include ribs, belly and shoulder.

POT-ROASTING and BRAISING:
Braising and pot-roasting can be used for almost every cut of pork including larger joints - the addition of wine, water or stock results in a moist, succulent pork dish every time.

STEWING or CASSEROLING:
Stewing or casseroling pork, either on the hob or in the oven, produces a rich, flavoursome dish with succulent, tender meat. This can also be an ideal way to cook the slightly tougher cuts such as shoulder and collar.

OTHER METHODS
Pork is ideal for frying, stir-frying, grilling or barbecuing. Grilled pork chops are a simple pleasure, or try an indulgent escalope cut from the pork fillet. This only takes minutes to cook.

Pork's ideal for marinating and is popular in oriental and Asian cookery. It's also ideal for stir-frying - strips of pork cook very quickly.

Barbecuing pork gives a fantastic sticky, chargrilled blackness and small joints are good for spit-roasting - most barbecues can be fitted with a spit, either hand-turned or with a battery-operated motor. The key to successful spit-roasting is to keep the coals at an even temperature, adding more coals, little and often, until the joint is cooked.

Oven-baking is another method of cooking pork (to make raised pork pie, for instance). Sausage meat and minced pork are used in numerous recipes including Thai minced pork, pork burgers, pork terrine, Scotch eggs and pate.

ACCOMPANIMENTS:
Most cuts of pork can be roasted, grilled or fried, and all cuts suit the gentler cooking methods of braising and pot-roasting, stewing and casseroling. Most pork (apart from that from rare breeds) is generally lean, so baste it frequently when roasting, grilling, barbecuing or frying to keep it moist.

Pork's mild flavour goes well with many spices and seasonings, including dry rubs and marinades. It's good with fruits and vegetables, especially apples, prunes, peaches, pineapple, apricots, pears, pickles, spiced red cabbage and pulses. Herbs that work well with pork include sage, rosemary and thyme; spices include juniper berries, ginger, allspice and nutmeg.

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ROASTING:
All poultry - from a poussin to a huge turkey - can be roasted, and this is one of the best ways to cook a whole bird. But consider poaching a whole chicken or smaller bird in a pot, with chicken stock or water and vegetables.

Check inside the bird for giblets, as cooking will melt the plastic bag they're put in. If you've defrosted a whole bird from frozen, stuffing should only be put into the bird once it's completely thawed. Pushing fresh herbs under the skin of the breast allows the flavours to infuse. A squeeze of lemon and rubbing the skin with butter also produces flavourful results. When roasting chicken or turkey, check the bird is cooked by inserting a skewer into the thickest part of the thigh and pressing firmly on the flesh; if the juices run completely clear, the bird is done.

Chicken and turkey breasts make great little vessels for holding stuffing. Just cut a slit in the breast lengthways to create a pocket and stuff with a mix of cheese and herbs or vegetables.

OTHER METHODS:
Barbecuing is suited to drumsticks, wings, legs and breasts with the bone in and skin on; the fat keeps everything moist and the bones add flavour. Spatchcocking a whole bird is also excellent for the barbecue.

Skinless, boneless breasts are good for grilling, with frequent basting, or stir-frying in strips. Thread cubes onto skewers for chicken kebabs.

Try poaching a whole bird for a more delicate flavour. It's a low-fat method of cooking as the bird just sits in a pot with stock, herbs, vegetables and other flavourings.

Pan-frying is good for breasts or boneless joints. Experiment with chicken and turkey stir-fries; it's a healthy way of cooking, using little oil and skinless breasts.

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