QUESTION: Meat and poultry: how to achieve juiciness and proper doneness?

Achieving the ideal juiciness and proper doneness of meat and poultry is helped by a systematic approach that begins even at the product purchase stage. To avoid wasting time and money on spoiled dishes, create a special checklist where you will record all the necessary parameters: what meat to buy, what internal temperature of the cut needs to be measured, and what spices to pair it with. Such control helps avoid redos in the kitchen and accidental product waste.

The basis of proper doneness is accurate measurement of the internal temperature of the product using a cooking thermometer. For example, for medium-done beef, this indicator is about 60 degrees, and chicken fillet is considered fully ready upon reaching 74 degrees. Recording this data and cooking parameters in your culinary notebook allows you to repeat a successful result every time and not overdry the delicate poultry fibers or steaks.

In addition to temperature, it is important to consider the "resting" time of the meat after heat treatment so that the juices are evenly distributed throughout the fiber. Completing the cooking process, let the steak rest on a warm board under a light layer of foil for five to ten minutes. Compliance with this simple rule guarantees that when slicing, all the juice will remain inside the cut rather than flowing out onto the plate, making the dish dry and tough.