Appliances,
buffalo,
Chefs,
Features,
Tips and Tricks,
Vogue
Guest Blog - Which Equipment Cooks Meat Best?
10:07 am.JPG "Richard Ebbs")
For this week’s guest
blog, I was asked to write about which kinds of equipment I believe cooks meat
best. In all honesty, even if I managed to complete this mammoth of a task, I'm certain even
the most devout readers would eventually have to exit the page, and seek refuge
in a dark, quiet room. As with thousands of different kinds of cooking equipment
sold through Nisbets, each with the ability to cook meat in a variety of ways
and with the endless types and cuts of meat means, this blog could quite
literally go on forever.
So rather than run
through every type of cooking equipment sold at Nisbets, I thought I would talk
about a couple of my own personal favourites and the benefits they bring to cooking meat.
This year, Nisbets launched
its very own Buffalo clip-on water bath, an appliance proven to be a huge
success amongst a range of caterers and chefs. The Sous Vide method of cooking was
invented in the 1960’s when scientists were searching for the optimum way to
cook fois gras. The appliance however proved to be so successful that now a
wide range of meals are cooked using Sous Vide machines or Water Baths.
Just in case you
haven’t heard of Sous Vide before, in essence the method consists of food
sealed under vacuum in a bag (you either need a vacuum packer such as the
Buffalo Chamber Machine or get your butcher to vacuum pack it for
you) and cooked at relatively low temperatures over long periods of time whilst
submersed in water.
I personally love the
Sous Vide method of cooking as it offers you precise temperature control
(generally to less than ½ ˚C), ensuring you get rare, medium or well done perfect every
time for your guests. Sous Vide in comparison to the two more common methods of
cooking cuts of meat, (braising and roasting), both of which can dry out the
meat, also allows you to tenderise some cuts of meat. Skirt or cheek for
instance, although very flavoursome, may have been dismissed for being too
tough. By the using Sous Vide method, such cuts have again found favour amongst
chefs.
The fact that the
meat is sealed in a bag (often with herbs or a marinade) means it doesn’t lose
any moisture and absorbs the flavour from the herbs better. This not only gives
you some of the most tender, but also the flavoursome, results possible.
However, Sous Vide
does have some drawbacks.
The Sous Vide method of cooking does
not colour or caramelise your food, an important step in the cooking of a wide variety
of meats. Colouring or caramelising your meat not only produces an
aesthetically appealing texture and colour, but also releases previously hidden
flavours. This means that you also need to “finish” your meat using a direct or
radiant heat method.
One way to do this is
to griddle your meat afterwards. Nisbets has just launched a brand new Buffalo Jumbo Contact Grill with a 35cm square cooking plate. This is large enough to cook six to
eight steaks at the same time.
The major benefit of
this contact grill (other than its impressive size) is that you have the choice
of using it as a regular griddle, or clamping down and finishing both sides of
your meat in half the time, whilst also producing aesthetically pleasing charred-markings on top. The flat bottom plate also not only allows for easy
cleaning, but allows you to also cook other foods, such as eggs.
It also comes with a
programmable audible timer, making multi-tasking in a busy commercial kitchen
easier than ever before!
If the Buffalo contact grill is a
little large or too serious for your circumstances, then my final
recommendation would be to take full advantage of one of the skillet or grill pans from our very own Vogue. These pans are made of cast iron - one of
the best materials for finishing steaks. Its heavy weight not only ensures an
even heat, but also holds temperature extremely well, allowing you to sear meat perfectly. Being made from ferrous material also means it is perfect for use on induction hobs, but remember to keep the heat fairly low, as most induction hobs will get
a cast iron skillet sizzling hot in no time.
It’s also really
important to season your pans before use and not wash in soapy water or
dishwashers, and of course the more you use them, the better they will be.
So that's my favourite way to cook a perfect steak! I'd love to hear yours, along with your favourite pieces of Nisbets equipment.
Richard Ebbs CFSP
Head of Product Training
0 comments