On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 301

succulent there because less thoroughly
cooked.Finally,cookingtimedependsonhow
themeat’ssurfaceistreated.Nakedorbasted
meat evaporates moisture from its surface,
whichcoolsthemeatandslowscooking,buta
layeroffatorafilmofoilformsabarrierto
such evaporation and can cut cooking times
byafifth.
Withsomanyvariablesaffectingcooking
time,it’sclearthatnoformulaorrecipecan
predictitinfallibly.It’suptothecookto
monitorthecookinganddecidewhenit
shouldstop.
Judging Doneness The best instruments for
monitoring the doneness of meat remain the
cook’s eye and finger. Measuring internal
temperature with a thermometer works well
for roasts but not for smaller cuts. (Standard
kitchen thermometers register temperature
along an inch span of their thick metal shaft,
not just at the tip. Dial thermometers also


require frequent recalibration to maintain
theiraccuracy.)Thesimplestwaytobesureis
to cut into the meat and check its color (the
lossoffluidislocalandminor).

The influence of cooking temperature on the
evenness of cooking. Left:In meat cooked
through over high heat, the outer layer gets

overcooked while the center reaches the
desired temperature. Right:In meat cooked
through over low heat, the outer layers get
less overcooked, and the meat is more evenly
done.
Mostprofessionalcooksstillevaluate
meatsbytheir“feel”andbythewaytheir
juicesflow:
Bleumeat,cookedatthesurfacebutjust
warmedwithin,remainsrelatively
unchanged—softtothetouch,likethe
musclebetweenthumbandforefinger