Many people believe that only professional chefs can fry meat so that it turns out to be a juicy steak, and not a “sole”. However, anyone can cope with this task if you know the most common mistakes.
Mistake #1: You fry cold meat
If you take a piece out of the refrigerator and immediately put it in a frying pan, it will turn out dry. The outside of the meat begins to burn, but the inside remains cold.
You have to hold it longer to warm up the middle, but during this time the moisture has time to leave. It is enough to hold the meat at room temperature for 15 minutes before frying, and the difference will be noticeable immediately, says chef Dmitry Zmievsky in his blog (18+).
Mistake #2: You touch the meat too often
Every pressure with a spatula, every puncture with a knife or cut in a frying pan leads to loss of juice. Meat does not require constant monitoring. It needs to form a crust, which just helps retain moisture inside.
Mistake #3: You keep the meat on the fire longer than necessary.
Many people are afraid that the meat will be undercooked, so they overcook it in a frying pan. As a result, instead of a juicy steak, you end up with a dry piece.
Mistake #4: Using too low a heat
The fear of burning leads to the fact that the meat is not fried, but stewed in its own juices. It sits in the pan for a long time, gradually loses moisture and does not get a golden brown crust.
Mistake #5: You cut meat immediately after cooking.
If you cut right away, all the moisture will end up on the cutting board. After cooking, the meat should rest for at least 5 minutes.
Look for cuts with streaks of fat, and for steaks, use the fattest cuts. Pork neck is almost always juicy, so it's hard to go wrong with it.
What to do to make the meat juicy:
- get the meat in advance;
- Heat the frying pan thoroughly;
- do not overload it with pieces;
- let the crust form;
- do not touch the meat again;
- give it a rest.
