Chief Longwind Of The North
Certified/Certifiable
I purchased som very good local sausage, in a casing, recently. As I cut the long sausage into manageable links, some of the filling oozed out. As my wife is overly sensitive to pepper, I fried up just a timy pattie to test the flavor. It was great, and the texture was wonderful and juicy. So I put some water in a big pot and brought it to a simmer. I placed the sauceage into the pot and covered it. I let it cook for about 30 minutes. When I took the lid off, the water was boiling rapidly and there was a significant amount of oil that had been leached from the sausage. I removed the meat and placed on an aluminum-lined cookie sheet. I broiled both sides until the casing was lightly browned. The result of this exercise was bland sausage that was both dry, and tough.
Any meat, be it suasage, poultry, beef, pork, or whatever should never be cooked in rapidly boiling water for an extended period of time. The meat will dry out and become tough.
When cooking in liquid, it should be at the point where it is just beginning to boil, and the meat should remain there just until cooked through. The exception to this rule is when you are slow-cooking to tenderize. And then, the water temp should not rise above 180 degrees F. (IMHO). The meat will attain the same temperature as the water. And we all know that meat taken much above 170 begins to dry out and toughen.
By not paying attention to the pot, I turned what could have been a very tasty meal into something I wouldn't serve to anyone else. I cooked up something else for my wife. I ate my helping of the sausage. I have this rule; if I make it, then I eat it. That will help me remember to do it right the next time.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North
Any meat, be it suasage, poultry, beef, pork, or whatever should never be cooked in rapidly boiling water for an extended period of time. The meat will dry out and become tough.
When cooking in liquid, it should be at the point where it is just beginning to boil, and the meat should remain there just until cooked through. The exception to this rule is when you are slow-cooking to tenderize. And then, the water temp should not rise above 180 degrees F. (IMHO). The meat will attain the same temperature as the water. And we all know that meat taken much above 170 begins to dry out and toughen.
By not paying attention to the pot, I turned what could have been a very tasty meal into something I wouldn't serve to anyone else. I cooked up something else for my wife. I ate my helping of the sausage. I have this rule; if I make it, then I eat it. That will help me remember to do it right the next time.
Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North