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Monday, 11 February 2019

IDENTIFY DIFFERENT TYPE OF MEATS - Part 1


















By From the Piano Chef




Just last month, one of the articles shown in a Malaysian in-fight magazine called Going Places that introduced food from all over the world either by reviewing, promoting or informing has stirred a hoo-ha. The problem all started due to an unidentified Muslim netizen who protested an expensive pork Iberico should not be promoted by the Malaysian Airline due to it is the airline from a Muslim country. Later, MAS apologized immediately, however, many people think that MAS shouldn’t apologize due to MAS is an international airline not a Muslim airline.

















This picture was released at MAS in-flight magazine, Going Places on January 2019, I noticed the tomato at the side looked too red, the picture has obviously gone through some color adjustment. Unless a person knows all kinds of meats very well, or else it could be hard to identify from the color modified picture particularly in this case to identify the beef steak from pork Iberico, especially Pork Iberico is known to grill to medium rare. The best A3 - A5 Wagyu steak is full of marbling fat, with whitish fat and pinkish meat intercalated, and it is usually only be grilled to Rare, so that its fat won't be dissolved completely in order to retain its shape, flavor and quantity.

















Picture shown is the Pork Iberico fillet



















Picture shown is the beef fillet

















This picture shown is the Wagyu steak.























This is how red Pork Iberica appeared as almost like beef.  These pigs are fed on acorns, pork version of Kobe beef.













Another bright red, best quality pork version of Kobe beef, Mangalista pork.

























Pictures of Pork Iberico


Are all Pork Safe to Eat Medium Rare like Pork Iberico ?


Whether the pork can be eaten raw or not, it is up to your own decision. Just like many doctors that I know of personally would refuse to eat sashimi or even medium raw beef steaks. Usually, it is the unhealthy animal meats make us human sick. Unless you know the resources of such meat, then you can take the risk to eat it not well-done. The following are links for you to decide.


















This is the dish cooked from slaughtered fighting bull




After I read the article from this link (https://says.com/my/news/malaysia-airlines-going-places-magazine-pork-wagyu-beef) I decided I must write some cooking method about beef, it is for someone who are not trained in culinary school, who were not able to identify a piece of grilled steak from a braised beef.












The following is how to identify the different western style cooking method:


1. Braise
It is a slow and wet-form of cooking method, usually a larger, tougher and cheaper piece of beef such like beef cheeks that required many hours braising inside an oven under low temperature, when the meat comes out it is well-done, juicy and tender due to the melting of collagen. Chefs would brown the surface of the meat over the stock top before braising, some root vegetable are used to enhance flavor.

2. Grill
A dry-form of cooking, tender piece of beef like sirloin, tenderloin or Scotch fillet is grilled quickly over a hot BBQ stove top or over a griddle. It requires a rest, upon cutting, the red juice oozed out is not the blood but the red liquid is actually myoglobin, a protein that’s only found in muscle tissue. Alternatively, some chefs would grill a piece of steak over the stove top then cook-off in an oven to a preferred doneness.











Picture shown grilled steak



3. Roast
A large piece of meat is roasted inside an oven with higher temperature than braising, usually when the meat surface is brown, the beef will be rested before cutting, red juices may ooze out, it is not the blood but myoglobin. Braising has liquid, roasting is a dry-form of cooking inside an oven, the dripping juice from the meat on the roasting pan is usually used to glaze the meat to prevent it from drying and it also made a big piece of meat looks shinny and appetizing.

4. Sous-vide
Meat cooked in vacuum packed sous-vide bag to cook in a sous-vide machine for a long time with low temperature usually around 65 degree Celsius. And then the final product’s surface is brown over a frying pan to enhance its appearance, taste and flavor.












Picture shown Sous-vide Wagyu tenderloin, the texture of the meat is very tender, juicy and with good mouth feel.


5. Cold smoke
Meat smoked for long hour under low temperature.

6. Tartare and Carpaccio
These are the uncooked version of meat, usually beef is used. It is also known as chemically cooked beef by using vinegar or mustard and different herbs and spices to season the meat.

7. Stew
Wet-form of slow cooking, the different from braising is its meat is cut into smaller pieces, cook over the slow fire or oven with root vegetable, wine and stock until it is cooked.

8. Gravlax (Curing)
Use the mixture salt, herbs and spice to bury the meat or fish for 2 to 3 days. This way the meat or fish is chemically cooked by salt. Traditionally, Asian use this method as well to preserve their meat and fish.




Note:  This is the English version for the NZ Mandarin Pages weekly food column.

Wednesday, 6 February 2019

传统性的一些早餐是否有足够的健康? Is traditional big breakfast healthy enough to eat it every morning?


是否我们可以每天重覆饮食它们

How  many breakfast components are not freshly cooked by chefs?

Published Date: Jan 31st, 2019. Mandarin Pages   (Double click Mandarin Pages  to  link it to Weixin's food column)