Cooking Meat Without the Stress: Tips for Beginners Who Don’t Like Touching It
October 7, 2024 – Learning to cook meat can feel intimidating, especially if handling raw meat makes you uncomfortable. But with the right tools and techniques, you can ease your worries and get more comfortable in the kitchen.
Here are some expert tips to help you get started.
First off, invest in an instant-read thermometer. As Becky Krystal, the Washington Post’s recipes editor, pointed out, “The internal temperature of the meat — not the color or the texture — is the surefire way to know when you have reached a safe cooking temperature.”
No more guessing by color or texture—just check the internal temperature and you’re good to go.
When it comes to handling meat, you’ve got options. Tongs are a great tool if you want to avoid too much direct contact. You can also use food-safe gloves, which are common in professional kitchens.
Over time, though, you might find that as your confidence grows, so does your comfort level with handling meat. Tasks like applying a dry rub or breading cutlets are often easiest when done by hand.
If you’re still hesitant about touching meat, opt for recipes that minimize the need for it. Whole cuts of meat, like a roast or a whole chicken, often require very little handling beyond seasoning.
Braising in a Dutch oven or using a slow cooker can make cooking large cuts of meat even easier, with the added benefit of juicy, tender results.
On the other end of the spectrum, consider recipes that use smaller cuts of meat. Cooking en papillote (in parchment or foil packets) is a simple, hands-off technique.
Just place the meat in the packet with spices, aromatics, and some vegetables, then let it cook without the need for much handling.
And remember: good hygiene is key to reducing the risk of foodborne illness. Krystal reminds us, “Proper hand washing; cleaning and sanitizing surfaces that come in contact with raw meat; having devoted utensils for raw meat that you then clean or sanitize… greatly reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness.”
With practice and patience, you’ll find cooking meat to be much more manageable—and maybe even enjoyable!
Get comfortable in the kitchen with simple, stress-free methods for cooking meat—learn more about handling and cooking techniques on our homepage.
