Tender cuts of meat are best cooked with dry heat, as by broiling,
roasting, or pan broiling. Less tender cuts of meat are tenderized by
cooking with moist heat. Connective tissue is softened and tenderized
by cooking slowly in moisture.
Temperature control is very important in meat cookery. Meat loses
moisture, fat, and other substances during cooking. However, some of
the meat juices and fat may be retained in pan drippings.
Cooking losses can be minimized by controlling the oven temperature
and final internal temperature of the meat. Shrinkage is increased
when higher oven temperatures are used for cooking and when meat is
cooked to a higher internal temperature.
The meat thermometer is the most accurate guide to the degree of
doneness of meat. Cooking time can be used as a guide to the degree of
doneness, but cooking time is affected by fat and moisture content and
shape or size of the cut.