[bc89]

hi everyone, im bryan and im 16. i hope to be a chef one day and i have some questions about beef. i have a hispanic family and i often cook for them, however i have noticed lately that im starting to cook the same recipes a little too often. can anyone please give me some recipes on beef anything. it can be a stew, steak, whatever, as long as it is with beef. Taste is a key, i'll go for pretty another time, and it must be able to satisfy a hispanic family (they can be picky at times saying it's "too american" for their taste ). i also cant tell when steak is rare, md rare, md, ect. how can i tell when something is cooked to the person's expectations.


Thanx a million
Bryan (BC89)

[Jim]

i also cant tell when steak is rare, md rare, md, ect. how can i tell when something is cooked to the person's expectations

Purchase an instant-read thermometer, preferably one with an adjustable display. Cooper makes a quality tool for about $4 at your local restaurant supply store.
Also, read up on principles of meat cookery, because there are a lot of factors at play when you produce red meat items. Specifically, there is something called 'momentum' or carry-over cooking. You see, the residual heat trapped inside the target food item will continue to cook from the inside out. As a result, the temperature may read 140, but a few minutes later when you serve your guests/family the item may be medium to medium well-done. With a little understanding of heat transfer and practice, you can grasp the process. Additionally, the shape & thickness of the particular cut of meat you are attempting to cook will play havoc with your timing.
As for recipes, there a quite a few recipe-only sites at which you may want to take a look. Check out: www.RecipeSource.com www.RecipeCenter.com www.FoodTV.com www.allRecipes.com www.Epicurious.com or post some more specific guidelines and I am sure somebody here could help you out.
Best of luck... and keep cooking!!