Cooking - Help - Beef

[joggerjayne]

I've got this piece of beef.

It needs 20 mins per lb.

It's 12 lbs

12 x 20 mins = 4 hours.

BUT ...

I've cut it in half, and put them in together, in separate oven trays.

Do they now need half the time? because they are half the size?

[blounty]

Yes if they are half the size, would need half the time.

[joggerjayne]

So I can cook the same beef, in half the time ... by cutting it in half.

Thank you, blounty.

That seemed right, and yet ... somehow not quite logical.

[scotman]

The smaller the piece is cut the shorter the time for cooking. Smaller pieces are more likely to dry out so you need to watch that.

[joggerjayne]

Mais, pourquoi? housemouse.

[ChuckFickens]

I'd have said half the time plus a little bit.

Don't suppose you have a meat thermometer do you.

http://whatscookingam...tTemperatureChart.htm

[joggerjayne]

Can't really stop it drying out, though ... can I ?

(except by not leaving it in for too long)

[vallaw]

It's a;; to do with surface area versus volume - same reason the dinosaurs died out.

[vallaw]

^^^ all, even

[joggerjayne]

LOL ... Actually, I DO have a meat thermometer ... but I've never used it.

It's like a spikey thing.

I'm not sure how it works.

[ChuckFickens]

I don't think you can blame Jaynes cooking for the dinosaurs dying out.

[joggerjayne]

vallaw ... so the additional surface area exposed by the sliced bit makes a huge difference.

[joggerjayne]

"I don't think you can blame Jayne's cooking for the dinosaurs dying out"

That would be a bit harsh !

[vallaw]

I withdraw the implication

[237SJ]

Can you stop it drying out by covering it with tin foil? Not that i`m an expert on beef or anything.

[wendilla]

I do my beef in my slow cooker.No worries about it drying out and comes out lovely and tender but your joints may be too large for a slow cooker

[joggerjayne]

So I've got out my thermometer.

When I press the ON/OFF switch, it says 27 degrees.

If I hold the spikey bit, it goes up to 33 degree.

Oh, hang on ... now it says 25.

What should it say if I poke the beef?

[joggerjayne]

Hasn't Hugh FW gone all veggie ??

[Carakeel]

Simple answer, yes! Don't forget to let the beef rest for a little while after it is cooked, about 10 - 20mins ideally. If you wrap it in several layers of foil it will stay warm while resting. This way it will be far more tender. Enjoy your roasts!