Will meat overcook in a boiling water pot?
I recently ate at a restaurant that had you cook your own food. They had a heating plate in the middle of the table and they would set a small pot onto it and add in spices/vegetables to the water, after which you would receive a platter of raw meats (chicken, steak, shrimp, etc) to cook yourself.
The waiter mentioned that when you cook the meat you should leave it in for 1.5 - 2 minutes depending on what it was (shrimp for less time than the chicken/steak). If you leave the meat in for an extended period (say 15 to 25 minutes) would the meat over-cook in the boiling water? The small cuts of steak would cook to a 'medium' or 'medium-well' consistency for 2 minutes depending on the size of the cut.
This was the first time I have ever seen small cuts of meat (especially in that variety) cooked in a boiling water pot.
Thanks!
Best Answer
Yes.
Water boils at about 212F (100C) and meat is cooked from 140F to 160F. If you left the meat in there for a very long time it would eventually approach 212F and start to get tough.
The time that they give you is going to be the time it takes to ensure that the meat is safe to eat. Generally I like it to be closer to the rare side as it is more tender that way.
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Quick Answer about "Will meat overcook in a boiling water pot?"
Yes. Water boils at about 212F (100C) and meat is cooked from 140F to 160F. If you left the meat in there for a very long time it would eventually approach 212F and start to get tough.Can you boil meat for too long?
However, when meat is cooked for too long, all of the fat and liquid render out. Without them, all that's left is a bunch of tough, flavorless protein. Very unappetizing.How long does it take to cook meat in boiling water?
Once the water has reached a boil, cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer. It should only need about 15 minutes to fully cook through. The meat will turn brown when it's done, so keep an eye on it.What happens when you boil meat in water?
As the temperature reaches 40C/105F, the proteins begin to denature. Denaturing means that the proteins unravel and deform themselves, and the water is pushed out of the muscle fibers.I COOKED a Brisket for a MONTH and this happened!
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Answer 2
Most places that do Hot pot cooking (meaning boiling in a pot at the table) the meat (Be it pork, beef, Chicken, or Seafood) is sliced thinly, less than 1/4 inch thick. So they reach "safe" temperature really quick. About 1 to 2 minutes in the pot. Hard vegetables take a bit longer to cook so they usually go in the pot first, for about 2 to 3 minutes, then add your meat of choice.
You can "flavor" the pot by adding a portion of the meat before every thing else, but most consider that an advanced "technique".
But any thing left in the boil more than five minutes becomes part of the "Soup".
As a comparison Vietnamese Pho the raw meats are laid across the dry noodles then covered with a boiling, or near boiling, "Stock" broth, and allowed to "Cook" in the bowl as it's delivered to the table.
Answer 3
For tenderness you can either cook it quick or cook it longer. There is no in between unless it is grounded up. Even then, cooking ground up meat longer can make it tenderer. But by longer I mean 45 mins to an hour and sometimes more.
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