A quick and easy frying technique is the basis for many recipes for cooking pork, beef, lamb and veal. This is the easiest way to cook meat, but the end result depends on attention to detail. Below are some useful tips on how to do it better and tastier.
How to make tasty meat fried in a pan?
First of all, heat the pan to a moderately high temperature. Use dishes that are suitable in size for the number of pieces to be cooked in one layer. Lightly oil the meat.
It should hiss when you add it to the pan. Keep the fire moderately high. This should be enough so that the product does not burn.
How to fry meat slices in a pan? Fry them on one side until the first sign of moisture evaporation appears on the upper side, then turn over and fry further. Small and medium pieces are enough to turn only once.
Check the softness of the meat with cooking tongs. Pieces should be soft when pressed in the middle. Leave the meat to soak in the juice for several minutes before serving.
Meat thickness
For best results when frying, the pieces of meat should have a minimum thickness of 15 mm if you are cooking mutton, pork or veal. If the pan is beef, it is advisable to use the pieces no thinner than 21 mm.
Carefully cook the fried pork in a pan. How to fry such meat? Pieces of meat with a thickness of more than 30 mm, which are cooked on the stove, must be baked until fully cooked in the oven after frying.
What should be the pan?
Use thick bottom cookware for maximum heat retention. The meat fried in a pan should immediately hiss and darken as soon as it enters it. The pan with a massive bottom will heat evenly and retain heat during the cooking process.
It is best to use a container that is appropriate in size to the number of pieces that need to be cooked. When the pan overflows, melted meat juices will accumulate at the bottom, and the meat will be stewed. If the capacity is too large, they will burn in those places where the meat does not cover them.
Fried meat with onions
This recipe for pan-fried meat with onions is similar to a popular Korean dish - bulgogi (fried marinated beef), but it’s easier to prepare. To do this, you will need to marinate the beef for 30 minutes and then fry with onions.
As a side dish, it is good to serve rice and a fried egg. It is advisable to use thinly sliced ribeye steak for this recipe.
While the beef is marinated for 30 minutes, start cooking the onions. Cut it into quarters and then into several pieces, and fry them so that they soften (about 5 minutes).
What to consider?
There are several rules for frying onions. You must definitely preheat the oil until it sizzles. After adding the onion, immediately mix it with oil and evenly distribute in a pan. Fry, stirring occasionally, until the product reaches the desired state.
For already pickled meat, before preparing it directly, add starch mixed with water and sesame oil. This mixture forms a light coating that helps block moisture in the beef and makes it easier to cook.
About 4-5 minutes after the meat has darkened, sprinkle it with sesame seeds and freshly chopped leek, and fry it for another 30 seconds. A complete list of ingredients for cooking meat fried with onions in a pan looks like this:
- 300 grams of thinly sliced beef;
- 1 onion, sliced;
- 1 tablespoon of oil.
For marinade:
- 2 tablespoons of soy sauce;
- 1 tablespoon Mirina (Japanese sweet rice wine) ;
- 1 tablespoon sugar;
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger;
- 1 teaspoon of potato starch;
- 2 tablespoons tea water;
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
To complement:
- 1 leek, chopped;
- 1 teaspoon of fried sesame seeds.
How to cook it?
In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, mirin, sugar and grated ginger, leave to insist. Put the thinly sliced beef in a plastic bag with a zipper and pour the marinade there. Shake and rub thoroughly to mix the sauce well with the meat. Seal and place the bag in the refrigerator, marinate for at least 30 minutes. Further, the recipe for fried meat with onions in a pan looks like this.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over low heat until hissing, add the onions and fry for about 5 minutes or until soft. While the onions are cooking, transfer the beef to a large bowl. Mix potato starch with water and pour this mixture and sesame oil over the beef, mix gently to make sure that all the pieces are well covered.
Then add the pickled beef to the pan over the onions, spread evenly with a wooden spatula and fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped leek, continue cooking for 30 seconds. Put on a plate, serve with rice.
Fried potatoes with meat in a pan
Many will agree that fried potatoes with meat is one of the most popular dishes. It goes especially well with cold milk or pickled cucumbers.
It is best to cook fried potatoes with meat in a cast iron skillet with a thick bottom. You can use any meat that you like. Potatoes are usually fried with beef or pork. You can use several different types of meat at once, regardless of what you have. For this dish you will need:
- 700 grams of any meat;
- 1 teaspoon of salt;
- ¼ teaspoon of tea pepper;
- ¾ teaspoons of universal seasoning for meat;
- 1-1.5 kg of potatoes (6-8 potatoes);
- 1 large carrot;
- 1/2 pepper;
- 1 clove of garlic;
- ½ cup vegetable oil;
- 1 small onion;
- a handful of cilantro (or parsley).
How to fry potatoes with meat?
The recipe for fried potatoes with meat in the pan is as follows. Cut the meat into 2-3 cm slices. Season with salt, pepper and other favorite seasoning. Mix and set aside.
Peel the potatoes and cut into slices. If the root crops are large, first cut them in half, then into smaller slices. Rinse slices under cold water and wipe with a dry cloth (just before adding to hot oil).
Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Once it becomes hot, add half the potatoes and sauté until golden brown appears and the slices become crispy on the outside. Shuffle them as necessary so that all sides are cooked evenly. It takes about 8 minutes. Transfer to a heat-preserving container and close the lid. Repeat this process with the remaining potatoes.
After that, put all the cooked potatoes in a bowl and season with 1 teaspoon of tea salt, half a teaspoon of your favorite tea seasoning and ¼ tsp. pepper. Mix well and set aside. Then start cooking the fried meat in a pan (pork or beef).
Add the slices to a skillet and fry for 8-10 minutes until it becomes rosy on the outside. Meanwhile, peel the carrots and peppers and cut into thin cubes. Chop the onion. When the meat is still cooking, add garlic, onions, carrots, peppers and potatoes. Reduce heat, cover and fry for another 35-45 minutes. Stir gently during cooking, not too often. If you use beef for this fried meat recipe in a frying pan, fry for about 45 minutes - 1 hour to make it really tender. Before serving, add fresh herbs to the pan and close the lid for a few minutes.
Roasted meat with broccoli
On a weekday evening, few will agree to cook complex dishes. The meat fried in a pan with vegetables can be made very quickly, and the result will be tasty and satisfying. You only need 30 minutes to prepare this dish. The following ingredients are needed for it:
- 500 grams of thinly sliced meat tenderloin (ideally beef);
- 500 grams of frozen broccoli;
- 1/2 cup soy sauce;
- 1/4 cup red wine;
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar;
- 2 tablespoons of corn starch;
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic;
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated;
- some chili flakes.
Cooking meat with broccoli
To get started, you need to make a marinade for meat. Pour soy sauce and wine into a bowl. Put the grated ginger there. It will be enough half a teaspoon of chopped root. Now add brown sugar and corn starch, put the garlic and chili flakes. Stir everything thoroughly.
Next, we start cutting meat. You can use a little trick - to put a piece of tenderloin in the freezer for 15-30 minutes before starting cooking: this greatly facilitates the cutting. You need to cut a piece into thin slices, like goulash.
Once you chop the meat, put it in the marinade and make sure that it completely covers the pieces.
Warm the cast-iron pan over high heat until the meat is pickled. Once it is very hot, put half the pieces of meat in it. You should not spread it too much at once, otherwise it will turn out not a fried, but a stewed product. Fry the meat for 2-3 minutes until a brown crust and slightly pink in the middle. Remove from the pan, and then repeat the same with the second batch. Once all the meat is cooked, you can add everything back to the pan. Then add broccoli and fry for another 5 minutes.
Serve the meat fried in a pan with broccoli, boiled rice, pasta or mashed potatoes, pouring meat marinade. As you can see, a delicious mouth-watering dinner can be prepared in just 30 minutes. The meat is fried and soft, and the marinade gives a wonderful flavor of wine and soy sauce. If you wish, you can pre-thicken the marinade in a pan, making it more concentrated.