Topic: Preparing Pre-Cooked Meats (BIR Process)

[Chilli Prawn]

This was given to me by a friend who was a BIR chef fro a few years.

CP

ASIAN MEAT PREPARATION PROCESS

This is the method used by Asian restaurants and take-aways for preparing their meat products ready for service.  Meat cooked in this manner can be stored in a refrigerator for up to 5 days (no more), but it is not recommended for freezing.

Ensure the best quality meat is used.  Tough cuts are not recommended and would certainly not be used by Asian cooks.

Ingredients

Chicken, Lamb or Beef   cut to preferred size (1 to 2 inch pieces)
   
Spice Paste   (The same as described in the UCB recipe)

40g   Garam Masala powder
40g   Mild Curry powder
40g   Coriander powder
40g   Cumin powder
40g   Paprika powder
40g   Turmeric powder
20g   Chilli powder (standard)
20g   Cayenne powder
   
250 ml   Oil 1 - Vegetable or groundnut oil marinating
   
Extra vegetable oil   Oil 2 ? frying, about 25ml - 50ml (see recipe for details)
   
250 ml   Water
   Salt to taste (use the absolute minimum as this will toughen the meat)

Process

Mix spices and Oil 1 in a bowl and leave to infuse overnight.  Do not chill.

?   Heat Oil 2 in a pan; start with sufficient to cook the spices (1/4 pint)
?   Add spices and fry on a low heat for about 5 minutes to fuse the spices
?   Add more oil if the mixture seems dry, you want to see plenty of oil bubbling
?   Add meat and stir in to the spices
?   Then slowly add the water
?   Stir and add a little salt to taste
?   Cook meat at 80 degrees C ? 100 Centigrade minimum

Cook the meat slowly until just prior to the ?cooked? point, e.g. very slightly pink for chicken, longer for red meats; remove from the heat so that the residual heat will finish cooking the meat. It needs some practice to get this right

Make sure that as the meat cools down in ambient temperature as quickly as possible, and make sure it is well covered with the oily sauce.  Add more oil if needed.  The oil protects the meat from airborne bacteria; the spices will protect the meat from bacteria within the mix but only to a small extent.

Store in a fridge as soon as it reaches ambient temperature and use within 5 days; it must be stored in a fridge all the time, only take out what you need and top up the oil in needed.  I do not recommend freezing..

Use the meat straight from the fridge in batches as required; do not leave it in an ambient temperature if you do not intend to use it all in the same cooking session.

OBSERVE HEALTH & HYGENE

[Curry King]

Just to add to this, I was shown by a BIR chef how they cooked their chicken and it was as follows:

Using 4 breasts cut into pieces

In a saucepan add 3 or 4 green pods, couple of bay leaves and a piece of cassia bark to some oil.
Add half an onion chopped into chunks and stir in.(he said this was optional, but they do it)
After a few minutes add a tsp of garlic and ginger paste.
Stir in and then add a heaped tsp each of coriander powder and cumin powder.
Stir in and fry for a minute or so.
Add the chicken and cover in the spice and oil.
Add water to just cover the chicken and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat right down and stir occasionaly till the chicken is cooked, 10mins approx, I usualy take a piece out and cut it in half to check.

For lamb\mutton it was pretty much the same except add a couple of black pods and cook for a lot longer, when I've cooked lamb before, depending on quality, i've cooked it for up to an hour.  This does produce perfect lamb that you don't even need to chew. 

I'm sure there are other first hand accounts of precooking meat and veg buried in the forum somewhere.  I know Pete had a demo at his local which included how they precook all their veg, i shall try and dig it out.

[Chilli Prawn]

I like this one!  I shall try it today as I am making up a big batch of Punjabi Lamb using Mutton leg, and a big batch of Madras Beef.  Which is a good link back!  I would reccomend that Beef is NEVER precooked; it always tastes like beef stew afterwards in curries!

CP

[Chilli Prawn]

Just to add to this, I was shown by a BIR chef how they cooked their chicken and it was as follows:...............

For lamb\mutton it was pretty much the same except add a couple of black pods and cook for a lot longer, when I've cooked lamb before, depending on quality, i've cooked it for up to an hour.  This does produce perfect lamb that you don't even need to chew. 
.................

Thanks CK, I tried this akhni last night to cook up a large batch of Mutton leg.  It is perfect for precooking the Lamb/Mutton for my Punjabi Lamb as it carries a very similar flavour.  I think I would change it slightly for other meats; i.e. replace Cassia with Cinnamon stick, not use brown cardamom in any circumstance or if you have to, use only one pod. I used coarsley chopped Ginger and Garlic because I wanted to release the flavours slowly (Mutton takes a long time).  I added 1/2 tsp salt and I added two dried Cherry Chillis because they have a smokey taste, which is good for Punjabi Lamb.

Happy Cooking
CP

[CurryCanuck]

Occasionally I will add chipolte chilies to a  curry order to impart that more pronounced earthy taste .

CC

[Chilli Prawn]

Occasionally I will add chipolte chilies to a  curry order to impart that more pronounced earthy taste .

CC

Ihave just bought some more for my chillis so I might just try one or two next time.

CP

[CurryCanuck]

Its great to see individuals like CP who are willing to adopt new flavours and concepts to their existing culinary expert repertoire . This is how recipes both evolve and grow . By experimenting and sharing this knowledge base  , we can all benefit .

[Mark J]

How much of the spice paste CP, surely not the whole lot!! How much meat is this for?

[Chilli Prawn]

Ooooh Er!  That's a tough one.  I think I cooked about 2-3 kilos of trimmed Mutton.  Not sure that the Aknhi quantities make all that much difference really. I shall have to think

CP

[Mark J]

But you did use all of the amount listed above for that quantity of meat?