We carefully choose meat and meat preparations #producedathome for people who enjoy goddies

In traditional Moldavian cuisine, meat is held in high esteem. There is almost no authentically cooked Moldovan food, whether for holidays or everyday, for which housewives do not use a piece of meat. And for the recipes to come out right, the quality of the ingredients matters. When you cook with homemade meat, you are sure to offer your family a tasty, safe meat of the highest quality.

Due to the special cultural importance that meat has in Moldovan gastronomy, Linella pays special attention to this assortment. This attention can be seen in the quality and safety of our products, in the diversity of the offer, which exactly meets the preferences of Linella consumers.

The Linella team's efforts are focused on finding the most savory and safe meats, from animals raised by certified producers. Thus, we provide you with tender and delicious meat for your steaks, schnitzels or stews.

We are concerned not only to offer you a variety of meat products of the highest quality, but we also try to be a source of inspiration for the way you prepare it, for a culinary experience as distinguished as possible. So, whichever way you choose to cook a piece of meat, in the oven, in the pan, on the grill or otherwise, here are some simple tricks with which you will achieve excellent results every time:

1. CHOOSE THE RIGHT COOKING METHOD DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF MEAT
Harder pieces of meat, such as chops or brine, i.e. those that come from the muscles that the animal demands more intensely, respond best to slow-cooking methods - in the oven, boiled in dishes, or on the grill over low heat. When cooking meat at low temperature for a long time, the collagen in the connective tissue melts, and the hard piece of meat becomes tender. This method allows the inside of the meat to reach the desired temperature without the risk of burning on the outside. Also, with this method, the meat loses as little as possible of the fat and juices full of flavors. Slow cooking is also recommended for large pieces of meat, such as a whole piece of chop, neck, ribs or brine. The tender pieces of meat, such as the loin or tenderloin, have little connective tissue, usually coming from areas of the body that the animal requires less. These pieces respond better to quick cooking methods, dry heat, such as frying in the pan or on the grill, on hot heat. If you cook them slowly (over low heat), they will lose their juices and become tough.

2. BROWN THE MEAT OVER HIGH HEAT TO GAIN FLAVOR
Tender meat is browned in the pan or on the grill for only a few minutes on both sides at high temperature. The browning process is responsible for much of the flavor of the piece of meat on the plate. Browning is due to a chemical reaction called the "Maillard reaction". Basically, the proteins on the surface of the meat degrade at high temperatures (250 ° C) and combine with the sugars in the meat. This is how hundreds of new natural compounds appear that give the meat a specific and delicious taste. So when you brown the meat, you aim for a brown and crispy crust on all sides, which will taste savory and retain all the delicious juices of the meat inside. This crust is obtained most easily at high temperatures.

3. MEAT SHOULD ALWAYS BE DRY AND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE, BEFORE YOU COOK IT
For proper browning, the meat must first be dried before placing it in the pan or on the grill. Eventually, carefully dab it with a paper towel, which is especially important if you've kept it in the freezer. Also, make sure the piece of meat is at room temperature when you start cooking it. If you took it out of the fridge, leave it for 10-15 minutes before putting it on heat.

4. CHOOSE THE RIGHT PAN, MAKE SURE IT'S HOT AND DOESN'T OVERCHARGE IT
If you choose to use a frying pan instead of a grill, choose a black iron or cast iron pan, because it will keep its high temperature for longer. Then make sure the pan is hot enough before you start cooking. You can check by dripping the pan with a little oil or fat. If the oil or fat immediately sizzles, almost smokes, then you can also put the meat in the pan. Anyway, be careful not to clutter the pan (also valid for the grill). The pieces of meat need at least half an inch of space between them. Otherwise, they will stifle rather than brown. If necessary, cook the pieces of meat in several portions.

5. USE ANIMAL FAT
If you fry meat, it is recommended to use animal, beef or duck fat. Vegetable fat burns much easier, and you will not get the result you want.

6. REMEMBER, THE MEAT CONTINUES TO COOK EVEN AFTER YOU REMOVE IT FROM HEAT
The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for some time after you stop cooking it. Take this into account when removing meat from the oven, pan or grill. In other words, remove it shortly before it reaches the desired temperature. This effect also does not occur with chicken or fish meat, which does not retain heat in the same way as a piece with a dense muscle structure.

7. LET THE MEAT REST
After cooking it, let the meat rest. Thus, you will allow the juices circulating to the inside of the meat to redistribute evenly throughout the piece of meat. If you follow this rule, your piece of meat will lose much less of its flavorful juices when you cut it with your knife than if you start portioning it as soon as you stop cooking it. A thin piece of meat should rest between 5 and 10 minutes, while a thicker piece should rest between 15 and 20 minutes. And when cooking a ticker piece, for example a whole turkey, the meat should be left to rest for about 40 minutes before portioning it.

Be inspired and give flavor to your dishes, with fresh meat and home-made meat products for the tastiest recipes.