How to Avoid Uneven Cooking on the Grill and in the Oven

CookingLight.com

Cooking Mistake: Food cooks unevenly on the grill or in the oven: The outside is overdone, the inside rare or raw.

Meats will cook much more evenly if you allow them to stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes (depending on the size of the cut) to take the chill off.

A roast that goes into the oven refrigerator-cold will likely yield a piece of meat that is overcooked on the outside and undercooked at the center. As you slice the roast, you'll see a bull's-eye effect: The middle is rare (or even raw) while the outside is well done. This is less of a problem with smaller cuts like chicken breasts―though even those benefit from resting at room temperature for five or 10 minutes before cooking.

See More of Our Most Common Cooking Mistakes

Grilled Steak with Fresh Mango Salsa

Ingredients

1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) flat-iron or flank steak
1 cup diced peeled fresh mango (about 1) $
1/4 cup diced seeded cucumber $
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Dash of salt
Cooking spray

See More: Steak Lover's Recipes

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Combine first 4 ingredients; rub evenly over both sides of steak. Let steak stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

3. Combine mango and next 5 ingredients (through dash of salt); cover and chill.

4. Lightly coat both sides of steak with cooking spray. Place steak on grill rack; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from grill; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Serve with salsa.

Don't Miss:
Grilled Beef Recipes
Healthy Grilled Burgers
5-Ingredient Meat Recipes