succulent there because less thoroughly
cooked. Finally, cooking time depends on how
the meat’s surface is treated. Naked or basted
meat evaporates moisture from its surface,
which cools the meat and slows cooking, but a
layer of fat or a film of oil forms a barrier to
such evaporation and can cut cooking times
by a fifth.
With so many variables affecting cooking
time, it’s clear that no formula or recipe can
predict it infallibly. It’s up to the cook to
monitor the cooking and decide when it
should stop.
Judging Doneness The best instruments for
monitoring the doneness of meat remain the
cook’s eye and finger. Measuring internal
temperature with a thermometer works well
for roasts but not for smaller cuts. (Standard
kitchen thermometers register temperature
along an inch span of their thick metal shaft,
not just at the tip. Dial thermometers also