Why weigh raw meat

cnbbnc

I just have to ask. What difference does it make when weighing raw vs cooked? Isn't 4oz still 4oz afterward?

Alatariel75

Meat can lose up to 40% of its mass during cooking, depending how well done it is. Because the cooked weight will entierly rely on how much you cooked it, weighing raw is more accurate.

TheopolisAmbroiseIII

cnbbnc wrote: »

I just have to ask. What difference does it make when weighing raw vs cooked? Isn't 4oz still 4oz afterward?

A McDonalds Quarter Pounder is 1/4 lb of beef before cooking and just over half that on the bun. A lot of water and fat renders out of meats, especially ground meats, while cooking.

3dogsrunning

Alatariel75 wrote: »

Meat can lose up to 40% of its mass during cooking, depending how well done it is. Because the cooked weight will entierly rely on how much you cooked it, weighing raw is more accurate.

This.

The reverse applies to things like pasta, which can weight differently after cooking depending on how much water it absorbed.

Weigh raw for meat, dry for pasta and rice.

erimethia_fekre

Normally 4oz of chicken will weigh 3oz when done. I have done a few tests on other meats but the way I cook it makes my first sentence very accurate. I tend to weigh it before and after.