Previously, in spite my well wishes amongst the practitioners and believers of "raw" foodism - I asserted nonetheless that cooking - imparts logical necessity for arresting a (live) nutrient at their complete state of rest.

For now - a sharing of pragmatic rituals. 

**UPDATE September 2020**

Whilst many of these methodology suggests dry cooking for convenience, better palatability and in context for ~ multiple serve(s) preparation, I have recently altered my stances and instead preferring "wet" methodology cooking. This will be discussed in detail in my next upcoming new book on basic recipes and cooking methodology. However many principles here in this article still stay true as contingencies ~ the importance of spices, never cook beyond well done, draining away of excess N6 fats, and only add fats as "finish". In the upcoming new book I shall also discuss upon microwaving ~ as a viable alternative.  - AW™.

1/7

Never cook anything well-done. Unless prepping and eating at once.

There is every reason, or so it seems - to remain fearful from protein oxidations from all cooked (or semi) cooked sources - of meats, both white, red and seafood.

I'll go with semi cooked. Better than without bacterial invasions or parasites ensuing in my gut.

Unless if cooking and eating all in the same feeding window then "reasonably cooked" (politically defined to as anywhere between medium to well done) is what I typically aim for. Mix with herbs and salt to compensate any chances for excess oxidations or spoilage.

If I am cooking for a later consumption - then I know the meats will undergo yet another episode of cooking. Hence the need to cook things just lightly at no less than a medium rare. Salt & season further spices. Set aside two (2) serves in the fridge allocating two days of consumption, and store the semi-cooked rest in the freezer.

With eggs ~ I hard boil about 7 for a 3.5 day supply. Peel, submerge in water, and sprinkle generously with himalayan salt before fridging it.

But how intense for reheating the previously 3/4 cooked meats? Not a whole lot. Warm, but never scorching to the point I see smoke. Just a warm 1 to 2 minute session (depending on other added "collateral" - veggies, condiments etc)  on the microwave on high would suffice. Boiled Eggs however are too delicate, hence reheating them should ideally be restricted to more than 25 seconds on medium heat before serving.

Beef mince - a case example.

First and foremost, let the meats defrost in open air, and once done - combine with antioxidant herbs. Rosemary reportedly seemed to be the most effective in reducing protein oxidation. Otherwise, I am using at least minced or pre-peeled vaccuum-packed garlic.

To begin cooking I choose with either - 1)  cast iron or 2) stainless steel pan. Eitherway I pre-heat the pan as hot as to allow the Leidenfrost to form on stainless steel pan. Throw a sprinkle of water on and the water should "dance" . This indicates the pan is "ready" for cooking. Then Turn the heat down to LOW.

The very first minute of cooking I let the meats cooks under that low setting. Once the glorious sizzling is over, let the excess water and oils - to begin separating themselves. And NEVER COOK well done at this point. 

From which then this follows on to my tradition and overall next point of consideration = drain + press with boiled water.

2/7

Drain excess Omega-6 Fats with boiling water.

As with anything of economy grade red-meats; what I will be eating is ultimately what the animals ate. Omega-6 is almost unavoidable given today's prevalence of conveniences and abundances.  These additional step/s with boiling water of course only reduce but sadly not fully eliminate the Omega 6 intakes. Chicken / poultry unfortunately, despite my favourite "light" meat source seemed to produce the worst Omega 6:3 ratio.  Hence, Vitamin-E supplementation to counter pro-inflammatory, anti-thyroid effects ~ seems advisable. 

Once the beef mince (as example) is submerged with their oils & water = drain through the colander and briefly press down to further separate the liquids and dry proteins for a minute or two. Then, boil a kettle and pour it through.

For every 500g of (store bought) weight beef mince = I expect to see as many as 100 grams of those = to be lost entirely in excess omega-6 fat and moisture content. 

Then upon storage I mix with any spices I can find. From parsley to oregano, mint to rosemary.

Would draining the beef mince alter the macros? Yes of course, this lowers the total fat content. 

Here in Australia we use the star rating as opposed to the US "80/20", 70/30 rating. 2 star is considered "regular" or "economy" grade bearing anywhere between 20% to 30% fat. A typical 100g serve of regular beef mince as is with fats and water is 210 calories. Where as the same amount with the excess water and oils drained will net 155 calories instead.

As taken from MFP's Ground Beef- 80/20- Browned, Rinsed, and Drained - Low Fat Ground Beef:

3/7

The Oven = for thick cuts / boned meats.

Whenever longer / more sustained cooking times are preferred without clogging the entire house up in smoke - the oven is my go to solution. Chicken breast, beef bones for dog food  (if you can find a short dated <$3 ones - it's a treasure find for us humans too for their rich fat and some meat proteins content),  thick tri-tip beefs / lamb / pork shoulders, as well as organ meats - ox hearts, livers, etc. For tri-tips and pork shoulders I must first slice them patiently into steak like chunks before herbing and baking.

Generally I bake at 150-160 degrees for up to 30 minutes, flip then lower it to 50 to 75 degrees for another 10 minutes.

The same rule applies - I never aim to bake all my meats "well done" unless if I am willingly wait to cook and eat both within the same feeding window.

Generously salt, season further with herbs and allow to cool. Set aside two (2) serves in the fridge for allocating two days of consumption, and store the semi-cooked rest in the freezer. Next morning, move to fridge to gently defrost by nighttime for it to prepare yet another re-heating episode.

I like to use butter if I can afford it. But at least, for as long the antioxidant herbs + minced garlic on the fatty organ meats themselves are there - I feel safe in just using the meats own fats do the cooking.

The boiling method / muscle based organ meats and poultry(s)

Wet cooking methodology is pretty much as it implies. Using simply water to boil all cut portions of meat with seasonings and serve. Not only this produces stocks and broths, but also helps negating excess glycation end product formation compared to dry cooking.

So this generally remains my go to method for various cuts of organ meats and poultry. That includes within poultry ~ drumstick, Maryland and then the frame portions. Poultry takes between 30 to 40 minutes will do until at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit is reached. However, for muscle based organ meats - think chicken hearts and ox hearts, etc =should never be overcooked to the point of dark brown.

4/7

For seafood? It's a dilemma.

I very seldom able to eat "proper" seafood. The above picture is a graceful rare opportunity for me able to spot a $9 per 2kilogram worth of salmon head with remnants muscle meats with it. Oh yes, the gelatinous bits in the cheeks, the head and the eyes - were amazing. To give you an idea how poor I am - the above opportunity is taken once throughout this entire year - of 2018.

Salmon especially if it is already "smoked" should never be recooked. I prefer eating these to just at comfortable warm level. Not chilled.  However if I ever felt compared to lightly cook raw salmon - I firstly ensure it all defrosts without excess water, sprinkle with antioxidant herbs, without oils, and bake in the preheated oven no further than 125 degrees celcius, and no more than 10 minutes maximum. Once the colour turns to remotely pinkish white - then it's already well cooked enough as is.

For canned fish - from sardines to mackerels and tunas - I seldom cook them, if at all.

William Felker @ Unsplash.com

But what about the artificial colouring + all that canola meal they're fed with?

Unless canned - just another reason why I'd advocate cooking them (raw fillets) than downing them raw and tartare.

Recent months kept me stuck on reading Suppversity's (/ Proffesor Andro's) extensive articles and concerns on wild vs farmed salmon. Equally concerning are the methods themselves - evidently more than ever - farmed salmon are becoming an industrialised necessity to accomodate our growing population.

In spite of soybean fed fish Woolworths Mackerel, they are still a viable source of protein after all. At $2.60 - Humility Through Frugality after all springs into view as priority. Is it optimal forever though? Well, let me just say the edible bones themselves are useful enough as gelatin more than Soylent Green.

6/7

For vegetables - presoak with baking soda and at least, microwave them well.

Professor Andro @ Suppversity once again, shared an interesting insight on the use of baking soda. A study suggested that soaking (practically anything GMO'ed) from vegetables to fruits in baking soda apparently helped reducing the excess pesticides.

Hence I presoak all my dark greens - kales, silverbeets, etc - with water just enough to cover it, sprinkle generously with him salt and baking soda about a teaspoon worth for each big handful batch. Leave it for a good 15 minutes, drain rinse and re-store.

Alas, raw vegetables have convinced me that they not sit well on my gut. All sorts of chest pains and heartburn like symptoms persist. At least - the water heavy ones - zucchinis, lettuces, cucumbers, etc convincingly and repeatedly shows this pattern. Dark and green leafy ones however are here to stay. However, from spinach to beetroot leaves - they still need cooking. 

Despite that - we've got one more thing to worry about. The oxalates are bit more resilient than previously thought. Boiling them - still does not escape from this peril, as the oxalate merely leaches out of it and into the water it's boiled with. What I'd do instead is wash + squeeze and microwave.

Just like all things low carb interventions - magnesium and all round salt intakes is crucial. Particularly magnesium citrates at mitigating risks against kidney stones.

After the meal, I'd sip a warmed Apple Cider Vinegar (+ boiled water), with warmed chicken stocks,  squeeze of lemon (but be careful not to down the entire lemon in it, as that itself contains some oxalates), then salt and pepper.

7/7

Add (proper) fats only ontop meal.

....And this leads us to the final tradition from all my years of prior SKD - I very, very seldom - add "heated" oils on top of a dish before serving. Irrespective with or without vegetables (quasi zero-carb) - fats need to be visible. Not scorched but just melted warm state. I want to taste the fat as they are.

Gently melt them with the meats, boiled eggs and veggies.

Done.

So there you have it, a sharing of pragmatic principles in the kitchen and (brief) supplements as contingencies. Comment your thoughts down below if you have a specific workaround or cooking methodology worth sharing!