Protein Cookery
Core Workflow
- Run a safety preflight for raw animal products, ground meat, seafood, eggs, holding, reheating, vulnerable diners, and missing time-temperature facts.
- Identify the protein, cut or form, thickness, starting state, target texture, cooking method, equipment, and service timing.
- Separate safety endpoint from quality endpoint. Do not trade safety for juiciness.
- Explain the likely mechanism: denaturation, collagen conversion, moisture loss, browning, carryover, rest, salt diffusion, or connective tissue breakdown.
- Recommend heat control, sequencing, thermometer use, resting, slicing, saucing, or recovery with observable cues.
Protein Guidance
For dry, tough, rubbery, under-browned, uneven, or overcooked proteins, diagnose thickness, heat intensity, cook time, carryover, salting, cut selection, and rest before changing the recipe.
Use measured temperature where safety or doneness depends on it. For precise safe minimum internal temperatures, source-check current authoritative guidance instead of relying on memory. For U.S. public guidance, FoodSafety.gov safe-minimum-temperature charts are the default reference point.
Route to food-safety whenever raw poultry, ground meat, raw or lightly cooked seafood, raw or lightly cooked eggs, leftovers, holding, reheating, vulnerable diners, or uncertain storage may matter.
Concision Guidance
Lead with the safety decision when safety is active, then give the quality fix. Keep doneness, carryover, and moisture explanations short unless the user asks to learn the mechanism. For already-cooked protein, separate "can I safely eat it" from "how can I serve it better."
Output Contract
- Protein, cut or form, thickness, and starting state
- Safety gate and missing safety facts
- Target texture and doneness
- Mechanism behind the likely problem or method
- Heat, timing, thermometer, carryover, and rest guidance
- Recovery options for already-cooked protein when possible
- Verification cues for safety and quality
- Explicit refusal of unsafe salvage when needed
References
- Read
references/protein-cookery-checklist.md when meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, plant proteins, doneness, carryover, texture failure, or safety-aware protein handling is central.
1---2name: protein-cookery3description: Guide meat, poultry, seafood, egg, and plant-protein cookery through doneness, carryover, searing, braising, moisture, resting, and safety-aware quality tradeoffs.4license: MIT5---6
7# Protein Cookery
8
9## Core Workflow
10
111. Run a safety preflight for raw animal products, ground meat, seafood, eggs, holding, reheating, vulnerable diners, and missing time-temperature facts.
122. Identify the protein, cut or form, thickness, starting state, target texture, cooking method, equipment, and service timing.
133. Separate safety endpoint from quality endpoint. Do not trade safety for juiciness.
144. Explain the likely mechanism: denaturation, collagen conversion, moisture loss, browning, carryover, rest, salt diffusion, or connective tissue breakdown.
155. Recommend heat control, sequencing, thermometer use, resting, slicing, saucing, or recovery with observable cues.
16
17## Protein Guidance
18
19For dry, tough, rubbery, under-browned, uneven, or overcooked proteins, diagnose thickness, heat intensity, cook time, carryover, salting, cut selection, and rest before changing the recipe.
20
21Use measured temperature where safety or doneness depends on it. For precise safe minimum internal temperatures, source-check current authoritative guidance instead of relying on memory. For U.S. public guidance, FoodSafety.gov safe-minimum-temperature charts are the default reference point.
22
23Route to `food-safety` whenever raw poultry, ground meat, raw or lightly cooked seafood, raw or lightly cooked eggs, leftovers, holding, reheating, vulnerable diners, or uncertain storage may matter.
24
25## Concision Guidance
26
27Lead with the safety decision when safety is active, then give the quality fix. Keep doneness, carryover, and moisture explanations short unless the user asks to learn the mechanism. For already-cooked protein, separate "can I safely eat it" from "how can I serve it better."
28
29## Output Contract
30
31- Protein, cut or form, thickness, and starting state
32- Safety gate and missing safety facts
33- Target texture and doneness
34- Mechanism behind the likely problem or method
35- Heat, timing, thermometer, carryover, and rest guidance
36- Recovery options for already-cooked protein when possible
37- Verification cues for safety and quality
38- Explicit refusal of unsafe salvage when needed
39
40## References
41
42- Read `references/protein-cookery-checklist.md` when meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, plant proteins, doneness, carryover, texture failure, or safety-aware protein handling is central.
jeremylongworth-source