How can I master the oven temperatures at which to cook things and corresponding cooking times without having to remember them specifically for each dish? Are there some charts anywhere on the internet, for instance in gif format?
Thanks.
Oven – Rough guidelines for oven temperatures
cooking-timeoventemperature
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It's definitely a sign that the oven is cooking too hot somewhere; the under-done tops and middles are the give-away. I suspect your oven has a malfunctioning thermostat, which is quite common. Try setting temperatures 50 degrees below suggested, and see if it solves the problems. Failing this, purchase an oven thermometer to check it.
Another possibility is that there is poor airflow within the oven. In this case, hot air is heating the bottom of the pan, but cannot get around the edges of the pan to heat the top of the baked good. The solution to this is usually to use a smaller pan, and ensure only one pan at a time is loaded into the oven. My oven has problems of this nature when I try to bake in both racks with half sheet pans.
I don't know the whole algorithm, but I found the formula you'd need to derive it.
First, as you said, you would need a reference for the final internal temperature of the meat. McGee On Food And Cooking is a good source, I don't know of any online accessible ones, although they probably exist.
Second, you have to calculate the time needed to reach that temperature. The system of equations you need is (assuming a simple case - I am sure that adding oil to the pan, or breading the meat, or using a microwave will all change it a lot):
No, I don't know what these variables stand for. The book from which I scanned this uses it as an example why asking for such an algorithm is pointless. I guess you could look it up in the paper cited below the equations, if you are so inclined. I will stick with my thermometer.
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Best Answer
What you're really trying to do is add a measured amount of heat to your food in order to achieve the effects you want: in the case of e.g. a roast chicken, crispy skin and safe but juicy meat. As noted by Erica there is comparatively wide band of temperature in which this will work, so why not measure the temperature where it matters?
Buy yourself a digital thermometer. America's Test Kitchen has rated ThermoWorks as one of, if not the, top brand. A 'Chef Alarm' by TW will cost you about US$50, and consists of a probe you stick into the food, and a digital reader. It will make more of a difference to your meat dishes than anything else. Roast meats at around 210C as a base temp. This will seem pretty high, but will ensure you get a crispy outside while the inside cooks, and you can always modify once you see how your oven behaves. Chicken is cooked internally at 70C, pork about 65C, lamb or beef at 55C. You can even set an alarm on your unit to tell you when it's done. No more guessing - ever. In terms of veg, see a nice summary (conveniently, all cooked at about the same temperature too) at ChefSteps: https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/tips-tricks-perfect-roasted-vegetables
Most braises or casseroles will go in at about 150-170C for several hours depending on the thickness of the meat. The point in slow cooking to break down tough collagen into tender and tasty gelatin. For a great, instructive and short video on understanding the difference between tough and tender cuts (and why you can use the same techique for a shoulder of pork or a shoulder of lamb): https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/decoding-tough-and-tender-cuts
Oh - and cakes always seem to be cooked at about 180C. No idea why but most recipes seem to be written for that temp.