One cooking method for every recipe

The method uses one pot, to keep it simple. The ingredients go in step by step, from the ones that need the most cooking to the ones that need the least. Each one cooks just long enough. The meat reaches a safe 165°F (74°C), which kills harmful germs, and still stays tender and keeps as many of its nutrients as possible. That is why the order of the steps matters.

Nothing is thrown out. The cooking liquid holds nutrients from the meat, so it always stays in the food.

The texture changes the timing too. In Chunks, a meat like beef needs a longer simmer to turn tender. When it will be minced, shredded or blended, it needs less.

Step by step

Weigh and measure. Prepare each food as your recipe's Before you start section says, then weigh it. Measure the supplements into small cups.
Chop. Cut the meat and squash or pumpkin into half-inch (1 cm) pieces for Chunks, 2-inch (5 cm) for the other textures. Snip the liver into a cup.
Simmer in order. Start the slowest-cooking foods in all the water, then add the rest in your recipe's order, eggs last. Keep the lid on and the heat low.
Check for doneness. The largest pieces should read 165°F (74°C) in the center. Then take the pot off the heat.
Add the liver off the heat. Let the pot rest for 4 to 5 minutes, until the liquid cools to about 180°F (82°C). Add the liver and cover: the pot's heat cooks it through to 165°F (74°C) inside.
Cool to room temperature. Take the lid off and stir in any cooked rice. A sink of cold water speeds this up.
Finish the texture. Mince, shred or blend, as your texture needs.
Add the supplements. Stir in everything except the salmon oil, as Guide 4 shows.
Portion and store. Divide the batch into equal single meals and pack them. Add each meal's share of salmon oil at serving.

Batch size

A 1x batch makes 1,000 kcal of food, about 840 to 950 g (1.9 to 2.1 lb). That feeds an average 4 kg (9 lb) adult cat for about 4 to 5 days.

1x and 2x fit a 3-quart (3 L) pot.
5x lasts about three weeks and needs a stockpot of about 8 quarts (7.5 L).
Custom takes any number above 1.

Food safety

Raw meat stays in the fridge until needed and gets its own board and knife. Wash hands, tools and surfaces in hot, soapy water before touching anything else.
Portions go into the fridge or freezer within 2 hours of the pot coming off the heat. For 5x, set the pot in a sink of ice water and stir often, or spread the food into shallow pans, so it cools in time.

Finishing each texture

Chunks: nothing to do. The pieces were cut to bite size before cooking.
Minced: lift the solids out with a mesh strainer. Pulse them 2 or 3 times in a food processor, to half-inch (1 cm) pieces, then return them.
Shredded: lift the solids into a stand mixer. Run the flat beater on low for 20 to 30 seconds, then return them. Warm meat shreds more easily.
Pâté: blend everything until no pieces remain, with an immersion blender in the pot or in a food processor.

Six mistakes to avoid

Overcooking the liver. It turns rubbery and smells metallic, as our post on cooking liver explains.
Adding supplements to hot food. Wait for room temperature.
The wrong vitamin D bottle. Extra-strength look-alikes hold up to 10 times more per drop, so use the exact product.
Eyeballing. Weigh every food and measure every supplement.
Skipping the thermometer. Color alone cannot prove the meat is done.
Pouring off the cooking liquid. It holds nutrients from the meat. For a drier meal, use less water.

How long it takes

A 1x batch takes about 2 hours from scale to freezer, and a 5x batch about 3. Much of it is waiting while the pot simmers and cools. Wash up and label the containers meanwhile.