Moderate temperatures, around 350°F/175°C, offer a compromise that produces acceptable results with many cuts of meat. So does a two-stage cooking: for example, starting the oven at a high temperature for an initial browning (or browning the meat on the stovetop in a hot pan), and then turning the thermostat down to cook the meat through more gently.
From the book On Food and Cooking (2nd edition) by Harold McGee. © 2004 Harold McGee.
By permission of Scribner, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.