Cooking Methods

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Cooking Methods

• Dry Heat Methods
• Moist Heat Methods

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Dry Heat

• A cooking method in which heat is transferred, or
  conducted, to the food in one of the following
  ways
• By radiant heat - rays that come from a flowing
  or red hot heat source such as coals, flames, or
  hot element
• By metal that conducts heat from a burner to the
  food
• By oil that is heated

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Changes that occur to food

• Color
• Texture
• Flavor
• Nutritional value

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• Color - due to heat causing the surface of food
  to dry out
• Dry heat methods produce a golden or deep brown
  color on the outside
• Flavor on outside is more intense as food browns
• Food that contains sugar starts to turn brown, or
  caramelize, when heated
• Protein rich foods (meats) turn brown as they
  cook
• Known as Maillard reaction

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• Texture - outer layer of food stiffens as cooks
• Crispy skin on chicken, crunchy breading on fried
  foods,
• Eggs, meats, fish, poultry become firm
• Some foods soften - onions

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Flavor How to maintain moisture

• Coat with flour
• Marinate Soak in oil, flavorful liquids,
  aromatics before cooking
• Avoid overcooking

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Nutritional value

• The longer food cooks, the more nutritive value
  it loses.
• Food cooked very quickly will lose relatively few
  vitamins and minerals.
• Cooking can also add unwanted nutritional value.
• Fried foods add fat to foods.

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8 basic dry heat methods

• Grilling and broiling
• Roasting and baking
• Sauteing and stir frying
• Pan frying and deep frying
• They are grouped as pairs due to the similarities
  in the pairs.

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Grilling

• Dry heat method in which food is placed on a rack
  for cooking.
• Grilling - heat source is below the rack
• Have a robust, smoky taste
• Heat source is charcoal, gas, wood, or element
• Heat source heats up metal to cook food which
  creates the grill marks
• Crosshatch grill marks - creating a diamond shape
  grill mark on meat by repositioning the meat
  halfway through cooking

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Broiling

• Heat source is above the food
• Heat source is gas flame or element

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Roasting and baking

• Technique in which food is cooked by hot air
  trapped inside an oven and by being in contact
  with the pan that holds them.
• As the hot air comes in contact with the food,
  the surface of the food begins to heat up and dry
  out.
• Surface color becomes deeper
• Texture in meat becomes firmer
• Texture in vegetable fruit becomes softer

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• Roasting refers to a whole item or a large piece
  of food.
• Baking refers to smaller pieces of a larger food
  or mixtures
• Whole chicken is roasted, chicken pieces are
  baked
• Water Bath method of placing food into a pan
  with a larger pan filled with water as a means of
  controlling the intensity of the heat.
• Used for delicate items that you want to have a
  creamy, smooth consistency.

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Sauteing and Stir Frying

• Cooking food quickly in a very small amount of
  fat in a pan over high heat.
• Food used needs to be tender and thin.
• Often coated with a seasoned flour
• Cooked primarily by contact with pan
• Fat helps to avoid sticking and add flavor

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The art of Sauteing

• First heat up the pan (referred to as
  conditioning the pan)
• Then add oil when the pan is hot
• Add food to cook
• Adding food to a cold pan with cold oil will
  cause the food to stick
• Recovery time time it takes for the pan to heat
  up again when food is added.
• The more food added, the more the pan cools off
• Turn sauteed food halfway through cooking.
• Stir as little as possible

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Stir frying

• Cooked in pan with round bottom and high sides
  (wok)
• Foods are cut into small strips to they cook
  quickly
• Stir and toss food constantly
• Typical of Asian foods

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Searing

• Cooking foods in a small amount of hot fat just
  long enough to color the outside of the food
• Gives food a rich brown color (meats)
• Used to prepare large food quantities
• Food is partially cooked to give color to the
  outside and then put in oven to finish cooking
• Food is turned often to avoid burning

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Pan Broiling

• Like sauteing only no fat is used
• Used for foods with a high fat content such as
  bacon
• Fat that is released by the food, is poured off
  as it forms referred to as dry sautéing

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Sweating

• Uses lower heat
• Typically used for vegetables
• Cook at low heat in a small amount of fat
• Food cooks in own juice that is released as it
  cooks
• Need to stir more often
• Smothering pan is covered to increase amount of
  juices that are retained

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Pan Frying and Deep Frying

• Food is cooked in hot oil in a pan
• More oil used than in sauteing
• Oil should come halfway up sides of food
• Turn foods only once while cooking
• Can partially cook thick foods then transfer to
  oven
• Cooking entirely on top of stove might result in
  overcooking
• Oil should be heated to temperature specified in
  recipe
• Oil not hot enough food absorb greasy

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• Pan fried foods are tender and moist.
• Common foods that are pan fried are vegetables,
  fish, chicken, veal, pork
• Pan-fried foods are usually coated
• Seasoned flour simplest is with salt pepper
• Put food in flour and turn till coated or shake
  in bag
• Standard breading dust with seasoned flour, dip
  in beaten egg, cover with breadcrumbs
• Batters blend of flour liquid placed on food
  and immediately placed in pan

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Deep frying

• Cooking food completely covered in hot oil
  (usually 350 to 375)
• Usually covered evenly with breading or batter
• Breaded foods lowered into oil in basket
• Battered foods lowered into oil with tongs
• Foods should be cooked in small portions to
  reduce recovery time

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Determining Doneness

• Challenging as some foods can be cooked to
  various degrees of doneness
• Need to take into consideration carryover cooking
  and resting food to help determine doneness
• Carryover cooking cooking that continues after
  food is taken off heat due to food retaining
  heat.
• Larger pieces of food will continue cooking
  longer
• Cooking food to longer can result in overcooking
  due to carryover cooking

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Resting Time

• Allowing foods to set or rest for a period of
  time after cooking
• Allows for carryover cooking so food can reach
  its proper doneness
• Food is moister. During cooking juices move
  toward center of food so resting allows the
  juices to redistribute
• Gives you time to finish side dishes or sauces

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Moist Heat Cooking

• Cooking methods where foods are cooked in a
  liquid.
• These techniques have a built-in temperature
  control since most liquids will not rise much
  above 212 F.
• Food is cooked from heat conducted through a pan
  to liquid and then to food by
• Direct contact with the hot liquid
• With steam that rises from the hot liquid

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Changes to Food

• Color on outside is same as inside
• Texture may be firmer or softer depending on the
  food. The texture helps determine doneness.
• Loss of nutritive elements in the water
• To minimalize loss cut food just before cooking
  and cook as short a time as possible

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Moist Heat Methods

• Steaming
• Poaching
• Simmering
• Boiling
• Combination of moist dry heat methods
• braising
• stewing

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Steaming

• Cooking food with steam in a closed pot
• Food does not come in contact with liquid
• Helps retain nutrients
• Popular with vegetable and tender meats and fish
• Seasonings, flavoring, aromatics can be added
  to add flavor to foods
• Pot should be opened as little as possible when
  steaming.

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Poaching

• Food is completely covered with hot liquid
• Used for tender foods (eggs, fish, chicken
  breasts, fruit)
• Cooking temperature is 160 to 170

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Simmering

• Food is completely covered by hot liquid
• Used for tougher cuts of meat
• Temperature is 170-185.

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Boiling

• Food is completely covered with hot liquid
• Used for pasta and certain vegetables
• Temperature is 212 (boiling point)

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How Hot is the Liquid?

• Poaching (160-170 degrees)
• Many bubbles cling to the sides and bottom of the
  pan. Some motion is visible on top of the
  liquid, but is seems to be barely moving.
• Simmering (170-185 degrees)
• Size of bubbles increases and they rise to the
  surface more rapidly and more frequently. The
  surface shows more obvious signs of motion.
• Boiling (212 degrees)
• Bubbles are very large and rise very quickly to
  the surface. There is very much motion on the
  surface. Liquid that is boiling rapidly is said
  to be at a rolling boil.

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Braising and Stewing

• Food is first seared in hot oil (dry)
• Helps food keep shape when cooking
• Helps develop rich flavor
• Food is then cooked in flavorful liquid or sauce
• Braising food is left whole or in large pieces
  with enough liquid to partially cover it
• Stewing smaller pieces of food that are
  completely covered with liquid
• These foods have a rich, complex flavor and a
  tender texture.

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What foods are braised or stewed?

• Tougher cuts of meat
• Whole poultry
• Firm-fleshed fish or seafood
• Certain vegetables
• Beans
• Food must be able to stand up to the long gentle
  cooking process without completely falling apart.
• Cooking liquid is used as a sauce which contains
  flavor and nutrients.

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Determining Doneness

• Dependent on the food and the person eating the
  food.
• If food is served right away it will be cooked
  all the way through
• If food is used in another dish it will be
  partially cooked
• Names for doneness include blanched, parcooked
  (parboiled), fully cooked

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Blanching

• Food is cooked just long enough to cook the outer
  portion of the food.
• Blanched vegetables will keep their brilliant
  color
• Draws out strong flavors or aromas
• Loosens skin so they are easier to peel
• Place blanched foods immediately into ice water
  to stop carryover cooking

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Parcooked

• Food that is partially cooked
• Helps to make you more efficient
• Parcook food ahead of time and then finish
  cooking right before serving
• Parboiled refers exclusively to partially boiling
  a food.

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Fully Cooked

• Food that is cooked all the way through or to the
  doneness you desire.
• Remember to allow for carryover cooking

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How to test for Doneness

• Appearance
• Texture
• Use a paring knife, table, fork or kitchen fork
  to pierce foods
• Parcooked food will be easy to piece on the
  outside but resistant on the inside
• Fully cooked food should be easily pierced all
  the way. These foods are said to be fork tender.