Cooking Methods

Cooking Methods

1. Dry Heat

   • Uses direct or indirect heat.
     • Should be prepared naturally tender or prepared by adding moisture.
       • Adding moisture
         • Barding: Wrapping an item with strips of fat. This is usually done with lean meats.
           • Larding: Inserting long strips of fat into a naturally lean piece of meat with a special needle
             • Marinating: Soaking an item in wet and dry ingredients to provide flavor and moisture
             • Methods when applying dry heat
               • Methods without fat: Broiling, grilling, roasting, baking.
               • Methods with fat and oil: sauteing, pan-frying, stir-frying, deep-frying.
                 • Broiling:roiling uses high heat from a source located above the food to cook it rapidly. Broiled food typically becomes browned on the top. This method is best for tender cuts of meat, young poultry, fish, and some vegetables.
                   • Grilling: A simple dry heat method where food is cooked on a grill grate or rack above the heat source (typically and open flame). Grilling results is highly flavorful food and is best utilized on meats and some vegetables. Grilling sometimes results in a crosshatching look from sitting on the hot metal grill rack.
                     • Roasting and baking: Roasting & Baking cook food with hot, dry heat in the oven. The dry heat surrounds the food, heating the layers, and the natural juices create steam and are then absorbed into the food. Fish, tender meats, poultry, and some fruits and vegetables are suitable for baking and roasting.
                       • Sauteing: This method cooks food quickly using a small amount of fat over moderately high heat. The pan should be heated before beginning to saute and there should only be enough fat added to coat the bottom of the pan. This method is best for thinner cut meats, fish, and vegetables.
                         • Deep-fry: Deep frying requires that food be battered and completely submerged in hot oil until it is done. The outside of the food should be crispy, but the inside should remain moist and tender. Commonly fried foods include chicken, fish, corn dogs, and shrimp.
                           • Stir-Fry: Closely related to saute, this quick method uses high heat with a small amount of fat
                             • Pan-Fry: Like other methods pan-frying uses a small amount of fat (in this case oil), but uses a less intense heat than sauteing or stir-frying

2. Moist Heat

   • Methods include: boiling, simmering, poaching, blanching, steaming.
     • Simmering: Simmering requires that food be completely submerged in a liquid (water, broth, etc.) that is a constant, moderate temperature.
       • Boiling: When a liquid reaches boiling temperature in the form of LARGE bubbles.Use a Saucepan or pot large enough to hold the food and boiling liquid.
         • Poaching: The liquid should show some motion, but no air bubbles should break the surface.
           • Blanching: Blanching is a variation of boiling. Simply put, blanching on partially cooks food referred to as par-cooking.
             • Steaming: Steaming cooks food by surrounding it with steam in a confined area like a steam basket or cabinet. Steam cooks the food through direct contact.