Conventional Cooking Techniques

FACS Standards 8.5.1, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4, 8.5.5, 8.5.6, 8.5.7Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today. McGraw Hill-Glencoe. 2004.

Moist-heat Methods

Involves cooking foods in hot water, steam, or a combination

Long, slow moist-heat cooking tenderizes meat; blends flavors of foods

Boiling, simmering, steaming, pressure cooking

BOILING

Suitable for corn on the cob and pastaOther foods tend to overcook and fall

apartNutrient loss is highToughens protein

Be sure to use pan large enough for the food and the water

Bring liquid to a boil; then add food; liquid should continue to boil as food is added

Useful method when you want water to evaporate quickly – thicken sauce or concentrate flavor of a soup

SIMMERING

Differs from boiling in that the bubbles rise gently and just break the surface

Used to cook many foods – fruits, vegetables, and less tender cuts of meat and poultry

Some nutrients are lost

Use water when possibleTo simmer, bring water to a boil; add food;

when water begins to boil again, reduce the heat so food simmers

Slow cooker can be used to simmer foods – meats and dry beans

STEWING

A form of simmeringInvolves covering small pieces of food

with liquid and simmering until done

POACHING

A form of simmeringSimmer food in small amount of water

until doneEggs, whole fruits, and fish often prepared

this way

Steaming

Cooking food over, not in, boiling waterFood usually in a steamer basket that fits

inside panBoil small amount of water in bottom of

pan; place basket in pan; cover to trap steam

Water does not touch foodVegetables and fish often cooked this wayFoods retain their color, shape, and flavor

wellFew nutrients are lostCooking time longer

Pressure Cooking

Cooking food in steam under pressureCooks 3-10 times faster because cooks in

temperatures above 212o FBest for foods that take a long time to

cook – less tender cuts of beef, poultry, dry beans, soups, one-dish meals, vegetables

All the advantages of steaming plus faster

Dry-heat Methods

Cooking food uncovered without added liquid or fat

Roasting, baking, broiling, pan-broiling

Roasting and Baking

Cooking food uncovered in a conventional or convection oven

Roasting – cooking a large, tender cuts of meat or poultry

Baking – breads, cookies, vegetables, poultry, fish, casseroles

Roasting

Gives tender meat and poultry a flavorful, crispy brown crust

Use shallow, uncovered pan with a rack

Baking

Preheat oven 10 minutes before use; place pans in middle of oven for even cooking

If pans touch oven sides creates a hot spot – area of concentrated heat – overcooking food

If baking several pans at once, place them diagonally opposite of one another for better air circulation

Broiling

Cooking food under direct heatBroiler pan placed below a burner or

heating elementHeat radiates down, cooking food quicklyTender cuts of meat and poultry, fish,

fruits, and some vegetables

Already cooked foods can be broiled a short time to brown them

Melt cheese toppingsPan has 2 parts – slotted grid holds the

food and drip pan, which catches the drippings during cooking

To broil, set oven control to broil – can’t control temperature

The farther you place the food from the heat source the slower the cooking time, but food will cook all the way through

Outdoor Grilling

Similar to broiling except the heat source is below the food

Pan-Broiling

Range top dry heat cookingHamburgers, tender cuts of steak, and

some cuts of porkCook quickly and retain minimum amount

of fat

To pan-broil, cook food in heavy skillet over medium heat; don’t add fat; as fat accumulates, pour it off or remove with a baster

Frying

Cooking food in oil or melted fat

Sautéing

Brown foods in skillet with small amount of fat

Low to medium heatChopped vegetables (onions and

peppers), small pieces of meat and fish

Pan-frying

Similar to sautéing but with larger pieces of meat, poultry, or fish

Food may need turning several times during process for even, complete cooking

Often used to brown meat before cooking in moist heat

Deep-Fat Frying

“French frying”Food immersed in hot fat and cooked until

doneUsed for tender foods – vegetables and

some breads (doughnuts)

Use deep-fat fry thermometer for correct temperature

Smoking Point

Every fat has a smoking point – temperature at which fat gives off irritating smoke and breaks down chemically

No longer good for cooking

Animal fats – butter, lard – have low smoking points

Vegetable fats – safflower, soybean, corn, and peanut oils – relatively high smoking point – best choices for frying

Combination Methods

Best cooking method for food often combination of methods

Braising and stir-frying – methods combining dry-heat and moist-heat cooking

Braising

Brown food then long period of simmering to tenderize the food and enhance the flavor

Large, less tender cuts of meat and poultry

Use Dutch oven or heavy pot with tight-fitting lid

Brown food on all sides; add seasonings and small amount of liquid; cover the pot

Can be done either on stovetop or in oven at 350o F

Vegetables are often added near end of cooking time

Stir-Frying

Frying and moist-heat cookingSmall pieces of food quickly fried in small

amount of fat; stirred constantly to avoid sticking; small amount of liquid added near end of cooking time; pan covered to allow food to steam briefly

Began in AsiaMost often used for cooking mixtures of

vegetables and other foodsTraditional pan used is a wok, but regular

skillet works well