| Well, I guess to be in the kitchen, you should know what the hell you're exactly doing. Most of it probably will come to you from years of observing others cook like your parents, restaurant cooks, or in TV shows. Even if it will come naturally like that, there's some technical steps to it. Anyway, there's two types of cooking methods, dry heat and moist heat. As the names suggests, one method involves using dry heat while the other uses liquid. Also, there's a few methods that involve a combination of both ways. Dry Heat - Broiling: Cooking from a direct heat source above, as well as a heated grate or surface from the bottom. You probably notice the option on your oven (the one that's not labeled "bake".) Preheat your broiler. Oil the bottom cooking grate with a towel partially soaked in cooking oil so the food doesn't stick. Place food on the bottom cooking surface, top-side down. Let the food sear on the bottom, creating some nice lines. Turn the food 45 or 90 degrees and let the food cook in the broiler or oven. Turn the food to make sure it cooks on both sides evenly. Cook to temperature or until whenever finished. - Grilling: Cooking from a direct heat source below a heated grate. Charcoal or wood chips can be used to flavor the food further. There's also gas grills and electric grills. Basically you're barbequeing. Prepare your heat source to desired heat. Oil the surface you're cooking on with a towel partially soaked in cooking oil so your food doesn't stick. Place food on the bottom cooking surface, top-side down. Let the food sear on the bottom, creating some nice lines. Turn the food 45 or 90 degrees and let the food cook in the broiler or oven. Flip over and finish cooking to desired doneness. There's no need to turn at an angle since only one side will be presented. - Roasting/Baking: Basically the same thing, placing food in a pan or baking dish and cooking it in an oven. The difference in the terms? Roasting applies to meats and poultry, while baking refers to fish, fruits, vegetables, starches, and pastry items like bread. Preheat your oven. Season item that is going to roasted, or brush egg wash on baked goods as needed. After the oven is heated to the right temperature, place food inside and leave in for either the desired temperature or finish. A similar method is called Poeleing, which involves roasting in a covered pot with vegetables and fat or butter so that it steams in its own juices. - Sauteing: Dry heat cooking that uses a hot pan and a small amount of fat. A variation of sauteing is stir-frying, the difference is using a wok instead of a pan. Heat a small amount of fat or oil in a saute pan before adding food, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Sauteing is usually a fast method of cooking. The pan's sloped edges can be used to toss the food. - Pan-fry: Cooking in a pan, using a moderate amount of hot oil. Heat the oil in frying pan. Be careful not to overheat the oil or else the burn taste may transfer to your food or even worse you may burn down a few things. The cooking temperature will be lower than that of sauteing. Also the cooking time will be longer. Cook the food evenly in the pan, being careful not to splash the oil around when you flip your food. Drain the cooked food on top of a paper towel. Plate when neccesary. - Deep-fry: Pretty sure you got a Fry Daddy or something like that, right? You're frying your food in a container of hot oil. Greasy yet efficient. Prepare your food as needed, either batter and breaded or seasoned. Fry in a frying basket until cooked. This is usually used with a metal basket with a handle used to remove the food from the oil. A variation of cooking is placing a second basket over the first to prevent the food from floating to the top. This assures even cooking. A third variation of cooking is the swimming method, which involves no basket for cooking and a metal fry-safe strainer to remove the finished food. Place finished food on a paper towel to drain the food of the oil. Moist Heat - Poaching: This method is using liquid to heat and cook the food. The poaching liquid is seasoned before the food is added. Poaching liquid temperature is at 160-180F, or 71-82C. Air bubbles will form from the bottom, but very little movement in the water should take place. It is usually brought to a boil, then lowered to the desired temperature. Cooking at boiling or higher temperature may cause your food to be tough and stringy, and may lose the intended tender finish. The liquid should be enough to cover the food. Remove the food after the intended doneness is reached. You can use an icebath to stop further cooking of your food. An icebath is a container of ice water specifically used to cool down food to prevent cooking to continue. The cooking liquid can later be utilized for sauce. This method usually involves eggs, fish, and fruits. - Simmering: The simmering method is basically the same as poaching, the difference being the water temperature. Simmering temperature is between 185-205F, or 85-96C. The bubbles formed in the liquid from the heat should raise to the top from the pan with some movement, but not boiling. This method usually involves meats, stews, and chicken. - Boiling: This is bringing liquid to 212F, or 100C, to cook your food. Water will bubble vigorously at this temperature. Elevation also affects boiling water temperature because of the drop in atmospheric pressure. Every 1000 ft. above sea level lowers the boiling point of water by 2 degrees. Alcohol also lowers the boiling point of water, while salt increases the boiling point, which means foods will cook faster in salt water. At this temperature it's easier for your food to burn, so keep an eye on it and stir occasionally. Adding food can lower the temperature of the water, but the more water that is boiling, the faster it will return to the boil. This method usually involves vegetables and pastas. - Steaming: Steaming is hotter than boiling water, above 212F or 100C. Food is placed in a basket or rack above boiling water and cooked with the steam rising from the heat. Steaming foods also is a way to cook food and retain the nutrients, as well as enhancing the flavor. An alternative method of steaming is placing the food in a shallow pool of liquid, and heating until the water starts to boil and evaporate. This method usually involves vegetables, fish, and shellfish. Both - Braising/Stewing: This is a combination of pan frying, a roast for braising or smaller pieces of meat for stewing, in a small amount of fat, then adding enough sauce or liquid to patially cover the item being cooked in a covered pot. Usually when braising, your roast is tied in a truss. This is done to cook food evenly, retain moisture, and improving the appearance after cooking.  Believe it or not, this is a good example of how to truss. First, tie a string (suitable for cooking with) around one end of the roast. From the knot, measure about an inch down the length of the meat and, from there, loop the string around the meat. pull the string through the spot where you held the starting point of that area. Repeat going down the length of the meat until you reach the end. Tie off the end part and cut off any excess string. Your meat is now ready to be seared. The food should be basted or stirred from time to time. This can be done either on the stove top or in the oven. A thickener can be added, a roux before the sauce is added or a sluree mix (water mixed with flour or cornstarch) after the food is cooked. On a stove top, the pot is simmered and slow cooked. In an oven, everything is cooked covered at 250-300F. Half the time, I didn't know the difference between alot of methods. Afterwards I knew what to do, yet I didn't know what the hell I was actually doing for some part. Knowing the difference now saves alot of time and can help you decide what you're going to do in the kitchen. Anyway, in the same spirit as Seitokai no Ichizon finishing a meeting... Today's Culinary Club lesson: v(^^)> Finito! |
RamenSoup43Sep 3, 2011 3:01 PM
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