Cooking Methods

Chapter 9
 Heating and Cooking

There are three types of energy central

to all cooking:
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Conduction
 This is heat transfer by direct contact
 Example:
Cooking a pancake in a skillet
 Convection
 This is the transfer of heat by the
movement of air or liquid
 Warm air that rises forces the cool air
to fall then displaced back to the top
when it heats up and the process is
continuous
Radiation
 This type of heat transfer method uses
infrared rays to strike and warm objects.
 Example the boiler heats the surface of
food by radiation
How does heat affect food?
 Brings out flavor and aroma
 Can change the color
 Changes the texture
Conventional Cooking Techniques
 Two different types

1. Moist heat cooking: foods

cooked in hot liquid or steam

2. Dry heat cooking: foods cooked

uncovered without added liquid
or fat
Moist Heat Cooking
 Boiling
 Simmering
 Steaming
 Pressure Cooking
Boiling
 Cooking in a liquid that reached
boiling point, when the liquid is
producing large bubbles that rise
to the surface and break.
 Nutrient loss is very high when
using this method
 Suitable for pasta and corn on the
cob
Simmering
 When a liquid rises gently and just begins
to break the surface
 To simmer foods we generally bring water
to a boil and then reduce the heat so that
food will simmer
 More foods can be simmered than boiled
SPECIAL SIMMERING
TECHNIQUES
 Stewing: involves covering small pieces of
food with liquid and covering until done
 Poaching: involves simmering whole foods
such as eggs or fruit
 Steaming

 A method of cooking foods over but not in

boiling water
 Many foods can be steamed
 Also it helps them retain their shape, color,
flavor, and nutrients
Pressure Cooking
 This cooks food in steam under pressure
and cause temps. Rise above boiling and in
turn cooks food faster
 Best to use on foods that take a long time
to cook
 EX. Dry beans, soups, & non tender cuts
of meat
Dry Heat Methods
 Roasting & Baking
 Broiling
 Pan-Broiling
Roasting and Baking
 Involve foods being cooked in
either a conventional or
convection oven
 Roasting usually involves cooking
large tender cuts of meat
 Baking is the term used for
cooking breads, cookies, and
casseroles
Broiling
 Refers to food under direct heat
 Works well with tender cuts of meat
 Cooks quickly
Pan-broiling
 Stove-top method of dry heat cooking.
 Includes foods such as hamburgers and
tender cuts of steak
Frying
 Involves cooking food in oil or solid fat
 Different types
* Sautéing
* Pan-frying
* Deep-fat frying
Sautéing
 This is to brown or cook foods in a skillet
with a small amount of fat.
 Low to medium heat is used
 Pan-Frying

 Similar to sautéing but usually involves

large pieces of meat
 Food may need to be turned several times
during cooking process
Deep-Fat Frying
 AKA French Frying
 Food is immersed in hot fat and cooked
until done.
 Note that fat had a “Smoke Point” this is
the temperature that fat begins to break
down and smoke. This means the oil is no
longer good for cooking.
Combo Methods
 Combining dry heat with moist heat cooking

 Braising
 Stir-frying
Braising
 This combines frying and then simmering to
tenderize food and enhance flavor.
 Often used for less tender cuts of meat
 Stir Frying

 Also a combo of frying and

moist heat cooking
 Small pieces of meat are
cooked is a small amount of oil.
Liquid is added throughout this
process.
 A wok is traditionally used