All Cooking Tips and Kitchen Guide » Moist Heat Preparation

Steaming method

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:57:57 +0000

Any food heated by direct contact with the steam generated by boiling water has been steamed. Cooked vegetables are at their best when steamed, because this method helps to retain texture, color, taste and nutrients. A common method for steaming is to place food in a rack or steamer basket above boiling water and to cover the pot or pan with a lid in order to trap the steam. An indirect technique, called en papillote (on pap-ee-yote), is to wrap the food in foil or parchment paper before it is baked or grilled. Then, in an oven or over the grill, the food cooks by the steam of its own juices, which are trapped in the packet. In a microwave oven, covering foods with plastic wrap facilitates steaming. Pressure cookers heat food by holding steam in an enclosed container under pressure. The temperature increases with increasing pounds of pressure per square inch.

Boiling foods

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 09:44:16 +0000

In order to boil, water must reach 212^oF (100^oC) at sea level, at which temperature water bubbles rapidly. The high temperature and agitation of boiling water are reserved for the tougher, textured vegetables and for dried pastas and beans. A common technique is to bring a liquid to a rolling boil, gradually add the food, distributing it evenly, and then bring the liquid back to a full boil before reducing the heat so that boiling becomes gentle. A lid on the pot or pan will bring the liquid to a boil more quickly by increasing the pressure. It is always recommended to reduce the heat setting once a boil has been reached, because food will not cook any faster at a higher setting than at the one required to maintain a gentle boil. Spillovers, burns, and loss of cooking liquid form evaporation can be avoided if a gentle boil is used.

Food may also be parboiled in boiling water, after which it is removed and its cooking completed either at a later time or by a different heating method. Parboiling is used frequently in restaurant service when food must be prepared in advance and finished to order. Another use for boiling water is for blanching, which sets the color of green vegetables, loosens the skins of fruits, vegetables, and nuts for peeling, and destroys enzymes that contribute to deterioration. Foods are often blanched before being canned or frozen.

Braising foods

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 07:58:10 +0000

Braising is similar to stewing in that food is simmered in a small amount of liquid in a covered casserole or pot. The liquid may be the food’s own juices, fat, soup stock, and/or wine. Flavors blend and intensify as foods are slowly braised on top of the range or in an oven. The primary difference between stewing and braising is that stewing generally refers to smaller pieces of meat, while braising entails larger cuts. Stews are also most often made with more liquid and served in their sauce. In order to generate a browner color and better flavor, meats are frequently browned with a dry-heat method like sauteing before being braised. Frequently, when braising meats, the vegetables are often added during the final cooking in order to preserve some of their texture and flavor.

Stewing

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:51:11 +0000

Stewing refers to simmering ingredients in a small to moderate amount of liquid, which often becomes a sauce with the food. Most stew dishes consist of chopped ingredients such as meat (often browned first) and vegetables placed in a large casserole or stock pot with some water, stock, or other liquid. The pot is covered and the food simmered for some time on the range or in a moderate oven. Stews often taste better the day after their initial preparation, because the overnight rest deepens their flavors.

Simmering

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 06:45:55 +0000

Water simmers at just below the boiling point, never less than 180^oF (82^oC). Simmering is characterized by gently rising bubbles that barely break the surface. Many food dishes, especially rice, soups, and stews, are first brought to a boil and then simmered for the remainder of the heating time. Simmering is preferred over boiling in many cases because it is more gentle and foods will not overcook as quickly as when boiled. The lower heat of a simmer is essential when cooking tough cuts of meat that require gentle cooking in order to become tender.

Cooking by poaching

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:12:09 +0000

Water heated to a temperature of 160^o to 180^oF (71^o to 82^oC) is used for poaching. The water is hotter than scalding, but has yet reached the point of actually bubbling, although small, relatively motionless bubbles appear on the bottom of the pan. Poaching is used to prepare delicate foods, like fish and eggs, which could break apart under the more vigorous action of boiling.

Scalding Technique

Amanda — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 05:07:33 +0000

Scalding water reaches a temperature of 150^oF (66^oC). It is indicated by the appearance of large, but relatively still, bubbles on the bottom and sides of the pan. This process was most frequently used with milk to improve its function in recipes and to destroy bacteria. Pasteurized milk does not need to be scaled, even though many older recipes call for scalded milk. Recipes now use scalded milk to speed the combination of ingredients; in hot milk, sugar dissolves more readily, butter and chocolate milt more easily, and flour mixes in more evenly without creating lumps.

Moist-Heat Preparation

Amanda — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 18:35:21 +0000

Moist-heat preparation techniques include scalding, poaching, simmering, stewing, braising, boiling, parboiling, blanching and steaming. In these methods, liquids are used not only to heat the food, but may also contribute flavor, color, texture and appearance to the final product. This is especially the case if broth and mixtures containing herbs, spices and seasonings have been added. Moist-heat preparation helps to soften the fibrous protein in meats and the celulose in plants, making them more tender. Liquids generated from heating foods can also be used as a flavorful stock to make soups or sauces. One possible drawback to moist-heat methods is that color, flavor compounds, vitamins and minerals may leach out and be lost in the liquid, but if the liquid is used in the serving dish, these compounds are retained.

The various moist-heat preparation methods are presented below in order of increasing heat requirements, ranging from aÂ low heat of 150 degrees F for scalding water to a high heat of 240 degrees F for pressure steaming.