Culinary: Dry Heat Cooking I

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Sautéing

Definition: Cooking in a small amount of fat at a high temperature• Food must be naturally tender

Sautéing: Food Selection

Items to be sautéed should be:• Tender• Portion-sized or small pieces• Cooked to order

Types of Food Suitable for Sautéing

• Beef, veal, pork, poultry, and game• Seafood• High-moisture vegetables• Pre-cooked vegetables and potatoes

Appropriate Oils and Fats for Sautéing

• Stable fats suitable for high temperature• Small amounts of fat are used• Examples include:

– Clarified butter– Neutral-flavored oil– Rendered fats

Liquids for Deglazing

• Wine• Stock• Cognac or liqueur• Fortified wine• Water

Sautéing Sauce

Liquid Base for the Sauce• Jus lié of the appropriate flavor• Meat glaze• Vegetable coulis or purée

Sautéing Optional Components

• Aromatics to flavor the sauce• Finishing ingredients• Garnishing ingredients

Sautéing Equipment

• Pan selection– Sautéuse– Sautoir

• Select the proper pan size

Sautéing Procedures

• Prepare food items for sautéing• Sear items• Finish larger items on stovetop• Remove items from the pan and reserve• Degrease the pan• Deglaze with liquid• Form sauce • Plate or pan and serve sauce over the main item

Nutritional Information for Sautéing Food

• Use a well-seasoned or nonstick pan; no fat needed• Use herbs and spices to reduce the amount of salt• Serve with light, flavorful sauces• Use low-fat/low-calorie liquids to deglaze• Use arrowroot or cornstarch to thicken sauce

Pan Frying

• Items are usually coated with breading or batter• The amount of fat used should cover the bottom 1/4

to 1/3 of the product• Pan-fried items can be completely cooked during

the frying process or finished in an oven

Definition: Cooking method where food items are partially submerged in fat or oil

Pan Frying Food Selection

Items to be cooked by pan frying are:• Tender• Portion size or smaller

Suitable Food Items for Pan Frying

• Veal• Chicken• Pork• Seafood• Vegetables/starches• Pre-prepared items

Pan Frying Ingredients

• Standard breading mise en place– Product– Flour– Egg wash– Breading agent– Pan for finished product

Pan Frying: Oils and Fats

• Cooking medium– Fat or oil should be able to reach a high

temperature without breaking down or smoking• Appropriate fat and oil

– Clarified butter– Neutral flavored oil– Olive oil– Rendered fat

Pan Frying Optional Components

• Filling• Stuffing

Pan Frying Equipment

• Tong, kitchen fork, skimmer, and spider• Holding or finishing pans• Setup to blot or drain items after frying• Heated plates• Sautoir

Pan Frying Equipment—continued

• Select a sautoir of an appropriate size• Cooking medium should come 1/4 to 1/3 up

the sides of the food• The pan and the cooking medium have

reached the proper temperature when a faint haze is noticeable

Pan Frying Procedures

• Heat oil to appropriate temperature• Add the main item to the pan in a single layer• Fry the food on the first side until it is

well browned• Turn the item and cook to desired doneness• Remove the item and finish in an oven, if necessary• Drain the item on absorbent paper• Season and serve with appropriate sauce/garnish

Additional Pan Frying Information

• Fat should be the correct amount and proper temperature

• Items should be cooked as close to serving time as possible

• Separate sauces are typically used• Fat laden with burned food particles should

be discarded

Pan Frying: Things Not to Do

• Don’t cook items ahead and hold• Don’t deglaze the pan to make a sauce

Deep Frying

• Food item is almost always given a protective coating• Items should be completely cooked when removed

from the fryer• Two major methods of deep frying

– Basket method– Swimming method

• Method used is dependent on the size of the product and type of coating

Definition: Cooking method where food items are completely submerged in hot fat or oil

Deep Frying Food Selection

Items to be deep fried should be:• Tender• In small pieces that can be completely

cooked by the time the coating achieves the proper browning

Food Items Suitable for Deep Frying

• Vegetables• White meat or poultry• Seafood• Potatoes• Cheeses• Cooked meat preparations

Deep Frying: Types of Coating

• Standard breading• Tempura• Française: flour• Anglaise: flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs• Batters: plain or beer

Deep Frying: Breading

• Product to be breaded• Flour• Egg wash• Breading• Finished product

Deep Frying: Batter

• Product to be battered• Flour• Batter• Deep-fat fryer• Finished product

Deep Frying: Oil and Fat

• The fat or oil should be able to reach a high temperature without breaking down

• Neutral-flavored oil• Rendered fat such as lard

Enemies of Deep-Frying Fat

• High temperature and prolonged heating• Free fatty acids• Moisture• Exposure to air• Certain metals• Salt• Food particles

Indicators That Frying Fat Needs Changing

• Low smoking point• Foaming• Color of product is off, darkens quickly• Product absorbs excess fat• Product cooks too slowly• Resin forms on top• Flavor of product changes• Unpleasant odor

Deep FryingOptional Components

• Stuffing• Sauce

Deep Frying Equipment

• Thermostat controlled deep-fat fryer• Skimmer• Draining rack and absorbent paper

Deep Frying Procedures

• Heat fat to the proper temperature• Coat products with desired coating• Add main item to the hot fat• Turn items during frying, if necessary• Remove main item and finish in oven, if necessary• Blot food with absorbent paper towel• Season and serve with appropriate sauce and garnish

Deep Frying Procedures—continued

• Fat must be hot or food will absorb excess grease• Fat should be skimmed frequently• Fat should be strained daily• Type of fat used will influence flavor of food• Turn down heat when fryer is not in heavy use• Cover fryer when not in use and keep clean

Deep Frying: Things Not to Do

• Don’t salt food over fryer• Don’t overload baskets with food items• Don’t fry uncoated meat such as bacon

or sausage• Don’t use fat that has broken down or is

excessively dark

Grilling and Broiling

• Quick technique that uses portion-sized or small pieces of meat, poultry, or fish

Definition: Grilling and broiling use dry heat without fat and oil

Grilling and Broiling: Food Selection

Items to be broiled or grilled should:• Be tender• Have intermuscular fat content• Be individually portioned

Suitable main items include:• Meat• Seafood• Vegetables

Grilling and Broiling: Marinades

The purpose of marinating is to:• Preserve food• Flavor food• Tenderize food

Grilling and Broiling: Components of Marinades

• Acid: tenderize, preserve, and flavor• Aromatics: flavor• Oil: preserve, flavor, and protect• Salt: preserve and flavor• Vegetables: flavor

Grilling and Broiling Equipment

• Broiler– Conventional gas– Electric

• Grill– Gas– Charcoal– Hardwood

Grilling and Broiling Procedures

• Thoroughly clean and preheat grill• Season main item; marinate or brush with

oil if necessary to prevent sticking• Place main item on grill• Turn item 90˚ to produce crosshatch marks• Turn item to cook completely and to

desired doneness

Grilling and Broiling Procedures—continued

• Thin items are cooked at high heat, as quickly as possible

• Medium-thick items are started on high heat and can be finished on a cooler area

• Thick items are started on high heat and can be finished on a sizzle platter in the oven

• Food should be broiled at the last possible moment

• Keep broiler clean at all times

Grilling and Broiling: Things Not to Do

• Don’t pierce meat with a fork during cooking• Don’t cook food ahead of time

Grilling and Broiling Nutrition Tips

• Cooking food on a grill allows rendering fat to drip from food

• Flavor food with low-fat marinade• Vary wood used for grilling to add unique flavor• Use herbs and spices for seasoning• Serve with simple, flavorful accompaniment

Roasting

• Suitable for cuts of meat, and poultry, and some seafood items larger than a single portion

Definition: Roasting is cooking by dry heat while frequently basting with fat

Roasting: Food Selection

Items to be roasted should be:• Tender• Well marbled

Suitable Food Items for Roasting

• Beef, veal, lamb, or pork• Game (furred or feathered)• Poultry (land or water)• Seafood (specific types)• Vegetables

Roasting: Sauce Preparation

• Thickeners for gravy or jus lié– Flour mixed with the fat released by the food

to form a roux– Arrowroot or cornstarch diluted in cold liquid– Prepared roux

Roasting Optional Components

• Filling• Caul fat or fatback for barding• Additional aromatics• Garnish or finishing ingredients

Basic Procedure for Roasting

• Season, stuff, and marinate main item and sear over direct heat or hot oven

• Elevate item in a roasting pan• Roast item uncovered until desired internal

temperature is reached• For pan gravy, add mirepoix to the roasting pan

during final hour

Basic Procedure for Roasting—continued

• Let roasted item rest before carving• Prepare pan gravy in roasting pan• Carve main item and serve with appropriate

gravy or sauce

Additional Roasting Information

• Meat that renders a lot of fat should be placed on a rack to prevent contact with fat and juice

• Temperature of the oven must be regulated to suit the kind and size of meat being roasted

• Type of roasting pan varies according to amount of meat or poultry to be roasted, its size, whether or not a rack is used, and spacing of the oven shelves

Additional Roasting Information—continued

• Roasts should have a resting period before carving

• Roasts should be sliced across the grain• Baste roast with fat drippings from pan

Roasting: Things Not to Do

• Don’t pierce roast when turning or removing from oven

• Don’t cover roast during cooking• Don’t use higher heat than necessary

during roasting• Don’t add liquid during roasting

Temperatures for Roasting Meat

High heat (375˚F to 475˚F)• Feathered game*• Domestic poultry*• Water fowl*• Smaller cuts of red meat*

*depending on market form

Temperatures for Roasting Meat—continued

Moderate heat (325˚F to 350˚F)• Meat*• Poultry*• Game*

*depending on market form

Temperatures for Roasting Meat—continued

Low heat (275˚F to 300˚F)• Red meat*• Feathered game*• Domestic poultry*• Water fowl*

*depending on market form

Temperatures for Roasting Meat—continued

Controlled heat (200˚F to 250˚F)• Larger cuts of red meat*• White meat*• Domestic poultry*

*depending on market form

Testing Roasted Items for Doneness

• Stem thermometer (bi-metallic)– Check temperature for desired doneness

• Time-/Temperature-to-weight ratio– Check chart to determine how long, at

what temperature

Degrees of Doneness for Meat and Poultry

Red meat• Rare• Medium• Medium well• Well done

Roasting Nutrition Tips

• Flavor food with marinades• Use herbs and spices for seasoning• Serve with jus or jus lié• Trim excess fat before cooking• Roast meat on a rack