When it comes to the cookery part of food production operations, it is very important to select an appropriate cooking method. The cooking method has a direct impact on the taste, texture, appearance, and flavour of the resulting food products. All food cooking methods can be supported by vacuum.
DRY HEAT COOKING
This cooking involves cooking food without using water or stock. It is a quick method to cook food, in which the food items come out a little crisp. Generally small, tender and thin food items are cooked using oil under dry heat cooking methods. The resulting food has nice smoky aroma because of caramelization and browning.
BROILING
It involves cooking the food items by exposing it directly to heat such as open fire, coal, grill or electric coil. Meat steaks and whole fish are broiled.
GRILLING
It is a method of cooking by placing the food on a mesh of cast iron. Millard reaction brings flavour to the food being cooked. The resulting food is quite dry, reduced with oil. It is ideal for small to medium shaped meat cuts, vegetables, tofu, or cottage cheese.
ROASTING
It is a way of cooking food by exposing it to dry radiant heat over open fire, in oven, or at times within surrounding hot embers, sand, or stones. Vegetables, meat, corn on cob, potatoes, and sweet potatoes are roasted.
BAKING
It is a manner of cooking food by exposing it to prolonged dry heat, normally in an oven, hot embers, or on hot stones. The heat is gradually transferred from the surface of the food item being baked to its centre which gives it a firm dry crust and a soft centre. Baking needs high temperature control.
SAUTÉING
It is frying the food items with little oil in a pan exposed to high heat. The food in the pan requires stirring and tossing so that it does not burn because of high heat.
SHALLOW FRYING
It promotes browning and Maillard reaction. The food is cooked in more amount of oil than used in sautéing to that a surface of the food is always in contact with the oil. The food is turned occasionally till it gets cooked evenly.
DEEP FRYING
The food is immersed in the ample amount of oil that is heated up to its smoking point. The food is turned for even cooking. The resulting food is very crispy. Fritters, Potato chips, Pakoras (Onion-Chick Pea flour fritters)
MOIST HEAT COOKING
This cooking is carried out by immersing the food item in a liquid such as water, stock, or wine; at various temperatures ranging between 60 ℃ to above 100 ℃ following are some of the essential stages of moist heat cooking.
POACHING
It is done by heating liquid to temperature around 70 ℃ to 85 ℃ where liquid in the pan is hot but not bubbling hot. The bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan or pot. Poaching is used for very delicate food items such as fish or eggs.
SIMMERING
It is done by immersing food item completely in the liquid and heating it at 85℃ to 95℃ the temperature is hotter than that in poaching. Bubbles form and gradually rise to the surface. It is the standard method followed for preparing soups and stocks.
BOILING
It is carried out at the hottest temperatures of the three techniques; above 100℃ the high temperature toughens some foods such as meat and eggs. It breaks delicate food items such as fish and vegetables.
STEAMING
It is carried out by heating the liquids like water past its boiling point and generates steam. Steam carries more heat than boiling water. It is the most appropriate method for cooking seafood, vegetables and other delicate food items.
COMBINATION COOKING
It involves both; use of dry heat as well as moist heat cooking. Combination cooking is performed as slow cooking. It is an excellent way of cooking thick vegetables and tougher meat cuts. There are two basic types of this cooking.
BRAISING
It includes two step cooking with light frying of food and then immersing it in liquid to make stew. In the first step, the food is fried with adequate oil. While frying or sautéing, the heat is transferred to food via pan. In the next step, a liquid is added to it and the food is cooked while the pan is covered with a lid. This way, the steam is caught in the pan and the heat is transferred to the food by convection. Meat curries and stews are braised. Braising is used to cook large portions of meats such as beef, pork, and game. The meat cuts are often immersed partially.
STEWING
This is also very similar to braising as far as the cooking steps are concerned. Stewing uses small to medium uniform cuts of tender meat such as poultry or lamb, or vegetables. In case of stewing, the cuts of meat or vegetables are completely immersed in the liquid. Stewing takes little lesser time than braising.
VACUUM
All above food cooking methods can be supported by vacuum. It is an option for production of ready-to-eat dishes with high organoleptic quality. It is defined as the cooking process that is carried out under pressures well below atmospheric levels. Due to the decreased pressure, both the boiling points of the water and the moisture in the foods are lowered. Due to the low temperature and oxygen content during the process, cook-vide presents some advantages Including Preservation of natural colour and flavours of the product. In this work, the effects of cooking temperature (70–100°C), time (3–20 min), and treatments (atmospheric pressure and cook-vide) on sea Bream fillets were investigated. Changes in weight, water content, fat, protein and colour were analysed. Steam cooking treatments Under vacuum conditions did not imply significant changes in compositional and colour attributes, but improved the cooked fillet’s appearance and reduced weight loss.
THERMO OIL
Cooking with thermal fluid systems provide precise, uniform temperature control leading to increased production and product quality, low Maintenance, Human and environmental safety and years of highly efficient service. Hot oil systems provide significant advantages in almost every category. Thermal fluid heater manufacturers indicate that efficiencies can be as much as 5% to 8% higher than conventional steam systems.
Unlike steam systems, most thermal fluid systems operate at atmospheric pressure and are vented to atmosphere at the expansion tank. Pressure in these systems is limited.
Thermal fluids are completely non-corrosive. They provide the same high degree of metal surface protection as the finest light lubricating oils. Thermal fluid systems require no traps, condensate return, blowdown or water Additives – and if the proper fluid is specified, can be shut down even in sub-zero conditions with no worry of freezing. If fluids are cooled below their pour points, they contract upon solidifying, presenting no danger of burst pipes. Hot oil systems have proven to operate quietly, safely and efficiently for years with minimal maintenance.
Thermal fluid systems require no blowdown, and unlike steam systems, are not subject to continual leakage. Should fluids escape from the system, Clean-up is handled using the same simple procedures followed for spills of light lubricating oil. And unlike heavily treated boiler feed water, thermal heat transfer fluids offer safe, easy disposal. They can be combined with spent lube oils, sent to the local motor oil recycler and processed into another useful product.
SMOKING & COOKING
The smoking of meat, fish, and poultry has become increasingly popular as a food preparation method. Historically, the smoking of meat dates back to when people first lived in caves. It was one of the first food preparation techniques. Smoking is a method of cooking meat and other foods over a fire. Wood chips are added to the fire to give a smoky flavour to the food. Smoking is separate from drying. Smoking adds flavour to the meat, fish, and poultry, and provides a small food preservation effect. Frequently, hams, pork roasts, bacon, beef briskets, whole poultry, salmon, herring, and oysters are smoked.
Hot smoking and liquid smoked will be discussed in this article. Hot smoking is the process where meat is slowly cooked and smoked at the same time. In a smoker, the air temperature is increased and carefully controlled to raise the meat temperature to produce a fully-cooked food product. Frequently, meat, poultry, and fish are brined in a salt water solution to help the meat retain moisture during the smoking process.
