Methods of Cooking

Baking is cooking all foods except poultry, game, and meats in an oven.

Roasting is cooking poultry, game, and meats in an oven.

Boiling is cooking in water or other liquid which reaches a temperature of 212° Fahrenheit (F.) at sea level.  In a slowly boiling liquid, the bubbles formed are small when they break; rapidly boiling, the bubbles are larger.  There is no difference in temperature.

Braising is cooking meat by searing in hot fat, then steaming in sufficient water or other liquid to produce moist heat.

Broiling is cooking meats, fish, or poultry at a very high temperature until the surface is well seared and brown, then reducing the temperature and cooking until the food is done.  In  oven broiling the food is placed on a slightly oiled rack in the broiler pan and exposed to direct heat.  In pan broiling the food is cooked in a very hot slightly oiled pan.  In both pan broiling and oven broiling, the best results are obtained if the food is turned frequently during the broiling process.

Fricasseeing is initially cooking in searing hot fat, then simmering in a small amount of water until tender.

Frying or Sautéing is cooking in a small quantity of fat.

Deep Fat Frying is cooking in a large quantity of hot fat. The temperature of the fat required for cooking varies with the nature of the food.

Simmering is cooking in water or other liquid at a temperature just below boiling.  A liquid is simmering when bubbles are breaking beneath the surface.

Steaming is cooking in steam.  A rack or steamer pan containing the food may be placed in a utensil and covered. Water in the lower part of the utensil is kept at boiling temperature, forming steam which acts as the cooking medium.

Fireless Cookery is cooking the food ahead of time, and while it is still very hot, transferring it to a heavily insulated container to continue the cooking process. Cooked foods must be thoroughly heated before placing in the well-insulated container.

Pressure Cookery is cooking by steam under pressure. Steam under pressure increases the temperature and shortens the cooking period.

Waterless Cookery is cooking slowly on a lower heat in a tightly covered container.  Some foods require the addition of a small quantity (1/4 to ½ cup) of water to start the process of cooking within the food.  (A crockpot is a good example of this style of cooking.)