Notes for Concepts and Theory
Week 1, 10/05/2010
*Stocks are the foundation of all modern cuisine. Stocks add the base flavor. They are made from meaty bones, a grouping of vegetables called mire poix, and herbs called bouquet garni or sachet d’ epices.
*1 cup of pre made stock equals about 40% of the daily recommended amount of sodium.
* Lessens the ability to choose a nice salt
* Can’t reduce the sodium it just increases
*Stock tends to be an ingredient not a main dish.
Stock is usually in two categories: brown stock or white stock
*most often brown stock is made from cooked bones, which gives it the brown color and the deep rich flavor.
*White stock is typically made from uncooked bones.
Mire poix – A mixture of carrots, celery, and onions. It is the base flavoring for stock. It is a French word. It consists of ½ cup onion, ¼ cup of carrots, and ¼ celery.
*onion skin really doesn’t matter, can leave it on.
*carrots should be peeled to reduce potential bacteria growth
Bouquet garni- Fresh herbs: bay leaves, thyme, parsley can have some peppercorn, usually wrapped in a leek leaf, used to flavor stock.
Sachet d’ epices- Dried herbs, same as bouquet garni, wrapped in cheese cloth and tied, also used to flavor stock.
Caramelizing- Browning the natural sugars in vegetables. It adds to the flavors and boosts flavor intensity in stock.
Mis en Place {meas an plause} French for everything in its place. Make sure you have everything that you need before you start. {Ingredients, pots, utensils, etc.}
Stocks are typically chicken, beef, fish {fumet has some kind of acid such as lemon or win} or shellfish. Pork stock is uncommon unless it is Asian type food.
Court bouillon is like stock but not made from bones just vegetables and some form of acid such as lemon or wine. It is used a lot for poaching. Poaching is cooking with wet heat {simmer} . Small things are usually poached like eggs for example. An exception is salmon.
5 Qualities Used for Judging Stock:
Body- comes from the collagen of the bones. It should hold its shape when chilled. It Should be thick and bold.
Color- Brown stock should have a rich, deep brown color. White should be a clear color. To orange means to many carrots were used, etc.
Flavor- Stock should taste like what it is made from.
Aroma- When stock is hot it should have a bold and flavorful aroma.
Clarity- Well made stock should not have a lot of dissolved matter in them, which happens when the bones are put into hot water not cold, they are boiled or the vegetables are put in to early and disintegrate.
Always do what works for your guests.
Steps to making a good stock:
1) Always start your stock in cold water. Cold water allows the flavor and protein to be extracted from the bones; proteins solidify with heat so they will not be extracted from the bones. Cold water is fresher, hot water has been in a holding tank getting stagnate
2) Simmer the stock gently, boiling creates disclarity and cooks the flavor into the bones instead of extracting them. They will coagulate and make the stock murky and muddy.
3) Skim the impurities off the top once or twice at the beginning of the cooking process and once or twice at the end of the cooking process. (Frequently skimming the stock is a waste, though when asked on a quiz answer frequently!)
4) Strain the stock with a chinois to remove all the bones and vegetables.
5) Cool the stock immediately, you can use a ice paddle or flowing cold water then refrigerate.
6) Store in quantities that you will need and freeze for future use.
The proper ratio for making stock is 8-10lbs of bone, 1 gallon of water, and 1lb of mire poix.
Cutting similar shapes and sizes helps everything cook at the same time and is more pleasing to the eyes.
Heat is energy.
Method of transmission: convection, conduction and radiation.
Radiation is the heat that comes off of an object such as coals.
Conduction is heat that travels thru a solid to cook food, as when meat touches hot metal on the grill.
Convection is heat that is moving around like boiling water.
It is difficult to describe the difference between convection and radiation. Radiation travels in one direction thru a gas (air). Convection is heat that travels all around and forces heat through a product. Convection cooks faster and is more efficient then radiation. (Water will never get hotter than 212 degrees it turns into steam.)
Moist heat methods use liquids, not fats, to heat food. Oils are not considered as moist heat. Examples are boiling, simmering, steaming, and brazing (roasting w/ liquid).
Dry heat cooks foods w/o liquids. Examples are sauté, broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, frying and smoking. (Frying is mostly convection that is a dry heat.)
There is not difference between roasting and baking except you say I’m roasting meat and I’m baking cookies.
Some down sides to cooking things with wet heat that should be cooked with dry are
*The food can lose flavor into the liquid.
* You might not get the texture you were looking for.
* You cannot brown foods using wet heat or create a crust.
Learning how to choose the right method of cooking for your product, vice versa, is extremely important.
Notes for Concepts and Theories
Week 2, 10/12/2010
Escoffer is the chef that is said to have changed the industry and most every chef today knows of him and respects him.
There are so many food borne illnesses today. The way that our food is being produced is one of the reasons that there are so many more people getting sick now days. Some of the most common of these are:
*Campylobacter- A bacterial pathogen that causes fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It is much more prevalent today than it ever has been. This comes mostly from poultry; the way that they are being raised causes this to be on most all poultry that is commercially raised.
*Salmonella-These bacteria causes diarrhea, cramps, vomiting and fever. It too is more prevalent then it was. It can invade the blood stream and become life threatening.
*E.coli- You get this after eating beef with cow feces on it. Its been shown that grass fed cows have up to 80% less e.coli bacteria in their guts then grain fed cows, also the amount that they do have in them usually dies when it comes into contact with stomach acid. I wonder why all cows aren’t fed grass then. Well that is because corn is cheaper and cows get fatter and larger eating corn so it’s more economic for the farmers. Beef is also getting sprayed with ammonia now to kill off the e.coli bacteria (I don’t think that is such a good idea in the long run.)
*Norwalk- It is a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is from unwashed hands handling food and getting human feces in the food. By practicing extremely good hygiene in the kitchen and everyday life this virus can be easily avoided. Always make sure that as a manager this topic is made very clear and only the most sanitary conditions are allowed in the kitchen at all times.
*Trichinosis-This parasite is caused by eating undercooked pork and wild game, especially bear. This is not really a concern anymore with pork.
Good HACCP
*Hazard Analysis
*Critical Control Points
*Critical Limits
*Monitoring Procedures
*Responding to Critical Limit Violations
*Verification Procedure
*Effective Record Keeping
Plan what you are going to do when violations do occur.
USDA inspections are done to make sure that the product is safe and not rotten, if it receives a no pass it cannot be sold but a grading just means how good it looks and if it is the best cut not if it is good for consumption. Food safety is not getting better no matter what they would have you believe. (learn about radiation and our food)
4 basic knives are the chef’s knife (used the most great for chopping.), boning knife (flexible blade so it can get close to the bones and keep the most meat.), slicer (This blade has grooves so the product won’t get stuck to it, it is not serrated.), bread knife (has serrated edge so it tears through bread crust, its hard to sharpen.)
Carbon steel vs. Stainless
Notes for Concepts and Theories
Week 3 10/19/2010
Soups:
*Clear Soups-Consumme, broth
*Thick Soups-Cream(thickend w/ a roux), purees(thickend w/ vegetables), chowders
Strain everything and then add what you need afterwards.
*Purred soups are not thickend by an outside thickener-could use croutons but doesnt happen much nowadays.
*Bisque is generaly thickend with rice
-shellfish(classicaly) often creyfish or lobster. Modern is becoming more general and bisques can now be corn bisque for example.
*Chowders are generaly thickend with potato
*cold soups- gazpacho is like a salsa
Notes for Concepts and Therorys
Week 4 10/26/2010
different people doing diffrent things in different enviroments. there is no exact right awnser in cooking!! not like math.
EGGS: AA, A, B they look at the shell and determine how nice it looks and the look thru the shell with a light(candeling) so they can see the yolk and how it looks, shaped properly, and the albumen (white) and yolk quality and the size of the air pocket. shells must be graded by a plant grader and then a usda grader. color of the shell doesnt matter. all eggs must be clean, sound shell, oval shape, yolk moves around less when twirled around means the albumen is strong and the egg is fresh.
eggs add moistness to the final product, binds ingrediants together, thickens sauces( liason) whipping egg whites can be used for merang, soufle, mousse
whipping the eggs whites puts little bubbles into it makes it light and fluffy need to use right away because it will break apart.
Egg prep
quiche/frittata
omlets
poached/bioled
-in shell or out
-salt and vinegar
fried
-over
-sunny side up
-scrambled
-migas( scrambled eggs with salsa and day old tortillas)
eggs are mostly produced in the midwest. flocks can be over a million in a flock. each hen can lay 250-350 eggs in a year, america produces 10% of the worlds eggs. most of the eggs end up in residential homes or in resturants.
Breakfast meats
it is a shame that america doesnt age and cure the breakfast meats they all have to be pastureized.
*Breakfast sausage
-usualy mild
-sometiomes made with chicken
*Ham
-usually fully cooked
*Canadian bacon
-made from pork loin
-more like ham then american bacon
*Bacon
-strips cut from belly meat of the pig
-not just for breakfast
-"bacon salt" has no actual bacon in it
it is usualy smoked it can be fresh or called green, smoked is generaly more flavorfu, bacon can be canned...gross.
can be fried or baked, on a rack the grease will drip down and doesnt curl as bad. 425 degrees is a good temp.
smoked bacon does have to be cooked further it is not ready to eat. Pork loin can be cured like bacon and is called back bacon. larding(inserting small amounts of fat into the meat with a larding needle) and barding(laying the fat on top of the meat and then it will melt down into the meat)- useing the pork fat in products that have less fat in the can be used in wild cought game birds that have a very low fat content. Turkey breast can have this done to it because it cooks very much faster.
you can also find things that are called bacon but are not made from bacon it is illegal to call it bacon, like turkey bacon, it is cut to resemble bacon and sometimes cured with the same things. from usda standards if it does not come from the pig belly it is not bacon.
triconella is a round worm, tricinosis is a parasite that is a similar worm. is very very rare these days, tends to be more common in rodents and bear. Pork is not something that you would want to serve raw.
usually you dont see alot of sugar used to cure bacon but it is used alot in cureing ham.
in the old days ham and bacon were cured the same but just the part of the meat was different, ham is the leg and bacon is the belly
Breakfast Beverages
tea
-infuse 3 to 5 min immediatly after water comes off a boil
-remove tea leaves from beverage
-black tea, fully fermented (pekoe and orange pekoe are grades not flavors)
-green tea, unfermented (gunpowder, dragonwell{topend tea},etc...)
-oolong tea, partially fermented
-herb teas(tisanes), flowers,roots,seeds,and herbs {no "real" tea in it}
tea is pretty much the same kind of plant just different ways its prossesed and all different type of real tea will have caffine in them.
coffee
*drip- want to water in contact with the grounds for at least five min. the finer that you grind it the longer it takes for the water to get thru and then it extracts to much flavor watch out for that! good for espresso
*percolator -the worst way to make coffee, you end up boiling the cofee and that takes the flavor away
*french press-a good way but difficult to use for large amounts of coffee pretty much one cup at a time
*espresso(30 sec to a min)
* cappuccino-mostly foam, steamed milk and coffee wet (more milk)( or dry (more foam)
*latte-milk and coffee with foam on top
*cafe au lait-warmed milk and coffee, is sweetend
* mocha-milk, chocolate, coffee
*macchiato-layerd milk, coffee, caramel
starbucks can be said to be responsible for raising the bar in educating americans on coffee.
ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. most coffee that we drink today is robusta and arabica
*robusta-hearty plants, less flavorful beverage has almost twice as much caffeine then arabica beans
*arabica-best beans for drinking, plant more prone to illness and flooding and produce much less then other but of a higher quality
coffee beans are sold according to region and roasting
once you go past a certian point in the roasting process the beans get very dark and it is hard to tell the difference of the region cuz you are now tasting the quality of the roast. the darker the roast they will tend to have less caffeine then lighter roasts.
*coffee regions
-arabia & africa
-the americas
-the pacific
-exotics (hawaii/jamaica)
*roasting
-french
-italian
Week 1, 10/05/2010
*Stocks are the foundation of all modern cuisine. Stocks add the base flavor. They are made from meaty bones, a grouping of vegetables called mire poix, and herbs called bouquet garni or sachet d’ epices.
*1 cup of pre made stock equals about 40% of the daily recommended amount of sodium.
* Lessens the ability to choose a nice salt
* Can’t reduce the sodium it just increases
*Stock tends to be an ingredient not a main dish.
Stock is usually in two categories: brown stock or white stock
*most often brown stock is made from cooked bones, which gives it the brown color and the deep rich flavor.
*White stock is typically made from uncooked bones.
Mire poix – A mixture of carrots, celery, and onions. It is the base flavoring for stock. It is a French word. It consists of ½ cup onion, ¼ cup of carrots, and ¼ celery.
*onion skin really doesn’t matter, can leave it on.
*carrots should be peeled to reduce potential bacteria growth
Bouquet garni- Fresh herbs: bay leaves, thyme, parsley can have some peppercorn, usually wrapped in a leek leaf, used to flavor stock.
Sachet d’ epices- Dried herbs, same as bouquet garni, wrapped in cheese cloth and tied, also used to flavor stock.
Caramelizing- Browning the natural sugars in vegetables. It adds to the flavors and boosts flavor intensity in stock.
Mis en Place {meas an plause} French for everything in its place. Make sure you have everything that you need before you start. {Ingredients, pots, utensils, etc.}
Stocks are typically chicken, beef, fish {fumet has some kind of acid such as lemon or win} or shellfish. Pork stock is uncommon unless it is Asian type food.
Court bouillon is like stock but not made from bones just vegetables and some form of acid such as lemon or wine. It is used a lot for poaching. Poaching is cooking with wet heat {simmer} . Small things are usually poached like eggs for example. An exception is salmon.
5 Qualities Used for Judging Stock:
Body- comes from the collagen of the bones. It should hold its shape when chilled. It Should be thick and bold.
Color- Brown stock should have a rich, deep brown color. White should be a clear color. To orange means to many carrots were used, etc.
Flavor- Stock should taste like what it is made from.
Aroma- When stock is hot it should have a bold and flavorful aroma.
Clarity- Well made stock should not have a lot of dissolved matter in them, which happens when the bones are put into hot water not cold, they are boiled or the vegetables are put in to early and disintegrate.
Always do what works for your guests.
Steps to making a good stock:
1) Always start your stock in cold water. Cold water allows the flavor and protein to be extracted from the bones; proteins solidify with heat so they will not be extracted from the bones. Cold water is fresher, hot water has been in a holding tank getting stagnate
2) Simmer the stock gently, boiling creates disclarity and cooks the flavor into the bones instead of extracting them. They will coagulate and make the stock murky and muddy.
3) Skim the impurities off the top once or twice at the beginning of the cooking process and once or twice at the end of the cooking process. (Frequently skimming the stock is a waste, though when asked on a quiz answer frequently!)
4) Strain the stock with a chinois to remove all the bones and vegetables.
5) Cool the stock immediately, you can use a ice paddle or flowing cold water then refrigerate.
6) Store in quantities that you will need and freeze for future use.
The proper ratio for making stock is 8-10lbs of bone, 1 gallon of water, and 1lb of mire poix.
Cutting similar shapes and sizes helps everything cook at the same time and is more pleasing to the eyes.
Heat is energy.
Method of transmission: convection, conduction and radiation.
Radiation is the heat that comes off of an object such as coals.
Conduction is heat that travels thru a solid to cook food, as when meat touches hot metal on the grill.
Convection is heat that is moving around like boiling water.
It is difficult to describe the difference between convection and radiation. Radiation travels in one direction thru a gas (air). Convection is heat that travels all around and forces heat through a product. Convection cooks faster and is more efficient then radiation. (Water will never get hotter than 212 degrees it turns into steam.)
Moist heat methods use liquids, not fats, to heat food. Oils are not considered as moist heat. Examples are boiling, simmering, steaming, and brazing (roasting w/ liquid).
Dry heat cooks foods w/o liquids. Examples are sauté, broiling, grilling, roasting, baking, frying and smoking. (Frying is mostly convection that is a dry heat.)
There is not difference between roasting and baking except you say I’m roasting meat and I’m baking cookies.
Some down sides to cooking things with wet heat that should be cooked with dry are
*The food can lose flavor into the liquid.
* You might not get the texture you were looking for.
* You cannot brown foods using wet heat or create a crust.
Learning how to choose the right method of cooking for your product, vice versa, is extremely important.
Notes for Concepts and Theories
Week 2, 10/12/2010
Escoffer is the chef that is said to have changed the industry and most every chef today knows of him and respects him.
There are so many food borne illnesses today. The way that our food is being produced is one of the reasons that there are so many more people getting sick now days. Some of the most common of these are:
*Campylobacter- A bacterial pathogen that causes fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. It is much more prevalent today than it ever has been. This comes mostly from poultry; the way that they are being raised causes this to be on most all poultry that is commercially raised.
*Salmonella-These bacteria causes diarrhea, cramps, vomiting and fever. It too is more prevalent then it was. It can invade the blood stream and become life threatening.
*E.coli- You get this after eating beef with cow feces on it. Its been shown that grass fed cows have up to 80% less e.coli bacteria in their guts then grain fed cows, also the amount that they do have in them usually dies when it comes into contact with stomach acid. I wonder why all cows aren’t fed grass then. Well that is because corn is cheaper and cows get fatter and larger eating corn so it’s more economic for the farmers. Beef is also getting sprayed with ammonia now to kill off the e.coli bacteria (I don’t think that is such a good idea in the long run.)
*Norwalk- It is a virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It is from unwashed hands handling food and getting human feces in the food. By practicing extremely good hygiene in the kitchen and everyday life this virus can be easily avoided. Always make sure that as a manager this topic is made very clear and only the most sanitary conditions are allowed in the kitchen at all times.
*Trichinosis-This parasite is caused by eating undercooked pork and wild game, especially bear. This is not really a concern anymore with pork.
Good HACCP
*Hazard Analysis
*Critical Control Points
*Critical Limits
*Monitoring Procedures
*Responding to Critical Limit Violations
*Verification Procedure
*Effective Record Keeping
Plan what you are going to do when violations do occur.
USDA inspections are done to make sure that the product is safe and not rotten, if it receives a no pass it cannot be sold but a grading just means how good it looks and if it is the best cut not if it is good for consumption. Food safety is not getting better no matter what they would have you believe. (learn about radiation and our food)
4 basic knives are the chef’s knife (used the most great for chopping.), boning knife (flexible blade so it can get close to the bones and keep the most meat.), slicer (This blade has grooves so the product won’t get stuck to it, it is not serrated.), bread knife (has serrated edge so it tears through bread crust, its hard to sharpen.)
Carbon steel vs. Stainless
Notes for Concepts and Theories
Week 3 10/19/2010
Soups:
*Clear Soups-Consumme, broth
*Thick Soups-Cream(thickend w/ a roux), purees(thickend w/ vegetables), chowders
Strain everything and then add what you need afterwards.
*Purred soups are not thickend by an outside thickener-could use croutons but doesnt happen much nowadays.
*Bisque is generaly thickend with rice
-shellfish(classicaly) often creyfish or lobster. Modern is becoming more general and bisques can now be corn bisque for example.
*Chowders are generaly thickend with potato
*cold soups- gazpacho is like a salsa
Notes for Concepts and Therorys
Week 4 10/26/2010
different people doing diffrent things in different enviroments. there is no exact right awnser in cooking!! not like math.
EGGS: AA, A, B they look at the shell and determine how nice it looks and the look thru the shell with a light(candeling) so they can see the yolk and how it looks, shaped properly, and the albumen (white) and yolk quality and the size of the air pocket. shells must be graded by a plant grader and then a usda grader. color of the shell doesnt matter. all eggs must be clean, sound shell, oval shape, yolk moves around less when twirled around means the albumen is strong and the egg is fresh.
eggs add moistness to the final product, binds ingrediants together, thickens sauces( liason) whipping egg whites can be used for merang, soufle, mousse
whipping the eggs whites puts little bubbles into it makes it light and fluffy need to use right away because it will break apart.
Egg prep
quiche/frittata
omlets
poached/bioled
-in shell or out
-salt and vinegar
fried
-over
-sunny side up
-scrambled
-migas( scrambled eggs with salsa and day old tortillas)
eggs are mostly produced in the midwest. flocks can be over a million in a flock. each hen can lay 250-350 eggs in a year, america produces 10% of the worlds eggs. most of the eggs end up in residential homes or in resturants.
Breakfast meats
it is a shame that america doesnt age and cure the breakfast meats they all have to be pastureized.
*Breakfast sausage
-usualy mild
-sometiomes made with chicken
*Ham
-usually fully cooked
*Canadian bacon
-made from pork loin
-more like ham then american bacon
*Bacon
-strips cut from belly meat of the pig
-not just for breakfast
-"bacon salt" has no actual bacon in it
it is usualy smoked it can be fresh or called green, smoked is generaly more flavorfu, bacon can be canned...gross.
can be fried or baked, on a rack the grease will drip down and doesnt curl as bad. 425 degrees is a good temp.
smoked bacon does have to be cooked further it is not ready to eat. Pork loin can be cured like bacon and is called back bacon. larding(inserting small amounts of fat into the meat with a larding needle) and barding(laying the fat on top of the meat and then it will melt down into the meat)- useing the pork fat in products that have less fat in the can be used in wild cought game birds that have a very low fat content. Turkey breast can have this done to it because it cooks very much faster.
you can also find things that are called bacon but are not made from bacon it is illegal to call it bacon, like turkey bacon, it is cut to resemble bacon and sometimes cured with the same things. from usda standards if it does not come from the pig belly it is not bacon.
triconella is a round worm, tricinosis is a parasite that is a similar worm. is very very rare these days, tends to be more common in rodents and bear. Pork is not something that you would want to serve raw.
usually you dont see alot of sugar used to cure bacon but it is used alot in cureing ham.
in the old days ham and bacon were cured the same but just the part of the meat was different, ham is the leg and bacon is the belly
Breakfast Beverages
tea
-infuse 3 to 5 min immediatly after water comes off a boil
-remove tea leaves from beverage
-black tea, fully fermented (pekoe and orange pekoe are grades not flavors)
-green tea, unfermented (gunpowder, dragonwell{topend tea},etc...)
-oolong tea, partially fermented
-herb teas(tisanes), flowers,roots,seeds,and herbs {no "real" tea in it}
tea is pretty much the same kind of plant just different ways its prossesed and all different type of real tea will have caffine in them.
coffee
*drip- want to water in contact with the grounds for at least five min. the finer that you grind it the longer it takes for the water to get thru and then it extracts to much flavor watch out for that! good for espresso
*percolator -the worst way to make coffee, you end up boiling the cofee and that takes the flavor away
*french press-a good way but difficult to use for large amounts of coffee pretty much one cup at a time
*espresso(30 sec to a min)
* cappuccino-mostly foam, steamed milk and coffee wet (more milk)( or dry (more foam)
*latte-milk and coffee with foam on top
*cafe au lait-warmed milk and coffee, is sweetend
* mocha-milk, chocolate, coffee
*macchiato-layerd milk, coffee, caramel
starbucks can be said to be responsible for raising the bar in educating americans on coffee.
ethiopia is the birthplace of coffee. most coffee that we drink today is robusta and arabica
*robusta-hearty plants, less flavorful beverage has almost twice as much caffeine then arabica beans
*arabica-best beans for drinking, plant more prone to illness and flooding and produce much less then other but of a higher quality
coffee beans are sold according to region and roasting
once you go past a certian point in the roasting process the beans get very dark and it is hard to tell the difference of the region cuz you are now tasting the quality of the roast. the darker the roast they will tend to have less caffeine then lighter roasts.
*coffee regions
-arabia & africa
-the americas
-the pacific
-exotics (hawaii/jamaica)
*roasting
-french
-italian
Notes Concepts and Theorys
Week 5 11/2/2010
Moist heat cooking methods:
Moist heat uses lower temp anywere from 140-212 degrees which is as hot as water can get
Dry heat:
Any cooking that does not use moisture to cook, baking, roasting, frying
it involves higher temps and is the only way to be able to brown food
because water does not get hot enough to carmalize the sugars which is were
the brown coloring comes from.
sautee- start with a hot pan, do not over load the pan or you will actually be steaming the food, you need to haer a sizzle so the moisture comes out of it and does not go into the food around it.
roasting/baking-puting something into a box(oven) and dry cooking them, really evenly cooks food because the whole product is in constant contact with the heat. It requires it to be uncovered or it will be considered a wet heat method
Broiling/grilling- broiling is convection because the air is moving around it and the heat is coming from above, and grilling is radiation because the heat is coming from the bottom. the food that you are cooking useing these methods need to be relitivly close to the heat source because air is not a good conductor of heat so smaller foods should used. very customery to marinade because of the high heat tends to dry the food. Leaveing the food in one spot is not very efficient way to grill food like it is commonly thought, flipping the food every min an a half until its done you are able to get a mare consistant product
Smoking- a very old way of cooking exposing food to smoke from wood, you want you food to be far away from the heat and rarely going above 300 degrees, cold smoking is usualy done below 130 degrees and takes along time it is not cooked by the heat and can be dangerous if not done properly, picks up alot of smokey flavors, brines and marinades are used frequently with the cold method, cheeses are cold smoked. hot smoking is usualy around 165-200 degrees often brined, cured or a dry rub. the heat will sometimes be isolated but not as much as cold smoking, (smoke roasting is when you go above 300 degrees), you do not have alot of product loss from smoking.
potatoes
-fingerling
-purple(native to peru)
-red
-russet(most consumed in america, get turned into french fries)
-white
-sweet(not really a potato)
-yams(not really a potato) yellow inside
potatoes are in two catagories waxy or mealy
mealy have less sugar, high starch,thick skin
waxy have less starch, thin skin and more sugar
Roasting and baking potatoes
baked, leave the skin on and dont wrap with foil or will have a soft skin and that is more like steaming, poke witha fork to let the steam escape so it wont explode, baked in a cassarole like gratin ar anna
roasting is often done with meat, coated with fat can be mealy or waxy, usually cut to about 2 inches.
When cooking with meat you should add them about 45 min before meat is done so they are not over done.
Sautee or pan frying usualy use waxy because the starch is less, often parboiled first, use a high heat to sear the outside to get that nice crispy outside,
Deep frying russets or mealy work best and any type of cut will do if blanched first 250 degrees if frozen increase the heat to 350 degrees. Freezing the potatoes first actualy increases the quality of the final outcome.
Boiling is used to make mashed, duchesse (which is mashed with egg yolks in them the put through a piping bsg then brown it in a broiler) or croquettes( mashed potatoes that are formed into balls and then deep fried, tater tots are an example)
Week 5 11/2/2010
Moist heat cooking methods:
Moist heat uses lower temp anywere from 140-212 degrees which is as hot as water can get
Dry heat:
Any cooking that does not use moisture to cook, baking, roasting, frying
it involves higher temps and is the only way to be able to brown food
because water does not get hot enough to carmalize the sugars which is were
the brown coloring comes from.
sautee- start with a hot pan, do not over load the pan or you will actually be steaming the food, you need to haer a sizzle so the moisture comes out of it and does not go into the food around it.
roasting/baking-puting something into a box(oven) and dry cooking them, really evenly cooks food because the whole product is in constant contact with the heat. It requires it to be uncovered or it will be considered a wet heat method
Broiling/grilling- broiling is convection because the air is moving around it and the heat is coming from above, and grilling is radiation because the heat is coming from the bottom. the food that you are cooking useing these methods need to be relitivly close to the heat source because air is not a good conductor of heat so smaller foods should used. very customery to marinade because of the high heat tends to dry the food. Leaveing the food in one spot is not very efficient way to grill food like it is commonly thought, flipping the food every min an a half until its done you are able to get a mare consistant product
Smoking- a very old way of cooking exposing food to smoke from wood, you want you food to be far away from the heat and rarely going above 300 degrees, cold smoking is usualy done below 130 degrees and takes along time it is not cooked by the heat and can be dangerous if not done properly, picks up alot of smokey flavors, brines and marinades are used frequently with the cold method, cheeses are cold smoked. hot smoking is usualy around 165-200 degrees often brined, cured or a dry rub. the heat will sometimes be isolated but not as much as cold smoking, (smoke roasting is when you go above 300 degrees), you do not have alot of product loss from smoking.
potatoes
-fingerling
-purple(native to peru)
-red
-russet(most consumed in america, get turned into french fries)
-white
-sweet(not really a potato)
-yams(not really a potato) yellow inside
potatoes are in two catagories waxy or mealy
mealy have less sugar, high starch,thick skin
waxy have less starch, thin skin and more sugar
Roasting and baking potatoes
baked, leave the skin on and dont wrap with foil or will have a soft skin and that is more like steaming, poke witha fork to let the steam escape so it wont explode, baked in a cassarole like gratin ar anna
roasting is often done with meat, coated with fat can be mealy or waxy, usually cut to about 2 inches.
When cooking with meat you should add them about 45 min before meat is done so they are not over done.
Sautee or pan frying usualy use waxy because the starch is less, often parboiled first, use a high heat to sear the outside to get that nice crispy outside,
Deep frying russets or mealy work best and any type of cut will do if blanched first 250 degrees if frozen increase the heat to 350 degrees. Freezing the potatoes first actualy increases the quality of the final outcome.
Boiling is used to make mashed, duchesse (which is mashed with egg yolks in them the put through a piping bsg then brown it in a broiler) or croquettes( mashed potatoes that are formed into balls and then deep fried, tater tots are an example)
Notes for Concepts and Theories
Week 6 11/09/2010
mushrooms are not technicaly a vegetable but thy tend to be cooked and served in much the same way. chives, scallions and green onions are all different. ocra is a seed pod. peanuts are seeds. seed vegetables are much higher in protien then other vegetables. tubers are pretty much just extensions of the stem underground. roots are what give the above ground vegetation its nutrients. cactis paddles are considered to be stalk vegetables even thought they are leaves of cactus plants. you can eat the whole thing even the skin you just have to shave the spikey bits off. they have the texture and similar color of greenbeans.
to promote even cooking make sure that you cut them the same size. vegetables that are in season is better because you will get a fresher product and they tend to be cheaper, buying domesticaly is sometimes not as cheap but it is better for our economy. heirloom vegetable tend to not be as much grown they are delecate and very in shape and size, they tend to be difficult to work with in a standard commercial enviroment. sugers in some vegetables intensify if they are exposed to cool temps. they turn brown and yukky thats why potatoes are stored in cool not cold, dry places. {suternes wine} the diference between blanching and parboiling is that blanching is fast leaving it in the water for a brief period of time were parboiling is going to leave it in the water longer to cook it almost all the way. a little but of baking soda can really bring out the color in green vegetables but if blanched to long has a tendancy to make them mushy. flavones are linked with reduceing cancer, ostioporosis and diabetes. tomatoes. red wine fights cancer.
grains are grasses that bear edible seeds. wild rice and rice are not the same thing wild rice is a grass and takes much longer to cook. the black shell doesnt swel like rice does so you know when its donewhen the shell pops kina like popcorn.
types of grains~
corn-grits,hominy,cornmeal
rice-long,medium,short is a staple food for over half of the worlds population.
flour-cracked,bulgar,couscous
(plants eye view of grasses, watch it) there are many different ways to cook rice. steaming, boiling and should be cooked in about as much water as it absorbes. brown rice and white rice are the same kind of rice the white just has the outside removed.
pasta fresh cooks faster then dry and cooked in water with a very generous amount of salt, if you put oil in with the water it tends to create a barrier around the pasta so that the sauce does not bind with the pasta. use a gallon to a gallon and ahalf of water per pound of pasta. herold magee wrote a book read it. pasta should be al dente nit should be alittle bit firm sticking to the wall is not a way to determine doneness because it will when its done when its overdone and when its underdone. chineese invented pasta.
Week 6 11/09/2010
mushrooms are not technicaly a vegetable but thy tend to be cooked and served in much the same way. chives, scallions and green onions are all different. ocra is a seed pod. peanuts are seeds. seed vegetables are much higher in protien then other vegetables. tubers are pretty much just extensions of the stem underground. roots are what give the above ground vegetation its nutrients. cactis paddles are considered to be stalk vegetables even thought they are leaves of cactus plants. you can eat the whole thing even the skin you just have to shave the spikey bits off. they have the texture and similar color of greenbeans.
to promote even cooking make sure that you cut them the same size. vegetables that are in season is better because you will get a fresher product and they tend to be cheaper, buying domesticaly is sometimes not as cheap but it is better for our economy. heirloom vegetable tend to not be as much grown they are delecate and very in shape and size, they tend to be difficult to work with in a standard commercial enviroment. sugers in some vegetables intensify if they are exposed to cool temps. they turn brown and yukky thats why potatoes are stored in cool not cold, dry places. {suternes wine} the diference between blanching and parboiling is that blanching is fast leaving it in the water for a brief period of time were parboiling is going to leave it in the water longer to cook it almost all the way. a little but of baking soda can really bring out the color in green vegetables but if blanched to long has a tendancy to make them mushy. flavones are linked with reduceing cancer, ostioporosis and diabetes. tomatoes. red wine fights cancer.
grains are grasses that bear edible seeds. wild rice and rice are not the same thing wild rice is a grass and takes much longer to cook. the black shell doesnt swel like rice does so you know when its donewhen the shell pops kina like popcorn.
types of grains~
corn-grits,hominy,cornmeal
rice-long,medium,short is a staple food for over half of the worlds population.
flour-cracked,bulgar,couscous
(plants eye view of grasses, watch it) there are many different ways to cook rice. steaming, boiling and should be cooked in about as much water as it absorbes. brown rice and white rice are the same kind of rice the white just has the outside removed.
pasta fresh cooks faster then dry and cooked in water with a very generous amount of salt, if you put oil in with the water it tends to create a barrier around the pasta so that the sauce does not bind with the pasta. use a gallon to a gallon and ahalf of water per pound of pasta. herold magee wrote a book read it. pasta should be al dente nit should be alittle bit firm sticking to the wall is not a way to determine doneness because it will when its done when its overdone and when its underdone. chineese invented pasta.
notes week 7
coligen and elastin, the amount of those found in the meat will determine how the meat should be cooked. cholestoral is a fatty acid that only found in meat, not in vegetABLES. WE TEND TO CLASSIFIE MEAT AS WHITE OR REd. when you have a peice of meat that is exposed to mioglobin it will turn really red, the older the animal will have more then younger. the more the muscle gets used more blood goes through them so they are darker like chicken breast vs theigh. red meat is usually cows, moose, horse. domestic chicken would be white,
anarobic rot is rot that takes place w/o oxygen it does not mean that the meat is bad. if things are going bad the fat will start to go bad and turn yellow before the meat will. the us is the largest prodicer of poultry in the world though we are only 2nd in the world for exporting it because we consume so much. 100 billion pounds of feed a year gets consumed by the poulty farms. the feed can determine the color of the flesh of the chicken. about 20% is exported and 80% is consumed domestically. poultry is the highest consumed meat. standards for slaughter houses have been raised to cut back on sallomonella.
rock cornish game hen is a immature chicken that is usually 5-6 weeks old doesnt weigh more then 2 pounds
rock cornish roaster
broiler or fryer is usually under 13 weeks old can be a male or female and the cartillage in the breast bone should still be flexible, it gets brittle ad it ages.
capon is a surgecaly unsexed male chicken usually under 8 months of age
hen, fowl or baking chicken is a mature female
turkeys a considered hard to cook because the breast cooks very much faster then the legs and theighs, some cook it with the breast down to make it more tender then flip it to crisp the skin the last portion of cooking.
ducks and geese are higher in fat then turkeys so you might want to blanch before cooking to melt some of the fat out of it, poultry doest not have fat that runs thru the meat like red meat does so it can be melted out before cooking
ducks are considered to be dark meat
poultry parts:
1breasts
2breasts w/ ribs
3drumsticks-
4halves
5front poultry halves
6back poultry halves
7legs
8legs w/ pelelvic bones
9quarters
10breast quarters
11breast quarter w/o wings
12leg quarter
13tenderloin
14theighs
15theigh w/ back portion
16wings
17wing drummette
18wing portion
beef can come from either male or female it is a principal meat for most of the world, diffrent parts of the cow are
chuck-pot roast, short ribs,ground
rib-rib eye roast and steak,back ribs
short loin-T-bone, porter house, tenderloin steak
sirloin- serloin steaks
round-tip steak, rump roast, round steak and roast
flank-flank steak, skirt steak, streak rolls
plate-ground
breast and foreshank-corned beef, crosscut shank, brisket, ground
blood can be used to make blood sausage and blood pudding, should use fresh un coagulated blood, many organs can be used such as the liver the tounge, heart,the bones and marrow are used for beef stock some intestines can be eatten but mostly used as caseings, the consumption of the brain has DRASTICALLY DECREASED in the last 20 years due to mad cow disease. in the united states the udder and the lungs are considered unedable.
grass fed cows are leaner and smaller then corn fed cows, that is why they are being fed corn for bigger and more tender cuts of meat. also they are being caged so they are not useing there muscles near as much. corn fed cows have higher ecoli and ulsers. it is not their natural food source so it really messes them up. in 1910 americans were eating 60 lbs of beef a year, in 1997 americans consumed 70 lbs of beef a year it has not really gone up that much.
a live steer weighs about 1000lbs and yeilds 400lbs of meat the rest is bones and unusable parts. black angus tend to be used as food and holstien tend to be used for dairy.
veil is young cows that are usually only fed milk to keep them fat and small. the veil being raised is going under dramatic changes for the better.
hormones tend to be used to promote growth, they also give them chemicals to supress the cycle of estrogen so they grow faster and get bigger. any combonation of growth products and hormones need to be approved before use.
grading-is voluntary it is just looking at the color and the quantity of fat or marbleing, the more that is in the fat the higher the grade, you have to pay for the grading process
inspection-it is mandatory, is for wholsomness makes sure it is not unsafe to eat.
prime beef is the most marbled and the most tender higher in fat
most of the meat sold in grocery stores are mostly choice beef which is a little less marbled
farmers market beef is most likely ungraded because they are smaller vendors. it can be higher or lesser quality then graded.
grass fed beef has alot less of saturated fat then corn fed beef
upper halves-chuck,rib,loin(short loin, sirloin, tenderloin,the most tender piece of meat) round
lower halves-brisket, shank(the tougest, used for stews), plate, flank
if labled lean can be 10 grams of fat per 100 grams of beef and saturated fat should be half of the total amount of fat
natural means that once its slaughtered no added hormones or preservatives ot does not matter how it was raised or what it was fed or injected with while it was alive. to sell it as natural it must have a statement about what it means.
ageing the maet breaks down the fat and muscles and makes the meat more tender
beef grades:
prime
choice
select
standard
commercial
utility
cutter
canner
coligen and elastin, the amount of those found in the meat will determine how the meat should be cooked. cholestoral is a fatty acid that only found in meat, not in vegetABLES. WE TEND TO CLASSIFIE MEAT AS WHITE OR REd. when you have a peice of meat that is exposed to mioglobin it will turn really red, the older the animal will have more then younger. the more the muscle gets used more blood goes through them so they are darker like chicken breast vs theigh. red meat is usually cows, moose, horse. domestic chicken would be white,
anarobic rot is rot that takes place w/o oxygen it does not mean that the meat is bad. if things are going bad the fat will start to go bad and turn yellow before the meat will. the us is the largest prodicer of poultry in the world though we are only 2nd in the world for exporting it because we consume so much. 100 billion pounds of feed a year gets consumed by the poulty farms. the feed can determine the color of the flesh of the chicken. about 20% is exported and 80% is consumed domestically. poultry is the highest consumed meat. standards for slaughter houses have been raised to cut back on sallomonella.
rock cornish game hen is a immature chicken that is usually 5-6 weeks old doesnt weigh more then 2 pounds
rock cornish roaster
broiler or fryer is usually under 13 weeks old can be a male or female and the cartillage in the breast bone should still be flexible, it gets brittle ad it ages.
capon is a surgecaly unsexed male chicken usually under 8 months of age
hen, fowl or baking chicken is a mature female
turkeys a considered hard to cook because the breast cooks very much faster then the legs and theighs, some cook it with the breast down to make it more tender then flip it to crisp the skin the last portion of cooking.
ducks and geese are higher in fat then turkeys so you might want to blanch before cooking to melt some of the fat out of it, poultry doest not have fat that runs thru the meat like red meat does so it can be melted out before cooking
ducks are considered to be dark meat
poultry parts:
1breasts
2breasts w/ ribs
3drumsticks-
4halves
5front poultry halves
6back poultry halves
7legs
8legs w/ pelelvic bones
9quarters
10breast quarters
11breast quarter w/o wings
12leg quarter
13tenderloin
14theighs
15theigh w/ back portion
16wings
17wing drummette
18wing portion
beef can come from either male or female it is a principal meat for most of the world, diffrent parts of the cow are
chuck-pot roast, short ribs,ground
rib-rib eye roast and steak,back ribs
short loin-T-bone, porter house, tenderloin steak
sirloin- serloin steaks
round-tip steak, rump roast, round steak and roast
flank-flank steak, skirt steak, streak rolls
plate-ground
breast and foreshank-corned beef, crosscut shank, brisket, ground
blood can be used to make blood sausage and blood pudding, should use fresh un coagulated blood, many organs can be used such as the liver the tounge, heart,the bones and marrow are used for beef stock some intestines can be eatten but mostly used as caseings, the consumption of the brain has DRASTICALLY DECREASED in the last 20 years due to mad cow disease. in the united states the udder and the lungs are considered unedable.
grass fed cows are leaner and smaller then corn fed cows, that is why they are being fed corn for bigger and more tender cuts of meat. also they are being caged so they are not useing there muscles near as much. corn fed cows have higher ecoli and ulsers. it is not their natural food source so it really messes them up. in 1910 americans were eating 60 lbs of beef a year, in 1997 americans consumed 70 lbs of beef a year it has not really gone up that much.
a live steer weighs about 1000lbs and yeilds 400lbs of meat the rest is bones and unusable parts. black angus tend to be used as food and holstien tend to be used for dairy.
veil is young cows that are usually only fed milk to keep them fat and small. the veil being raised is going under dramatic changes for the better.
hormones tend to be used to promote growth, they also give them chemicals to supress the cycle of estrogen so they grow faster and get bigger. any combonation of growth products and hormones need to be approved before use.
grading-is voluntary it is just looking at the color and the quantity of fat or marbleing, the more that is in the fat the higher the grade, you have to pay for the grading process
inspection-it is mandatory, is for wholsomness makes sure it is not unsafe to eat.
prime beef is the most marbled and the most tender higher in fat
most of the meat sold in grocery stores are mostly choice beef which is a little less marbled
farmers market beef is most likely ungraded because they are smaller vendors. it can be higher or lesser quality then graded.
grass fed beef has alot less of saturated fat then corn fed beef
upper halves-chuck,rib,loin(short loin, sirloin, tenderloin,the most tender piece of meat) round
lower halves-brisket, shank(the tougest, used for stews), plate, flank
if labled lean can be 10 grams of fat per 100 grams of beef and saturated fat should be half of the total amount of fat
natural means that once its slaughtered no added hormones or preservatives ot does not matter how it was raised or what it was fed or injected with while it was alive. to sell it as natural it must have a statement about what it means.
ageing the maet breaks down the fat and muscles and makes the meat more tender
beef grades:
prime
choice
select
standard
commercial
utility
cutter
canner
Week 9 Notes
Foie gras is liver from goose or duck that has been force fed to the point that their livers distend. It has been baned in lots of places because it is considered cruel to the animals. I believe that the parctice is wrong and gross.
pricking the skin helps to release some of the fat while it cooks so that the bird does not get greasy and oily.
Sautee has a minimal amount of oil just enough so the product doesnt stick
panfrying has enough oil that it comes half way up the thickest part of the item.
deep frying is completly emersing the product in oil and it seals in the moisture.
most important thing to know before frying is knowing what kind of pan to use.
a saute pan has slopeing sides so its easy to move the product and easy to flip the product
you should use a pan that distributes the heat evenly becuse the product isnt in there very long.
you need a fairly thick and heavy pan. silver would be the best if you had unlimited amounts of money then copper pan would be next best. Aluminum is also good and more economical. most have a coating on them because it doesnt always agree with food. Aluminum pans are mostly what is used in the resturant industry.
frying is a dry heat cooking method you should use tender cuts of meat that are uniform in size.
some preperations are; cutlets (a thin peice of protien that has been pounded usually breaded) scallop cut, medallion, chop, paillard.
fry oil should be at about 350 degrees. in a fryer it is cooked by convection and conduction so it cooks faster then most any other method say oven at 500 degrees vs a fryer at 350 degrees the fryer will win.
when you deep fry most of the moisture turns into steam and is expelled out of the product that is what causes the oil to bubble up. if something is deep fried properly it can be said that it is steamed from the inside, that is why properly fried foods should not be greasy because the water is turning into steam and pushing out so that the oil cant seep in and get it soggy and oily. dirty oil will give it a bad taste and if you cook it to long the oil will seep in when the water is gone. a nice brown crust useng clean oil will not give you the nice color, oil that has been used 2 or 3 times, not gross over used oil.
A coating is used alot in deep frying such as breading or batter, the diffrence is that breading is dry and batter is wet. Most items are dredged in flour before the coating is applied so that the coating sticks to it better. breading is better to use for pan frying because batter will become soggy when turned over and cooked.
Smoking points of fats
Unclarified butter will burn at 250 degrees
Animal lard will burn at 300 degrees
Vegetable shortening will burn at 370 degrees
Olive oil will burn depending on the kind 410-460 degrees
Vegetable oil will burn at 450 degrees
At 600 degrees vapors can be ignited by flame
At 700 degrees vapors will spotaniously combust
~Braising and Stewing~
braising is tyically large pieces of meat and stewing is portion sized pieces, has more liquid and the protien it usually dredged first.
*first you should brown the outside of the protien
*add liquids and vegetables
*cover and siller to dissolve collagen in to gelatin
alot of people add way to much liquid when they are braising, remeber there is alot of moisture in the protien that is going to come out. its best to use a very rich flavorful liquid like stock or a red wine reduction. you need to be aware that during the cooking process the meat will tighten up and be tough but if you allow it to cook long enough all of the sudden it will relax and start to absorb moisture and the it is tender and falling off the bone. shanks are good things to braise short ribs are good also beef and pork.
~Poaching~
It is cooking food gently in a heated flavorful liquid. Just below a simmer so their is few to no bubbles. fish, eggs, and chicken are protiens that are usually poached. corned beef is about the only kind of beef that would be poached but generaly beef is not poached.
when poaching eggs it is recomended that acid such as white vinegar is used to keep the white together. Starting with boiling water then turning it down it ok to do. room temp is better for cooking eggs.
~ fish cooks very quickly because there is not a high amount of coligen. biggest challenge is to keep the fish from falling apart when cooking. start with a high temp and a short cooking time or poach and cook very gently to prevent over cooking. in an oven an inch of thickness equals about ten minuetes of cooking time, acording to Chef Birkner 140 degrees is a good temp to cook fish to. remember carryover cooking will deffinatly have a big impact on the cooking especialy alarge piece of fish. should always start with a hot surface. you dont have to mess with it a lot except for flipping. steaming fish is deffinatly ok. dont use a rapid boil because the steam with be hotter and more active. useing a cold piece of fish can cause sticking in the pan, room temp is better to use. usually 3 mins a side when sauteing a piece of fish is best, for a larger cut it maybe nessesary to saute up to 6 min a side but no more then that. keep fryer at 350 degrees it is more diverse so you can fry a whole wide range of items
Foie gras is liver from goose or duck that has been force fed to the point that their livers distend. It has been baned in lots of places because it is considered cruel to the animals. I believe that the parctice is wrong and gross.
pricking the skin helps to release some of the fat while it cooks so that the bird does not get greasy and oily.
Sautee has a minimal amount of oil just enough so the product doesnt stick
panfrying has enough oil that it comes half way up the thickest part of the item.
deep frying is completly emersing the product in oil and it seals in the moisture.
most important thing to know before frying is knowing what kind of pan to use.
a saute pan has slopeing sides so its easy to move the product and easy to flip the product
you should use a pan that distributes the heat evenly becuse the product isnt in there very long.
you need a fairly thick and heavy pan. silver would be the best if you had unlimited amounts of money then copper pan would be next best. Aluminum is also good and more economical. most have a coating on them because it doesnt always agree with food. Aluminum pans are mostly what is used in the resturant industry.
frying is a dry heat cooking method you should use tender cuts of meat that are uniform in size.
some preperations are; cutlets (a thin peice of protien that has been pounded usually breaded) scallop cut, medallion, chop, paillard.
fry oil should be at about 350 degrees. in a fryer it is cooked by convection and conduction so it cooks faster then most any other method say oven at 500 degrees vs a fryer at 350 degrees the fryer will win.
when you deep fry most of the moisture turns into steam and is expelled out of the product that is what causes the oil to bubble up. if something is deep fried properly it can be said that it is steamed from the inside, that is why properly fried foods should not be greasy because the water is turning into steam and pushing out so that the oil cant seep in and get it soggy and oily. dirty oil will give it a bad taste and if you cook it to long the oil will seep in when the water is gone. a nice brown crust useng clean oil will not give you the nice color, oil that has been used 2 or 3 times, not gross over used oil.
A coating is used alot in deep frying such as breading or batter, the diffrence is that breading is dry and batter is wet. Most items are dredged in flour before the coating is applied so that the coating sticks to it better. breading is better to use for pan frying because batter will become soggy when turned over and cooked.
Smoking points of fats
Unclarified butter will burn at 250 degrees
Animal lard will burn at 300 degrees
Vegetable shortening will burn at 370 degrees
Olive oil will burn depending on the kind 410-460 degrees
Vegetable oil will burn at 450 degrees
At 600 degrees vapors can be ignited by flame
At 700 degrees vapors will spotaniously combust
~Braising and Stewing~
braising is tyically large pieces of meat and stewing is portion sized pieces, has more liquid and the protien it usually dredged first.
*first you should brown the outside of the protien
*add liquids and vegetables
*cover and siller to dissolve collagen in to gelatin
alot of people add way to much liquid when they are braising, remeber there is alot of moisture in the protien that is going to come out. its best to use a very rich flavorful liquid like stock or a red wine reduction. you need to be aware that during the cooking process the meat will tighten up and be tough but if you allow it to cook long enough all of the sudden it will relax and start to absorb moisture and the it is tender and falling off the bone. shanks are good things to braise short ribs are good also beef and pork.
~Poaching~
It is cooking food gently in a heated flavorful liquid. Just below a simmer so their is few to no bubbles. fish, eggs, and chicken are protiens that are usually poached. corned beef is about the only kind of beef that would be poached but generaly beef is not poached.
when poaching eggs it is recomended that acid such as white vinegar is used to keep the white together. Starting with boiling water then turning it down it ok to do. room temp is better for cooking eggs.
~ fish cooks very quickly because there is not a high amount of coligen. biggest challenge is to keep the fish from falling apart when cooking. start with a high temp and a short cooking time or poach and cook very gently to prevent over cooking. in an oven an inch of thickness equals about ten minuetes of cooking time, acording to Chef Birkner 140 degrees is a good temp to cook fish to. remember carryover cooking will deffinatly have a big impact on the cooking especialy alarge piece of fish. should always start with a hot surface. you dont have to mess with it a lot except for flipping. steaming fish is deffinatly ok. dont use a rapid boil because the steam with be hotter and more active. useing a cold piece of fish can cause sticking in the pan, room temp is better to use. usually 3 mins a side when sauteing a piece of fish is best, for a larger cut it maybe nessesary to saute up to 6 min a side but no more then that. keep fryer at 350 degrees it is more diverse so you can fry a whole wide range of items
Notes for week 10
bbq and grilling is different. bbq should be smokier and lighter on the sauce. grilling tends to take place over really high heat. it is similar to broiling. grilling tends to be a little more intence beacausethe heat is radiating from the underneith the item being grilled. marinades are usually liquid based and has alot of acid in them like lemon, kiwi, papaya those enzymes in the tropical fruits will start to kinda cook the protien. there is usually seasoning like herbs in the marinade. you should not over marinate so it doesnt turn into mush. Dry-rubs are also used, primarily in the south, rub it all over the meat and let it sit for a while. it helps build a nice crust and flavors the meat. dry-rubs are good for large pieces of meat. if their is alot of sugar it should not be used as a marinade or a dry-rub because it burns very easy at the high heats that grilling uses. if you have to uses a marinade with high sugar content you can reduce the heat by moving the product away from the heat or use a indirect heat method. match the browning rate of the outside to the conduction heat of the inside....the key to grilling. allowing meats to come to room temp can help. cold meat contracts very quickly when you put it on the grill and tightens up. make sure that anything you put on the grill is very dry. if you flip the protien it will cook more evenly and more quickly, because it prevents the top side from cooling but you dont get the best grill marks or the good char. always cook with a clean grill, and always lubricate the grill or the protien thats being cooked to prevent sticking. charcoal tend to cook hotter, coking with wood will add more flavor and complexity, gas or propane will not leave a different flavor. chunk charcol is better. hard woods hold the heat longer and better does not burn away near as fast, mesquete tends to burn the hottest.
Always trim excess fat before grilling, cut it to a uniform size. grilled items should be served very hot, it should be cooked thru but still tender and juicy, should have 90degree crosshatch grill marks, food showcases proffesional accuracy in texturedevelopment, cooking time, and doneness.
bbq and grilling is different. bbq should be smokier and lighter on the sauce. grilling tends to take place over really high heat. it is similar to broiling. grilling tends to be a little more intence beacausethe heat is radiating from the underneith the item being grilled. marinades are usually liquid based and has alot of acid in them like lemon, kiwi, papaya those enzymes in the tropical fruits will start to kinda cook the protien. there is usually seasoning like herbs in the marinade. you should not over marinate so it doesnt turn into mush. Dry-rubs are also used, primarily in the south, rub it all over the meat and let it sit for a while. it helps build a nice crust and flavors the meat. dry-rubs are good for large pieces of meat. if their is alot of sugar it should not be used as a marinade or a dry-rub because it burns very easy at the high heats that grilling uses. if you have to uses a marinade with high sugar content you can reduce the heat by moving the product away from the heat or use a indirect heat method. match the browning rate of the outside to the conduction heat of the inside....the key to grilling. allowing meats to come to room temp can help. cold meat contracts very quickly when you put it on the grill and tightens up. make sure that anything you put on the grill is very dry. if you flip the protien it will cook more evenly and more quickly, because it prevents the top side from cooling but you dont get the best grill marks or the good char. always cook with a clean grill, and always lubricate the grill or the protien thats being cooked to prevent sticking. charcoal tend to cook hotter, coking with wood will add more flavor and complexity, gas or propane will not leave a different flavor. chunk charcol is better. hard woods hold the heat longer and better does not burn away near as fast, mesquete tends to burn the hottest.
Always trim excess fat before grilling, cut it to a uniform size. grilled items should be served very hot, it should be cooked thru but still tender and juicy, should have 90degree crosshatch grill marks, food showcases proffesional accuracy in texturedevelopment, cooking time, and doneness.
