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
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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
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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
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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
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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
Definition: Cooking method where food items
are partially submerged in fat or oil
• 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
Pan Frying Food Selection
Items to be cooked by pan frying are:
• Tender
• Portion size or smaller
Suitable Food Items for Pan Frying
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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
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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
Definition: Cooking method where food items are
completely submerged in hot fat or oil
• 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
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
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Vegetables
White meat or poultry
Seafood
Potatoes
Cheeses
Cooked meat preparations
Deep Frying: Types of Coating
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Standard breading
Tempura
Française: flour
Anglaise: flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs
Batters: plain or beer
Deep Frying: Breading
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Product to be breaded
Flour
Egg wash
Breading
Finished product
Deep Frying: Batter
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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
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High temperature and prolonged heating
Free fatty acids
Moisture
Exposure to air
Certain metals
Salt
Food particles
Indicators That Frying Fat
Needs Changing
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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 Frying
Optional Components
• Stuffing
• Sauce
Deep Frying Equipment
• Thermostat controlled deep-fat fryer
• Skimmer
• Draining rack and absorbent paper
Deep Frying Procedures
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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
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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
Definition: Grilling and broiling use dry heat
without fat and oil
• Quick technique that uses portion-sized or small
pieces of meat, poultry, or fish
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
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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
Definition: Roasting is cooking by dry heat while
frequently basting with fat
• Suitable for cuts of meat, and poultry, and some
seafood items larger than a single portion
Roasting: Food Selection
Items to be roasted should be:
• Tender
• Well marbled
Suitable Food Items for Roasting
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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
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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
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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