Here’s the skinny on cooking techniques. The culinary arts allow us to bring out flavors in many different cooking methods. We want you to match the perfect technique with each dish so that you can enhance the flavor of each ingredient while also preparing a healthy dish. Using healthy cooking techniques that reduce the need for added fats will make sure your ingredients stay healthy as you transform them into a meal.
Sauté
A common cooking method using small amounts of oil to cook vegetables and meats. We recommend using an unsaturated oil such as olive oil or canola oil. This method will brown or caramelize the natural sugars in the food helping it to develop impeccable flavors. Try our Zucchini Stir Fry recipe to try out this cooking method.
Roast or Bake
This technique is done in the oven and can be used to prepare vegetables, meat, one-pan dishes, and more. Baking is generally a lower temperature (about 350*F), while roasting is a high temperature (about 400*F). By roasting vegetables, you can give an added crispiness to its texture. And baking meats allows the moisture in the meat to emulsify with the flavors. We’ve collected this roasting recipe for you to try.
Braise
This cooking method infuses flavor by using moisture and heat to cook meats and vegetables. Often this technique is used with soups or stews, roasts, or meats that are less tender. While this method can be cooked on the stovetop or in a dutch oven, it is most commonly done in a slow cooker. We recommend our Slow Cooker Taco Soup.
Grilling
Prepared over hot coals with direct, dry heat that sears and caramelizes the food to create a crust and add smokey flavors to meats, produce, etc. We really enjoy these Cowboy Sliders over a mesquite fire.
Simmer
With added liquid, this form of cooking is slow and allows for the flavors to marinate. Simmering occurs just before the boiling point and brings a slow bubble in the pan. To avoid the dish from drying, it is best to cover the dish with a lid during the simmering time. Our Beef Skillet Supper is a great one-skillet recipe to simmer on the stove until it is time to eat.
Source:
https://www.thespruceeats.com/cooking-techniques-everyone-should-know-4169657
https://www.eatright.org/food/planning-and-prep/cooking-tips-and-trends/culinary-lingo
