Cooking with BergHOFF

Cooking methods are divided into three categories: dry-heat, moist-heat and combination-heat. Dry-heat methods cook the foods with hot air or fat (sautéing, pan-frying, deep-frying, grilling, broiling, roasting, baking); moist-heat cooking methods cook the food with a liquid, usually water, stock or steam (poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming). And combination cooking methods use, as the name suggests, a combination of dry heat and moist heat methods (braising, stewing).

By understanding the cooking methods enables one to choose the correct method for specific foods, the various methods of cooking have a direct impact on the outcome of the finished dish. Choosing the correct method not only affects the flavor of foods, but also texture and appearance.

Most dry-heat cooking methods are rather quick processes—they add crispness and flavor to food but do not tenderize. Thus, it is imperative to choose the appropriate product to be cooked in this manner (tender, thin or small). Moist-heat and combination-heat methods, particularly braising and stewing, have the ability to break down naturally tough cuts of meat because of the long, slow cooking period. So in the case of these methods, it would be more appropriate to choose less expensive cuts of meat, poultry or seafood.