Cooking methods: advantages, disadvantages and useful tips

Cooking is a step in the preparation of food that makes it edible and more digestible. It is a process that removes pathogenic microorganisms from food, enriching it with new smells, colors and flavors. If overcooking runs the risk of the presence of pathogenic bacteria, overcooking on the other hand can result in the formation of substances that are harmful to health. It is therefore essential to keep an eye on this process, starting with useful tools such as kitchen thermometers. Below are the main cooking methods.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua.

Boiling involves immersing and cooking food in boiling water or broth, thus limiting the use of fat for seasoning. It is used mainly for rice and pasta, legumes and vegetables; but also for cooking eggs, meat and fish.

With the traditional pot, you can cook at the maximum boiling temperature of the water (about 100°C); to reduce cooking time, and reach higher temperatures, you can use the pressure cooker.

Boiling should be distinguished from boiling, poaching, and blanching. From a nutritional point of view, this method makes it possible to limit the use of seasoning fats and to flavor the food by adding smells and spices. Depending on the type of food, it is then necessary to use different amounts of water.

Braisingand ste wing involve cooking over low heat for long periods of time, the classic example of which is meat sauce. The difference between these two methods lies in the amount of liquid in which they are cooked; for example, stewing is obtained after slow, long boiling, while braising requires that the liquid used not cover more than half of the meat to be cooked.

Long cooking times result in a fair loss of minerals and vitamins; however, if the cooking liquid is an integral part of the dish (see broths), these substances are not totally lost. To limit the addition of fat, the use of nonstick pans is preferable.

The microwave oven is capable of fully cooking food, as well as reheating or defrosting it. Heat is not transmitted from the outside surface to the inside as in traditional ovens, but from the inside to the outside. Therefore, sometimes foods cooked by microwave are lukewarm on the surface and very hot on the inside.

Using this type of cooking allows you to cut the time in half, as well as minimize the addition of seasonings and the loss of nutrients. However, it is not possible to cook large foods, as the waves can only penetrate the surface by a maximum of 4 to 5 centimeters.

Appliances with turntables are preferable; to make the process more effective, food placed in a container with little water should be covered with transparent film or a nonmetallic lid, creating a steam circulation to help break down any bacterial load.

Baking takes advantage of dry heat at a temperature that can range from 150°C to 240°C. Hot air comes in direct contact with the food, causing a thin layer of crust to form on the surface in order to prevent significant loss of juices.

The oven allows numerous cooking variations - classic, salt-baked, foil-baked. For ovens that are equipped with it, there is the possibility of taking advantage of the "ventilated cooking" function; a technique that allows for faster cooking times, since heat is distributed quickly and evenly by means of a fan that creates a flow of hot air.

Steaming involves putting foods in direct contact with steam, without submerging them in water, through the use of special pots and baskets with a golden bottom. The most suitable foods for this type of cooking are fish, vegetables and shellfish.

Steaming does not result in significant nutrient losses, preserving the flavor and texture of foods without the use of cooking fat. However, it is only possible to cook foods cut into slices or small pieces, otherwise cooking times will be too long.

Generally, bain-marie cooking is used for the preparation of creams or sauces, a type that follows the same principles as steaming.

Frying involves dipping and cooking foods in vegetable oils or animal fats that have not reached the so-called "smoke point," which is the temperature at which fat begins to form toxic substances. Frying has always been considered an "unhealthy" method of cooking, partly because of the amount of oil absorbed by food (usually 10 percent more than its starting weight).

The ideal temperature for frying is 170/180° C; the oil must be hot enough to allow a quick formation of the crust, which, in addition to giving the classic flavor and appearance, ensures a "lighter" fried food. The most suitable oil for frying is olive oil; peanut oil is also adequate; butter, lard, margarines and the various seed oils should be avoided or used moderately; finally, it is best to avoid reusing already cooked oils for subsequent frying.

Grilling occurs by radiation: heat is transmitted without direct contact between food and heat source; griddle cooking, on the other hand, occurs by contact: food is made to stick directly to the griddle.

Both of these cooking methods can form potentially harmful substances, as too high temperatures and direct contact with the fire can burn the food on the surface, as in the case of products baked in a wood-burning oven; on the other hand, it is possible to safely eat bread, meat or vegetables that have the brown streaks that form on the surface. With a number of tricks, particularly that of avoiding salting foods before cooking them, however, you will only have to worry about enjoying good food.

TO CONCLUDE.

In conclusion, no one cooking method is superior to the others; in fact, depending on the recipe, the circumstances and the time available, each can be used properly.

However, it must always be remembered that preparations resulting from more "demanding" cooking (for your liver...) should be consumed in moderation and possibly not in the evening.