The document provides an in-depth overview of various cooking methods, emphasizing the importance of heat transfer in food preparation. It categorizes these methods into four media: water, fat, heat, and smoke, detailing each method's benefits and disadvantages. Key techniques discussed include steaming, boiling, frying, roasting, grilling, and smoking, highlighting their nutritional impacts and practical considerations for food service professionals.

1. Cooking Methods
Cooking Methods
• Introduction
It is essential for all food
service professional to know
the basic of food preparation. It
firstly ensures that they know
the product they are serving
secondly they are able to
explain dishes to guest who
are unfamiliar with menu items

2. The Role of Heat
The Role of Heat
• The main thing in
cooking is heat. The
movement of heat
from one surface to
another determines
the quality and
presentation of the
food.
• 1. Heat is energy and
moves toward the
direction of cold and
• 2. It will seek to reach
equilibrium in
temperature with the cold
surface.

3. Six ways that heat moves from one
Six ways that heat moves from one
surface to another
surface to another
• 1. Conduction
- Where one molecule
passes heat to the
adjacent molecule
through a conduction
like an electric wire

4. 2.Convection
- where the heat transfers
through gas or liquid like
boiling water where the
bottom gets heated and
passes on the heat to the
cooler water above

5. 3. Radiation
- Process of giving out
rays. It is caused
through the electro
magnetic spectrum
like infrared rays,
visible light, ultra
violet light and x rays
at the short wave
length.
4. Fusion
Is the energy needed to
melt or freeze ice. Ice
cream use this method
where heat of the ice
cream is transferred to
ice that chills it around a
container. Ice coated with
salt does not melt but
becomes colder when
heat is transferred to it or
maintains the cold
temperature.

6. • 5. Vaporization
- Heat transfer method
like boiling water that
turns into steam that
is turn is used to cook
• 6. Condensation
- When liquid is
solidified like
condensed milk

7. Media
Media
Various methods of cooking adopt these
principles. The cooking method can be
categorized into four ways
a. Water Media
- Steaming
- Boiling
- Poaching
- Stewing
- Braising

8. Cont.
Cont.
b. Fat Media
- Roasting
- Frying
c. Heat Media
- Grilling/ Broiling
- Baking
d. Smoke Media
- Smoking

9. Liquid or Water Media
Liquid or Water Media
STEAMING-
Method uses moist heat
(steam or water vapor)
where heat is transferred
through convection
1. Indirect steaming
- achieved by sealing the
food with cloth,
aluminum cloth, banana
leaves etc.
2. Direct Steaming
- food is indirect with the
steam

10. Benefits of Steaming
Benefits of Steaming
1. It is ideal for weight watchers and those
on medical diets as it does not have any
fat
2. The food retains its basic qualities and is
very nourishing
3. There is no danger of overcooking the
food

11. Disadvantages
Disadvantages
1. It takes a long time. It is not ideal for guest in a hurry
2. The kitchen has to be equipped with steamers to place
such item in the menu
3. The food has to be served immediately to enjoy it. It
may lose its freshness if kept in holding
4. The cook has to monitor the boiling water level and
steam levels so as to cook the food well and maintain
consistency throughout its cooking
5. Steamed food would need sauces and
accompaniments to enrich flavors as the steamed food
is normally bland

12. Boiling
Boiling
• Boiling
- A method in which
food is cooked in
boiling salt water
(10 C) or simmering
0̊
stocks
• Benefits:
1. Ideal for weight watcher
2. The resultant known as pot
liquor can be used as a
substitute stock and has a lot of
nourishment
3. The food retain each original
qualities and its very nourishing
and therefore ,used many
hospitals food programs.
4. It is an inexpensive method of
cooking

13. Disadvantages of Boiling
Disadvantages of Boiling
• 1. Vegetables lose
their color .This is
called ‘blanching’
• 2. The food while
nutritious is very
flavourless

14. Poaching
Poaching
• - food is cooked on
shallow water e, g .,
poached eggs,
poached fish etc. the
water is allowed to
simmer and not boil
• Benefits
1. Being a water based , it is
healthy and ideal for weight
watchers and those in
medical diet
2. An inexpensive method of
cooking
• .Disadvantages:
1. Food is tasteless and
would need some
seasoning or sauce to give
it flavor

15. Stewing
Stewing
• method is used to soften
tough meats and joints.
Benefits:
1. A chef can use cheap
cuts of meats that
cannot be used for finer
dishes. This ensures the
utilization of most of a
carcass.

16. • Benefits;
2. This method tenderize food
that otherwise would have
been inedible.
3. It is complete meal since it
involves vegetables and meats
,so it saves on the
consumption of foods
4. The dish retains all the
nourishment of the ingredients
used.
5. It is inexpensive dish for the
guest
• Disadvantages;
1. It takes a long time to cook
and therefore has to be
made well in advance for
instant service during food
operations
2. The chef has to ensure that
the stew pot is kept at a
simmering temperature.
Boiling temperature would
ruin the stew

17. Braising
Braising
• -method where meat
is browned quickly in
fat ,then cooked
slowly in a covered
pan with liquid.
(combination of
roasting and stewing)
Ideal method for
tough meats ,inferior
cuts and joints.

18. • Benefits;
1. Ideal for tough
meats and joints that
otherwise would be
inedible. This
method tenderizes
the meat to make
them delectable
2. It is fuel efficient as it
uses low fires.
• Disadvantages;
It takes a long time to
cook and would need
a sufficient lead time
to serve.

19. FAT MEDIA
FAT MEDIA
Roasting
-food is cooked in direct
contact with heat.
Basting
- Fat applied to the
meat

20. Four traditional methods of roasting
Four traditional methods of roasting
1.Pot Roasting
- Used in the absence
of an oven.
2. Oven Roasting
- Is one which good
quality meats and
poultry is basted and
placed in a tray to be
roasted at 300 F.
̊
3. Spit Roasting
- The whole meat is skewered
on a rod and cooked in its
own fat over direct flames
4. Tandoori Roasting
- Indian concept where meat
is marinated with spices
and curd and skewered in
rods and placed in muds
ovens heated from
within

21. Benefits of Roasting
Benefits of Roasting
1. Ideal for quality meats
and poultry
2. As the pores are sealed
with heat the meats
retain their juices
3. It is the best way to
cook whole animals and
poultry ,like sucking pig,
duck, chicken or lamb.
4.Roast can be preserved
for longer durations
5. Once tandoori ovens are
fired to the desired
temperature then cooking
is quick and items can be
cooked at the same time
they are ordered.

22. Disadvantages of Roasting
Disadvantages of Roasting
1. It is time consuming and
has to be prepared well
ahead of actual service.
2. Tandoori ovens need
time to fire them to reach
the desired temperature
3. The cook must ensure
even browning
periodically to ensure that
equal cooking specially of
whole meats

23. Frying
Frying
• Frying
- Food is brought in contact
with hot fat
• 3 Methods of Frying
1. Saute
2. Shallow frying
3. Deep frying

24. Types of Frying
Types of Frying
• Saute’
- Literally means to “jump”
done on very slow fire to
tenderize items and
partially cook them
• Shallow frying
- Complete cooking done with
minimum fat. Normally this
method is used for pre-
cooked foods like sausages
and bacon.
• Deep fat frying
- Achieved when food is
completely immersed in oil
and cooked at temperatures of
325 F-40 F as in fried
̊ 0̊
chicken or french fries.

25. Benefits of frying
Benefits of frying
1. Food taste good
2. It takes very little time and can be processed at the
time order from the guest
3. Fried foods can be stored and reheated whenever
required
4. A method of both sweet and savories
5. Stable fats can serve deep frying for a 100 hrs.

26. Disadvantages of frying
Disadvantages of frying
1. It is definitely not the ideal method for weight watchers or
those on medical diets
2. It is an expensive method as fat is used. Deep frying needs a
lot of oil.
3. Oil used for deep frying needs time to heat to the desired
temperature. The temperature must be kept constant
consistently during the cooking
4. Special attention is required to ensure that the fat is not
overheated as this spoils the food and the fat which
decomposes at high temperatures.
5. Shallow frying requires the attention of the cook to ensure
that both sides are equally browned.

27. Cont.
Cont.
6. The fat required should be exact as inadequate
fat breaks up food which then requires more fat
7. Most meats require coating to keep the juices in
and the fat out . Such coating can be in the form
of egg and breadcrumbs, flour and milk,
batter ,thin pastry ,oatmeal or vermicelli ,lamb or
pig cauls
8. The fat in deep frying needs to be constantly
strained to keep it fresh as left over food items
carbonize turning the oil black
9. In deep frying ,fresh oil needs to replenish used
oil.

28. HEAT MEDIA
HEAT MEDIA
Grilling/Broiling
- Quick method of
cooking on grid iron
exposed to dry heat
from below or above
either with fire or gas
or electric means.
- The term broiling is the
American term for
grilling.

29. Types of Grilling
Types of Grilling
• 1. Barbecue grilling
- Where iron grills are
coated with fat and
meats raw or
marinated are placed
on them and cooked
from below by
charcoal fire or gas.

30. • Salamander
- Grilling is done when foods
are exposed to dry heat
from above
• Grilling between heat bars
- Another method which ensures
uniform cooking and des not
require flipping the meat over
to obtain uniformity

31. • Infrared Grilling
- Reduces cooking time
dramatically through
infrared radiation
• Microwave grilling
- Uses microwave to cook
food. It is quick and
efficient

32. Benefits of Grilling
Benefits of Grilling
1. It is an alternate cooking
method for weight watchers
as very little or no fat is used.
2. It is quick and can be done at
the time of ordering grilled
items by guest.
3. The grilling can be modified
so guest preferences ,e.g
steaks can be cooked rare,
medium rare etc.
4. It can be a very personalized
way of cooking as done at
barbecues

33. Cont.
Cont.
• Disadvantages of
grilling
- It needs the constant
attention of the cook
during cooking to
ensure even cooking

34. Baking
Baking
- This method is used to cook
food in oven chambers of
constant dry heat .
Bread ,cake bases, patty
shells, pies, tart shells and
vegetables are baked
• Benefits;
- Baked products are tasty
• Disadvantages
1. Baking in quantity poses a
challenge .Establishment
would have to invest in
expensive multi –tiered
commercial ovens.
2. Baked confectionaries are
rich in butter and not ideal for
weight watchers

35. Smoke Media
Smoke Media
• Smoking
- This is an ideal method to
preserve meats like salmon,
fish or ham. Traditionally uses
chambers with smoldering
wood shaving or saw dust.
• Benefits;
1. Helps in preserving meats
2. Smoked items are
delicacies and very tasty
• Disadvantages
- Smoking is expensive
method not offered by
many establishments

36. • THANK YOU!