Heat is the process of cooking dishes. The amount of firepower and the length of time used are important things for cooking delicious dishes. So how to control the heat when cooking? The following is what I have compiled for you. How to control the heat of cooking, I hope it can help you.
How to control the heat of cooking
1. The relationship between heat and raw materials. There are various raw materials for dishes, including old, tender, hard, and soft. The use of heat in cooking should be based on Determine the texture of the raw materials. Soft, tender, and crisp raw materials are usually cooked over high heat quickly, while old, hard, and tough raw materials are usually cooked over low heat for a long time. But if the texture and characteristics of the raw materials are changed through preliminary processing before cooking, then the heat usage will also need to be changed. For example, cutting the raw materials into fine pieces, draining the oil, and blanching them can shorten the cooking time. The amount of raw materials is also related to the size of the heat. The smaller the number, the weaker the firepower and the shorter the time. The shape of raw materials is also directly related to the use of heat. Generally speaking, when cooking large pieces of raw materials, due to the small heating area, it takes a long time to mature, so the firepower should not be too strong. The small-shaped raw materials can be matured quickly due to their large heating area.
2. The relationship between heat and conduction. In cooking, heat conduction is the decisive factor in the qualitative change of cooking raw materials. The conduction method is carried out by three heat transfer methods: radiation, conduction and convection. Heat transfer media are divided into medium-free heat transfer and media-based heat transfer, such as water, oil, steam, salt, sand heat transfer, etc. These different heat transfer methods directly affect the use of heat in cooking.
3. The relationship between heat and cooking techniques. Cooking techniques are closely related to the use of heat. Techniques such as stir-frying, stir-frying, cooking, and deep-frying are mostly used to cook over high heat. Techniques such as roasting, stewing, boiling, and stewing usually use low heat for a long time. However, according to the requirements of the dishes, the use of heat in each cooking technique is not static. Only by integrating various factors in cooking can the heat be used correctly. The application examples of three types of heat are given below to illustrate.
(l) Dishes cooked over low heat, such as beef stew, are cooked over low heat. Before cooking, cut the beef into square pieces and blanch it in boiling water to remove blood foam and impurities. At this time, the fiber of the beef is in the contraction stage. Move to medium heat, add supplementary ingredients, cook for a while, then move to low heat, and cook over low heat to gradually stretch the shrinking fibers of the beef. When the beef is almost cooked, add seasonings and simmer until cooked. The stewed beef produced in this way will be delicious in color, flavor and shape. If cooked over high heat, the beef will appear irregular in shape. In addition, there will be a lot of beef residue in the vegetable soup, causing the broth to be turbid, and it is easy to become overcooked on the surface and still chewy on the inside. Therefore, for dishes with large pieces of raw material, use low heat.
When cooking with methods such as stewing, braising, braising, etc., low and gentle heat should be used. For example, stewed chicken, stewed duck, and stewed hoof legs all need to be heated over low heat and for a long time to make the meat crispy and the soup thick. Dishes that are half vegetables and half soup, such as stewing and stewing, are suitable for slow fire. If the firepower is too high, the raw materials will become dry and tasteless, and the soup will be easily consumed in the fire. If water is added again, the flavor will be lost.
(2) Medium heat is suitable for fried dishes. When frying raw materials with batter on the outside, it is better to put the pan over medium heat and gradually add oil for better results. Because if a high fire is used during frying, the raw materials will immediately become charred, causing the outside to become charred and the inside to become charred. If you use low heat, the raw materials will be de-pasted after being put into the pot. For some dishes, such as crispy chicken, the ingredients are put into the pot over high heat, fried to create a hard shell, and then moved to medium heat and fried until crispy.
When cooking dishes by frying, boiling, roasting, etc., it is better to use medium heat. To cook the tofu with sliced ??meat, first heat the pot over medium heat. When the vegetable oil is 70% to 80% hot, add the tofu to the pot and fry until both sides are yellow. Take it out. Add the meat slices to the pan and fry until half cooked. Take it out. Then add oil to the pot and put it back into the pot. Pour in the meat slices, add seasonings, bring to a boil over medium heat, then bring to a boil over low heat, and add water and starch to thicken it. This dish is mainly cooked over medium heat. The tofu is fragrant on the outside and tender on the inside, and the soup is rich and fresh.
(3) High fire is suitable for stir-fried, stir-fried and rinsed dishes. Generally, dishes cooked with high fire are mainly crispy and tender, such as fried mutton with green onion, hotpot mutton, fried tripe with water, etc. .
When blanching the belly, it must be boiled in and out, so that the rind will be crispy and tender. The reason is that dishes cooked over high heat can quickly expose the main ingredients to high temperatures and shrink the fibers rapidly, making it difficult for the water in the meat to leach out, making it crispy and tender when eaten. How to identify the oil temperature for cooking
1. Cold oil: There is no need to say more about this, because cold oil is normal temperature oil, which is unheated cooking oil. It is usually used for sizing meat ingredients and frying nuts (such as peanuts). Because most nut-based ingredients tend to be mushy, there needs to be a slow heating process from cold oil to hot oil when frying with cooking oil.
2. Warm oil (1 to 20% hot): How to identify oil at this temperature: hover your hand about 3 inches above the oil surface and there will be only a slight warm feeling. There is no obvious change in the food (such as a piece of shredded pork) after it is put into the oil, and only a small amount of bubbles emerge from the edge of the food. This oil temperature is not often used and is more suitable for processing very thin or tender meat ingredients (such as fish fillets). However, it is easier for well-sized ingredients to cause de-paste.
3. Warm oil (3-4% hot):
How to identify oil at this temperature: Hover your hand about 3 inches above the oil surface and only hot oil will appear. It feels but not hot yet. Put a small amount of meat (such as a piece of shredded pork) into the oil and the food will turn white within 3 seconds. A large number of bubbles will emerge from the side of the food, accompanied by a small amount of Explosions. This oil temperature is more suitable for the preliminary heating of shredded meat, chicken and other ingredients.
4. Hot oil (50% to 60% hot): How to identify oil at this temperature: hover your hand about 3 inches above the oil surface when it starts to feel hot. When the food (such as a piece of shredded pork) is put into the oil, the food will immediately turn white, and a large number of bubbles will emerge from the side of the food, accompanied by a large number of popping sounds. This is the oil temperature we most commonly use. It is more suitable for sauteing onions, ginger, garlic and other auxiliary ingredients, shredded pork, and meat slices. It is also the time to cook cooking wine, soy sauce and other seasonings.
5. Boiling oil (70% to 80% hot): How to identify oil at this temperature: There is green smoke coming out of the oil surface. When you hover your hand about 3 inches above the oil surface, it has already simmered due to the oil. If the temperature is too high and you can't hold it any longer, put a small amount of meat (such as a piece of shredded pork) into the oil and the food will immediately be set and change color. A large number of bubbles will pop out from the side of the food but it will subside soon. accompanied by a large number of explosions. This oil temperature is more suitable for dry frying, soft frying, crisp frying and other dishes that need to quickly set the ingredients and make them crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Such as sweet and sour fish, dry fried pork, hot river shrimp, etc. Tips for using heat
1. When cooking rapeseed, cabbage, celery and leeks, use high heat and hot oil. After the vegetables are put into the pot, stir them quickly for a short time. Otherwise, the vegetables will come out of the soup and turn yellow. If you sprinkle some salt in the hot oil before frying, the fried vegetables will be green and crisp.
2. When frying bean sprouts, in addition to high heat, hot oil, and short time, you also need to pour some water while frying. This is the key to keeping the bean sprouts crisp and tender. When frying shredded potatoes, first put the cut potato shreds into water and wash them several times. Heat the oil over high heat and fry until the shredded potatoes change color. Then pour some vinegar, water, sprinkle some salt, and stir-fry a few times.
3. When frying shredded pork, sliced ??meat, kidneys, and pork liver, first marinate and starch, smear with oil (the oil temperature is generally 40 to 50% hot), and then stir-fry quickly with high heat and hot oil. Stir fry.
4. When vegetables and meat are stir-fried at the same time, they should be stir-fried separately in high heat and hot oil, and then put back into the pot and stir-fried together to remove them quickly.
5. When making burnt pork slices, fat sausages, etc., first paste them, then fry them in hot oil, then fry them over medium-low heat, and then pour out the hot oil from the pot. Leave some base oil, put it on a high fire, add the prepared sauce, when it becomes thick, pour in the fried ingredients, stir and serve.
6. When making stewed meat, first stir-fry the sugar with hot oil until the color becomes brown (you can also use soy sauce for coloring), then add the meat pieces and cook until brown, then add five-spice seasoning, and add enough water at a time. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for a long time. The meat stewed in this way is crispy and mellow, fat but not greasy.
One thing to note is that the salt should be added last, otherwise the meat will not be rotten.