COOKING PRINCIPLES

(CHAPTER 3)

By: Nurul Safawati binti Abd Aziz

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Objectives:
After this session you will be able to:
Explain heat transfer
Identify the different cooking methods (moist & dry heat
methods)
State the relationship between textures, cooking time & the
method of cooking
Explain the advantages & disadvantages of different
cooking methods
Be aware about the safe handling rules associated with each
cooking method
Able to recognize the food taste

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What is cooking?
 Application of heat in food preparation
 Heat brings about chemical, physical and
microbiological changes.

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What are the purpose of cooking?
1. To make its maximum value available in palatable
form.
2. To develop and enhance flavor
3. To improve its digestibility
4. To increase palatibility by improving its color, texture
and flavor.
5. To destroy pathogenic organisms and substances
found in raw foods

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What are the factors affecting cooking
time?
 Cooking temperature
 Speed of heat transfer (convection oven is faster
than conventional oven)
 Size, temperature, individual characteristics of food
Examples:-
* Small meat cooks faster than large meat
* Frozen meat takes longer to broil than the one at
room temperature.

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Heat Transfer
There are 3 types of heat transfer:-

Conduction: movement of heat from item to another

through direct contact
Convection: transfer of a heat through a fluid (liquid or gas)
Natural (rising and falling air)
Mechanical (fans)
Radiation: energy is transferred by waves of heat
Infrared
Microwave

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Conduction
 Conduction
Heating a pan on a hob is a good example.
Heat travels through a solid, e.g. the pan.
Metal objects are good conductors of heat and so
these are used in the making of saucepans.  

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Convection
 Convection
A gas oven or cooking in boiling water are good examples.
When heated, the particles of a liquid (e.g. water) or a gas
(e.g. air) become lighter and rise, while colder particles sink
to the bottom and are then heated in turn.
e.g. baking, roasting

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Radiation
Radiation – energy is transferred by waves
from the source to the food. The waves
are not heat energy, but changed into
heat energy when they strike to the
food

a) Infrared – in a broiler, an electric

element heated by gas flame becomes
to hot that gives off infrared radiation
that cooks food

b) Microwave – the radiation generated

by oven penetrates into the food, where
it agitates the molecules of water. The
friction caused by this agitation creates
heat, which cooks foods

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Effects of heat
Coagulation: protein chains denature and rebond
Irreversible transformation into a solid state
Begins around 140F
Gelatinization: starch granules absorb water
Caramelization: cooking sugars properly
Maillard reaction: sugar breaking down in the presence
of protein (338F)
Water evaporates: foods dry during cooking
Fats melt: will not evaporate

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Types of Cooking Method
Dry -heat cooking method Moist-heat cooking method

Broiling Poaching
Grilling Boiling
Roasting and baking Steaming
Sautéing Simmering
 Stir-frying Stewing
Pan-frying Braising
Deep-frying

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Cooking Method
1) Dry-heat cooking methods
Air
Fat

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Dry-Heat Cooking Methods
Broiling
Grilling
Roasting and baking
Sautéing
Stir-frying
Pan-frying
Deep-frying

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Broiling
It uses radiant heat from an overhead source to cook
food.

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Grilling
It is similar to Broiling but it uses a heat source located
beneath the cooking surface.

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GRILLING AND BARBECUING
Advantages
Grilling is a quick, easy method of cooking
There is little loss of nutrients and less fat is used.
Grilled food are tasty and easy to digest

Disadvantages
Grilled foods cannot be successfully reheated
They need to be served straight away
Only tender cuts of meat can be used

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GRILLING AND BARBECUING
Safety Rules
Do not leave food unattended whilst cooking
Keep work area clean & floors free from spilt grease
Exercise great care when adjusting grill bars or
salamander racks
Assume all surfaces & items around grill areas to be
hot.. FEEL BEFORE YOU PICK UP ANYTHING!!!

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Roasting & Baking
These are the process of surrounding a food with dry,
heated air in an enclosed area.

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ROASTING
Advantages:-
Minimal fire risk
Meat juices from the meat can be used for gravy which
enhance the flavor
Gives a variety to the menu
Disadvantages:-
Constant attention is required
Losses of nutrients like amino acids

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ROASTING
Safety Rules
The correct degree of cooking of meats must be
accurately measured to protect from parasitic worms
and pathogenic bacteria

Care should be taken when handling oven trays to

prevent spillages of hot fat

Safe practices should be observed in operational

procedure, clothing and footwear
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Sautéing
It uses conducted heat from the sauté pan with the aid
of a little oil/fat to cook the food
Stir frying is similar but is generally done with a Wok

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Pan Frying/ Shallow Frying
It is similar to sautéing & deep frying where the heat is
conducted to the food from the heated pan using a
moderate amount of oil/fat. There is also some
convection of heat through the medium of fat.

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Deep Frying
It uses conduction & convection to transfer heat to the
food submerged in the hot fat.

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 FRYING
Advantages:-
 Taste is improved, along with the texture
 Increases the calorific value.
 Fastest method of cooking
 In shallow fat frying the amount of oil consumption can be
controlled
Disadvantages:-
 The food may become oily or soggy with too much absorption of
oil.
 The food becomes very expensive
 Fried food takes long time to digest.
 Repeated use of heated oils may produce harmful substances
and reduce the smoking point
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FRYING
Safety Rules
All personnel must be trained in correct usage of the
equipment
The proper level of frying medium should be used
The fryer must not be overloaded as this may cause
hot oil/fat overflow.
Drain wet foods and then dry with absorbent paper.
This prevents splatters of hot fat
Pans must be moved carefully on the stove top to
prevent splattering and burns
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Cooking method
2) Moist-heat cooking method
Water
Steam

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Moist Heat Cooking Methods
Poaching
Boiling
Steaming
Simmering
Stewing
Braising

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Cont..

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Poaching
It uses convection to transfer heat to cook foods that
don’t need higher temperature or time.
Water temperature for poaching eggs should be
around 160 to 180ºF (71-82ºC).
As a rule of thumb, bring the water to a boil, then
reduce it to a simmer before cooking.

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Poaching eggs

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POACHING
Advantages:-
Foods with delicate texture may be cooked without breaking
up.
Poached foods are easily digested
No fat needs to be added to cook the food

Disadvantages:-
Poaching is not particularly suitable for large pieces of food
There is some flavor and nutrient loss from the food the
cooking liquid
There is little development in color and flavor

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POACHING
Safety Rules
Equipment should be matched to the quantity of food
to prevent spillages.
Care should be taken in handling dishes which are
brought to temperature on the top of the stove and
then transferred to the oven

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Boiling
It uses convection to transfer heat from the liquid to
the food. In boiling there is a large amount of rapidly
bubbling liquid to cook the food.

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BOILING
Advantages
Tougher, cheaper cuts of meat may be used
Heat transfer is fairly rapid and efficient
The food is not likely to burn
The food remains moist

Disadvantages
Flavor and some color may be lost from the food into liquid
Loss of nutrients (especially water-soluble vitamins) may
be high

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BOILING
Safety Rules
The boiling utensil should be matched with the
quantity of food to be cooked
The food handler should take care when placing
foods into or removing items from boiling liquids
When reducing liquids adequate ventilation should be
available to prevent dampness

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Steaming
Steaming uses convection for transferring heat from
the steam to the food being cooked.

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Braising
It uses both dry & moist cooking methods.
Braised foods are first browned using a little fat, then
liquid is added, the pan is then covered & the food is
simmered.

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Stewing
It is similar to braising but is generally used on smaller
cuts of meat & the cooking time is shorter as
compared to braising.

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Food taste

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Thank You

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