Dry-Heat Cooking Methods

Dry-heat cooking refers to any cooking technique where the heat is transferred to the food item without using any moisture. Dry-heat cooking typically involves high temperatures, meaning 300°F or hotter.

Brown is Beautiful

Note that the browning of food, as when bread is toasted, can only be achieved through dry-heat cooking. This browning in turn leads to the development of complex flavors and aromas that can't be attained through moist-heat cooking techniques.

Sautéing & Pan-Frying

Sautéing requires a very hot pan. When sautéing, it's important to heat the pan for a minute, then add a small amount of fat and let the fat get hot as well, before adding the food to the pan.

Steak: Flavor & Seasonings

Few things in life beat the flavor of a properly grilled steak. The smoky beef flavor, tender and with just a hit of that sweet fatty taste. But there is so much more that can be done with a steak. Seasonings from rubs, marinades or sauces can turn an mediocre steak into a great steak. Rubs can be as simple as fresh ground black pepper or a complex mixture of a dozen spices and herbs. Marinades can make a tough steak tender and a plain steak spectacular. Sauces added after the grilling can finish a meal and fix any flavor.

Pork Chop's

Before getting into some great pork chop recipes it is first important to know that there are a number of cuts labeled pork chops. Bone in or boneless, loin or rib chops, the most important factor to consider when grilling a pork chop is the thickness. Thin cut chops (under 3/4-inch thickness) need to be handled differently from thick cut pork chops (anything over 3/4-inch thickness). Thin chops will

dry out faster so they need to be cooked quicker, while thicker chops need time to get cooked through the middle without drying out the surface so they need to be cooked slower. It sounds backwards, but it works. Before we get grilling pork chops though we need to maximize moisture, tenderness, and flavor.

Grilling Prime Rib

The promise of prime rib has built more than one Restaurant Empire. Sometimes it seems that the city of Las Vegas was built on prime rib. But frequently this promise ends up delivering a dry and tasteless cut of meat that just doesn't satisfy. This is a shame since this is one of the most flavorful and expensive cuts of meat you can buy. If you love prime rib, then the best solution is to cook one yourself.

Maillard Reaction

Definition:

The Maillard reaction is a culinary phenomenon that occurs when proteins in meat are heated to temperatures of 310°F or higher, causing them to turn brown.

Named for the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard who discovered the process at the start of the 20th century, the Maillard reaction is similar to the process of caramelization, where carbohydrates like sugar turn brown when heated.Pronunciation: my-YARD

Also Known As: "Caramelization." Note that while caramelization is not the identical chemical process as the Maillard reaction, only the most pedantic hairsplitter would actually take the trouble to correct you on it. Also simply referred to as "browning."

Examples: The Maillard reaction is the principle behind the browning of meat when it is seared as a prelude to braising it. This process creates a thick, dark-brown crust on the surface of the meat that enhances its appearance and flavor, and can only be created by high-temperature, dry-heat cooking techniques.

Searing

Before I get started I need to make two disclaimers. First, if you like your steak more than medium you shouldn't try searing your steaks. You'll end up with a charred piece of dry beef. Second, I'm going to get a lot of email about this article because what I'm going to say is controversial. Now that we understand each other, we need to define a couple of terms and then explore the process of the properly searing.

First of all, searing is not simply for steaks. The secret to a great prime rib is to start it at a high temperature to sear the surface and then lower the temperature to finish it off. Pork chops, chicken, and roasts all benefit from searing, though maybe not the way you think.

Debunk Those Myths that are keeping you from being a Great Outdoor Cook

What if I told you that searing that steak doesn't hold in the juices? Neither does setting aside the fork in favor of the spatula. Is mayonnaise a sea of bacteria waiting to ruin your cookout? Should you spray down that flare-up? There are a lot of myths out there in the barbecue and grilling world and some of them are preventing you from being the best cook you can be. Let's debunk those myths and get cooking.

Searing Locks in Juices

It seems reasonable. Get that grill as hot as it will go and throw on a steak to sear in the juices. With the surface of the steak cooked hot and fast the juices will stay inside. Right? Wrong. The moisture in meat is inside the individual cells, not floating around like in some kind of balloon. Heat causes these cells to contract draining juices from the meat and causing it to get dry. The more you cook the dryer the meat will get. Searing won't affect the moisture of the meat. What it does do is brown the surface of the meat in processes known as caramelization and the Maillard reaction. These processes affect amino acids and sugars on the meat giving it that rich, sweet flavor. So sear for the flavor, not the juices.