CT 006| Methods of Cooking and Technique: How to Choose?

The most important decision one can make in their kitchen is which methods of cooking to apply to any given product. It doesn't matter how expertly a cooking technique is executed, if it's the wrong technique for the end product, you'll never achieve a good result. For example, you would never braise a filet mignon or steam a beef short rib. Understanding how different cuts of meat or even vegetables react to heat and time will allow you to make an informed decision, choosing the best method of cooking to apply; an understanding which is the very foundation of the culinary arts.

The best way to choose a cooking method is to start with the product you want to cook. If it's a protein, you must ask yourself this one question; "is this a tough cut of meat, or a tender cut." Generally speaking, a tough cut of meat will be cooked using a "low and slow" method, which is necessary to break down the chewy connective tissue "collagen." Yet if a tender cut of meat is cooked using a "slow style" method, it will almost always dry out, turning a once tender cut into shoe leather.