Cooking is a method whereby heat is used to get different types of foods ready for consumption. There are many different methods of cooking. For instance, if you fry some food, you are using scalding hot oil; if you sauté food, you are using very little oil to cook the food; or if you stir fry food, you are using tiny amounts of oil to quickly fry the food in a wok.
Today, due to awareness, people have become very conscious about how food is prepared. They want to eat food that is healthily prepared. That is why many people are looking for the secret of perfect cooking. Here perfect relates to a cooking method that is healthy and does not use too much oil.
Thankfully, there are different methods of cooking that are considered healthy, and hence, they are considered to be perfect cooking methods.
Stewing is one such method. Here the food item that is to be cooked is put into a closed container and then slowly cooking in very little amount of liquid. This type of cooking is mainly used for meat cuts that are tough. Stewing enhances the flavor and allows different flavors to mix together to give a delicious taste.
Braising is another method of cooking food without using too much oil. It is used to primarily cook meats. The meat is initially browned and then cooked in little liquid in a closed container. Poaching involves cooking in liquid that is kept below boiling point. On the other hand, boiling is ensuring that the liquid reaches its boiling point and then it is kept boiling until the food is cooked thoroughly. Roasting and baking are similar. Both involve the use of hot dry air in an oven. However, roasting and baking are used when preparing different types of dishes. For instance, you will bake when making a cake, but roast will be used when making a chicken in the oven.
You can use any of the above mentioned methods to cook perfectly. Always remember that by using heat, you are killing the bacteria and pathogens. Of course, the food has to be cooked to a certain temperature for this to happen. Your food should always be cooked above 60 degrees Celsius or 140 degrees Fahrenheit in order to kill pathogens. Anything less than this temperature will not kill the pathogens.
Also, fruits and vegetables that are used for cooking should be thoroughly washed under running water to get rid of dirt, grime and chemicals that may be present on the surface of the fruit or vegetable.
All the aforementioned methods use little oil for cooking foods. Hence, they are considered the perfect methods for cooking.