Chef Sherman's-- Cooking tip #4

Cooking Methods:
Searing, Braising & Blanching

Applies to: Food Preparation

Note:  What some experts say!

Searing is a cooking method that uses high heat to capture the natural
juices and flavor of a cut of meat or fish. It can be used on its own
or in combination with other cooking methods, such as roasting or
braising.  It's a smoky process, so don't be alarmed by a smoking pan or
the setting off of a sensitive smoke alarm. If you turn down the heat,
you will hamper the searing process.

Braised meats are juicy, flavorful, and tender. Braising, also known
as stewing, is a moist-heat, slow-cooking technique that is used to
make the most of tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck, round, shank,
shoulder, and flank.

Blanching is the thing you do to vegetables that makes them easy to peel.
 

PROCEDURE

Searing, Braising & Blanching

Searing

Keep heat medium-high to high throughout the searing process!
Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed sauté pan.
Pat dry and season whatever cut of meat you are using, such as a chuck roast.
When the oil is just beginning to smoke, add the meat to the pan.
Once the meat has been set down, it is very important not to move it until it has developed a rich brown crust.
Lift the meat with tongs and turn it onto another side once it has been suitably seared on the first side,
and continue creating crusts. Crusts should be created even on the
which may have to be seared by holding the cut of meat upright with the tongs.
When the meat is properly seared, it will be completely crusted and brown on all surfaces and rare on the inside.

Braising


Meats are sometimes but not always seared before
braising to help seal in moisture and flavor and to deepen color. With
a pot roast, for instance, you first brown the meat on all sides, over
fairly high heat, and then add a bit of water or broth and allow it to
stew in its own juices for two-and-a-half to three
hours. This is how to make it flake-apart tender.

Blanching

Here's what you do: Drop the cut and cleaned vegetables, such as green beans, into a large
amount of rapidly boiling water. As soon as the vegetables
begin to brighten in color, remove them from the boiling water with a
strainer, slotted spoon, or tongs. Depending on the vegetables being
blanched, cooking time can take from less than a minute to up to 3
minutes. To stop the cooking process, plunge vegetables into a large
bowl of ice until they are cooled. Blanching can be done ahead
of time if you are going to use the vegetables for cooking. Or crisp
blanched vegetables can be either chilled or served immediately.