Indonesian Cuisine Cooking Techniques
Indonesian Cuisine Cooking Techniques. Traditional Indonesian cooking techniques are very simple. In the past, the main source of heat was a simple wood fire. Today, kerosene or gas stoves are used. Cooking vessels are mostly made from sheet iron or aluminum; occasionally a wok is used.
Indonesians mostly use very low heat to cook their dishes, so it is important to set aside plenty of time when preparing food. The key is in the mixing and blending of spices. Therefore, it is both important and rewarding to use only the freshest ingredients that are easily available in most Asian markets and stores.
For delicate vegetables such as green beans, a quick blanch is sufficient to ensure that they stay crisp. Larger vegetables require a longer cooking time in order to soften their fibers while still retaining just enough firmness for a crunchy bite.
It is best to blanch food in batches, especially when cooking a larger quantity as this helps to ensure the water remains at boiling temperature. This also applies when cooking in other liquids such as sauces or stocks. Imagine dipping a hand into a tub of hot water.
It would feel even hotter when you run your hand through it rather than keeping still because the flowing water would not have time to cool against your skin by transferring heat to your hand, making it feel hotter.
Based on the same principle, the rapid movement of boiling water heats up the food more quickly than water that has not boiled, which is why it is important to keep water at a rolling boil when blanching food.
An overcrowded pot can also make the water temperature drop, causing food to cook more slowly, leading to the loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Blanching can also cleanse bones meant for stocks. To do so, place thoroughly washed bones into cold water before bringing slowly to a boil.
This will open up the pores of the bones and clean out the impurities. Discard the water and use the bones for preparing the stock.
When boiling or simmering food, it is important to first establish if the food should be placed into the cold or hot liquid. Note the following:
1. Always add rice or noodles into rapidly boiling liquid to prevent sticking. Stir frequently. Do not cover when cooking starchy food such as rice and noodles, as this will cause the temperature to rise and result in overcooking.
2. Follow the ratio of 10 parts liquid to 1 part pasta or noodles.
3. Meats such as chicken or beef should be added into simmering liquid or stock. Do not cover, as this will intensify the heat, causing the stock to turn cloudy.
4. For mung beans and black rice, start with cold liquid, bring to a fast boil, reduce heat and then simmer over a low flame until done. Do not cover. 5. As with blanching, boil food in batches to maintain a rolling boil.
Poaching can be used for sausages, fish, eggs, dumplings, fruits, sweet snacks, etc. Never cover when poaching food, as this will increase heat, causing the liquid to boil and the food to discharge vitamins and minerals, leading to a loss of flavor, color, shape, and texture.
Cover with a heavy-fi tt ing lid and The cooking process begins. Both Western and Asian cooking traditions have settled on steaming as the preferred method for cooking certain dishes because it is a gentle cooking process that retains the shape and texture of food.
For this reason, whole fishes are commonly steamed so that their delicate flesh remains firm and does not fall apart. In the Western kitchen, cooks commonly steam small pieces of vegetables or thin slices of fish and other seafood.
In the Asian kitchen, vegetables are usually stirfried, and meats, seafood, and dumplings are typically steamed. In Indonesia, steaming is a very popular cooking method that is used almost daily to cook parcels of meat, fish, rice, vegetables, sausages and sweet snacks wrapped in banana leaves.
However, in Flores, an island east of Java, traditional steaming techniques are usually reserved for food cooked in bamboo poles. While steaming and boiling are both healthier compared to other cooking techniques, steaming has one major advantage compared to boiling.
Much of the natural sugars, colors, and vitamins of food are diluted during boiling, as they dissolve readily in water and are leached out during the boiling process. Carrots, for example, taste blander when boiled instead of steamed.
As steaming cooks food with hot air, the food retains more of the natural sugars and vitamins that give the dish its distinctive flavors and colors. Hence, while steaming may take slightly longer than boiling, it often yields vegetables that look and taste better.
It is also easier to steam rather than boil large quantities of food since there is no need to cook in batches to maintain the rolling the boil of water.
Oil also conducts heat more evenly from the pan to the food. Sautéing is cooking small pieces of food over high heat until they brown in a matter of seconds. The food is tossed frequently so that it is browned and cooked evenly.
Pan-frying refers to cooking larger portions of food overheat that is high enough to sear but at a lower temperature than when sautéing. Both techniques require maintaining a high temperature even while moisture from the food is being vapourised.
If the pan cools enough to let moisture accumulate – for example because it was insufficiently heated, or overloaded with cold wet meat – then the food will stew in its own juices and its surface will not brown well.
The same thing will happen if the pan is covered, as the condensation from the steam will be trapped and drip back into the pan. The appetizing sizzle of frying meat is actually the sound of moisture from the meat being vapourised as it hits the hot metal pan, and many cooks use this sound to judge the temperature of the pan.
A strong continuous hiss indicates the immediate conversion of moisture to steam, leading to efficient surface browning.
As the fire takes in oxygen from the surrounding air, which gets heated and rises as a result, cooler air with more oxygen rushes in as a replacement. This creates a draft that brings in oxygen continuously to sustain the flames.
Fanning the fire creates a greater draft and therefore makes it burn faster and hotter. A master griller stokes a fire by raking coals around or adjusting a vent under the grill. Rarely will he add more coals. He fans the fire to control the draft – a skill that is acquired with experience.
Increase the draft by too much and the fire will grow too hot and burn the food. Reduce the draft drastically and it can cause smoldering, leading to lack of heat, and affecting cooking time and results. To facilitate the control of fire, charcoal is often used.
Charcoal has many advantages compared to wood. It burns cleaner, hotter and more evenly than wood. It also lasts longer. However, hot coals cool slowly, so the draft should be adjusted well before you want the temperature to drop.
Fats and oils are a useful cooking medium as they can be heated to temperatures well above the boiling point of water and can dry, crisp and brown the food surface easily. The usual deep-frying temperature is between 120–175°C.
For larger pieces that are deep-fried, pre-cooking at a lower temperature is recommended before deep-frying to thoroughly cook and brown them just before serving. Oil is not only a cooking medium that transfers heat to the food, but it is also an ingredient that is part of the dish.
The heat cooks oil as well, and the way that oil changes during heating have a profound impact on whether the food cooked in it will be appealing or appalling. It is therefore important to choose a suitable type of oil and handle it correctly.
Deep-fried food is usually coated in batter. Batt er for Deep-frying Th is is a basic frying batter for coating fish, meat, tofu, tempeh, vegetables or fruits. As a glutenfree alternative, regular wheat flavor can be replaced with rice fl our, which will result in an even.
Regardless of the wok material, the patina must be present. A patina provides a protective barrier that inhibits rust and prevents food from sticking. The wok is set over an open flame and heated to very high temperatures for cooking.
As with sautéing and pan-frying, water should not accumulate during a stir-fry as that could result in stewing rather than stir-frying the food. High heat is required for moisture to evaporate, and even higher temperatures are needed to achieve the sought-after wok hei (pronounced as “hay”) that lovers of Cantonese cuisine are so familiar with.
Wok hei is a Cantonese phrase that literally translates to “breath of the wok”. It is that distinct flavor of food that has been aromatically charred by well-controlled searing high temperatures. This is the result of intense Maillard reactions at high heat and the fragrance imparted to the food from a highly-heated wok.
Amidst a skilled chef ’s flourishing act of tossing food in a wok and impressive handling of the flaming utensil, complex scientific processes are occurring. Simply put, food cooks very quickly via direct contact with the highly-heated wok surface.
To prevent the food from burning, the chef would toss it into the air after a brief stir-fry, subjecting it to cooler temperatures above the wok surface, which still cooks the food, but at a slower rate. The stir-frying and tossing are repeated until the food is stir-fried to perfection.
It takes a skilled chef to know when to toss the wok in order to achieve the desired wok hei. It is also important to exercise caution while employing this cooking technique, for, at such high temperatures, food can be flammable, which is dangerous if not handled properly.
Because of the extreme temperatures and potentially dangerous maneuvers required, home cooks are typically unable to reproduce woke. Western cooking techniques cannot achieve this unique taste as well since extreme high heat over an open flame is required, which Western-style burners cannot produce.
Spit-roasting is done by impaling the meat on a metal skewer or – the preferred method in Indonesia – on a wooden stick to turn the food over a heat source. Traditional roasting in Indonesia is done over an open fire on a spit or when food is wrapped in various kinds of leaves, buried in hot charcoal.
In a Western kitchen, a standard oven can be used. If spit-roasting is not possible, the cut is roasted in an oven at medium to very low heat and basted frequently with an oil-based marinade. Today, in many parts of Indonesia, large families continue to use traditional roasting methods for cooking whole animals such as pigs and lambs, especially during festive or celebratory occasions, so that there is enough meat to go around.
As even piglets and lambs are too large for most ovens, roasting is the ideal method for cooking whole animals since it is easy to build a fire large enough to slow roast the meat to perfection.
For glazing, the meat to liquid ratio should be 2:1 respectively at the start. Keep the liquid to a minimum, adding small amounts during the cooking process. This ensures that the final sauce will have the right consistency and that the meat has a nice shiny coating.
The-liquid for braising is usually a stock. Sometimes, liquor is added too. Depending on the chef ’s preference, the amount of braising liquid varies, but it is usually just enough to partially cover the meat. Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, vegetables, and mushrooms can be braised. The resultant braised sauce becomes an aromatic and flavourful part of the dish.
Stewing is often used interchangeably with braising as they are very similar cooking techniques. The difference is that a stew cooks smaller meat pieces of uniform size. More liquid is added to a stew too, as the meat pieces are usually fully submerged.
It is possible to achieve similar results by rubbing salt directly onto the meat, but this may result in loss of moisture as dry salt draws water out from the meat. The proportion of salt added and how it is applied to the meat is important, as salt can cure the meat, which is not what brining is supposed to do.
Depending on the thickness of the meat, the brining process can take a few hours to two days. During brining, interactions between the salt and the meat proteins will increase the ability of the muscle cells to hold water.
At the same time, as the brine changes the muscle structures and dissolves protein filaments within the meat, the flavor from the brining ingredients, such as spices and herbs, can be absorbed, and the meat also becomes more tender.
The brine works from outside in and has the strongest effect on parts of the meat that are likely to be overcooked. Therefore, even if the meat has been soaked briefly, it can make a difference. However, as brining makes the final dish saltier, the saltiness can be countered by adding sweet or sour ingredients such as fruit juices or buttermilk.
The following basic brine recipes can also be used for curing. Weigh the meat and water for curing together, making an allowance for the weight of bones and gristle if necessary. The amount of salt added should be 2-3% of the combined weight of the meat and water.
Combine with other ingredients such as spices and herbs if using, and vacuum seal everything to start the brining process.
Most of us are familiar with smoked salmon, trout, or meats like ham or bacon, but almost anything can be smoked. Like curing, smoking is an ancient cooking method that was originally used to preserve food.
The smoke would dry the surface, preventing it from going rancid, while some compounds in the smoke would inhibit the activity of microbes and enzymes that would otherwise quickly spoil the food.
Smoking can indeed be very addictive once you discover how simple it really is. Principle of smoking: Not much is really needed to add a smooth soft smoky flavor to your dishes. Simply use your small A BBQ grill and take a small stainless steel container into which you drill a few holes to allow airflow.
Next, you place some burning charcoal into the bowel and cover with your favorite wood chips. A good way to ignite your charcoal is with a blowtorch. Th at way you can create a lot of smoke with relatively low heat in the pan.
Once the chips smoke, place your goods on to the grill rack, cover the barbecue with the lid or with foil. If your barbecue has some ventilation holes on the bottom, gently blow in a little air and this will keep the charcoal glowing. You do not require a lot of heavy smoke (as this will make your food taste very bitter), but a soft gentle smoke right from the beginning when the chips start to smoke.
If you wish to cook your food at the same time as you smoke it, then insert a probe into the goods to be smoked and cook to the required core temperature
It is the process of cooking vacuum-sealed food at very tightly controlled temperatures. In contrast to traditional methods that cook food at high temperatures, sous vide cooks food at the temperature at which it will be served.
This is why sous to vide is also known as “low-temperature cooking”. With sous vide, many chefs are able to achieve the desired texture and doneness that is not possible with other cooking techniques.
The approach we have taken in this book is rather simple. Tender, delicate cuts require very gentle and precise cooking temperatures. This is why we recommend sous vide cooking mainly for chicken, beef steaks and seafood dishes.
Secondary cuts from the neck, shoulder, ribs, tongue or shin that are rather tough and require much longer cooking times are best cooked in a pressure cooker. Sous vide works like a pressure cooker in the sense that the sealed plastic bag prevents flavors from leaching out.
It also avoids cross-contamination. To understand the benefits of sous vide, it is important to know how different temperatures affect the meat. At about 48°C, the connective tissues within the meat start to break down, resulting in tenderisation. If heat is increased, the tenderisation process increases as well.
This is where we exercise caution, for above 60°C, collagen shrinks and wrings moisture from the meat, causing dryness and a tough texture. With sous vide cooking, the temperature can be controlled so that the meat does not dry out.
Also, as the food is held in a sealed bag, it does not lose moisture or flavor. Th is is in sharp contrast to traditional cooking methods such as roasting or boiling, which often result in loss of fat and moisture. This, combined with the low-temperature concept of sous vide, results in a very succulent and tender dish.
While this is effective for meats that can dry out or toughen when cooked using the usual high heat methods, cooking using the sous vide method can take a very long time, often taking days.
So, if you are willing to give it a try, note that most recipes often indicate cooking durations of 48–72 hours for tougher cuts of meat. Sous Vide Equipment The essentials for sous vide are a water bath, heat regulators and sous vide pouches.
Most of the benefits of sous vide are due to the controlled and low-temperature cooking process. Th is means that for those who are not willing to splurge on fancier tools such as vacuum sealers and other specialized equipment, there are cheaper alternatives.
For example, a crockpot would work just as well as it can hold a relatively large amount of water. To help with regulating temperatures, a good digital thermometer can be used. And, instead of sous vide pouches, re-sealable waterproof plastic bags will suffice.
Here are some readily available options:
1. A pot large enough for the food package to move about; a roomy self-heating device, such as a rice cooker or crockpot, is better as it maintains a more stable temperature.
2. As an alternative to self-heating devices, a stovetop for heating a pot of water bath can be used instead.
3. A good digital thermometer
4. Re-sealable waterproof plastic bags Conclusion It may sound strange to prepare ethnic Indonesian cuisine in plastic bags, as this is a distinct departure from the usual cooking techniques that many are accustomed to.
However, if you enjoy experimenting with food and would like to enjoy the benefits of sous vide, I highly encourage you to venture in this new direction.
You will see that in no time, you will master the basics of this incredible cooking technique and then not only you but also your family and friends will love the new tastes and flavors created by sous vide.
Basic Sous Vide Temperature Chart These temperatures and times are based on tender prime cuts and are not for tough or secondary cuts that require much longer cooking times
Indonesians mostly use very low heat to cook their dishes, so it is important to set aside plenty of time when preparing food. The key is in the mixing and blending of spices. Therefore, it is both important and rewarding to use only the freshest ingredients that are easily available in most Asian markets and stores.
BLANCHING
Blanching is a simple cooking technique that is great for preparing vegetables. Follow the ratio of 10 parts water to 1 part vegetables. Water is first brought to a rapid boil before adding the vegetables. When the water returns to a boil, remove and drain vegetables and plunge immediately into cold water to stop the cooking process.For delicate vegetables such as green beans, a quick blanch is sufficient to ensure that they stay crisp. Larger vegetables require a longer cooking time in order to soften their fibers while still retaining just enough firmness for a crunchy bite.
It is best to blanch food in batches, especially when cooking a larger quantity as this helps to ensure the water remains at boiling temperature. This also applies when cooking in other liquids such as sauces or stocks. Imagine dipping a hand into a tub of hot water.
It would feel even hotter when you run your hand through it rather than keeping still because the flowing water would not have time to cool against your skin by transferring heat to your hand, making it feel hotter.
Based on the same principle, the rapid movement of boiling water heats up the food more quickly than water that has not boiled, which is why it is important to keep water at a rolling boil when blanching food.
An overcrowded pot can also make the water temperature drop, causing food to cook more slowly, leading to the loss of flavor, color, and nutrients. Blanching can also cleanse bones meant for stocks. To do so, place thoroughly washed bones into cold water before bringing slowly to a boil.
This will open up the pores of the bones and clean out the impurities. Discard the water and use the bones for preparing the stock.
BOILING AND SIMMERING
Unlike boiling, where food is cooked in a rapidly moving liquid, simmering is a cooking process where food is cooked in liquid that is just below the boiling point. Simmering liquid has very light, trembling movements, with small bubbles forming.When boiling or simmering food, it is important to first establish if the food should be placed into the cold or hot liquid. Note the following:
1. Always add rice or noodles into rapidly boiling liquid to prevent sticking. Stir frequently. Do not cover when cooking starchy food such as rice and noodles, as this will cause the temperature to rise and result in overcooking.
2. Follow the ratio of 10 parts liquid to 1 part pasta or noodles.
3. Meats such as chicken or beef should be added into simmering liquid or stock. Do not cover, as this will intensify the heat, causing the stock to turn cloudy.
4. For mung beans and black rice, start with cold liquid, bring to a fast boil, reduce heat and then simmer over a low flame until done. Do not cover. 5. As with blanching, boil food in batches to maintain a rolling boil.
POACHING
Poaching is a gentler cooking process than blanching, boiling or simmering. It involves cooking food below the boiling point to retain its beneficial properties such as vitamins and minerals. The food to be poached is added to liquid heated to 50–80°C, where it will be cooked until done at a consistent temperature.Poaching can be used for sausages, fish, eggs, dumplings, fruits, sweet snacks, etc. Never cover when poaching food, as this will increase heat, causing the liquid to boil and the food to discharge vitamins and minerals, leading to a loss of flavor, color, shape, and texture.
STEAMING
As the name suggests, it is the hot steam that cooks the food in this method. Simple equipment like a pot or wok can function as a steamer. Simply bring water in the steamer to a boil, and then position a rack inside with the food on top of the rack.Cover with a heavy-fi tt ing lid and The cooking process begins. Both Western and Asian cooking traditions have settled on steaming as the preferred method for cooking certain dishes because it is a gentle cooking process that retains the shape and texture of food.
For this reason, whole fishes are commonly steamed so that their delicate flesh remains firm and does not fall apart. In the Western kitchen, cooks commonly steam small pieces of vegetables or thin slices of fish and other seafood.
In the Asian kitchen, vegetables are usually stirfried, and meats, seafood, and dumplings are typically steamed. In Indonesia, steaming is a very popular cooking method that is used almost daily to cook parcels of meat, fish, rice, vegetables, sausages and sweet snacks wrapped in banana leaves.
However, in Flores, an island east of Java, traditional steaming techniques are usually reserved for food cooked in bamboo poles. While steaming and boiling are both healthier compared to other cooking techniques, steaming has one major advantage compared to boiling.
Much of the natural sugars, colors, and vitamins of food are diluted during boiling, as they dissolve readily in water and are leached out during the boiling process. Carrots, for example, taste blander when boiled instead of steamed.
As steaming cooks food with hot air, the food retains more of the natural sugars and vitamins that give the dish its distinctive flavors and colors. Hence, while steaming may take slightly longer than boiling, it often yields vegetables that look and taste better.
It is also easier to steam rather than boil large quantities of food since there is no need to cook in batches to maintain the rolling the boil of water.
SAUTÉING AND PAN-FRYING
These two cooking techniques are frequently used interchangeably although there are differences between them. Both methods cook food using direct conduction of heat from a hot metal pan. A thin layer of oil is required to coat the pan to prevent sticking.Oil also conducts heat more evenly from the pan to the food. Sautéing is cooking small pieces of food over high heat until they brown in a matter of seconds. The food is tossed frequently so that it is browned and cooked evenly.
Pan-frying refers to cooking larger portions of food overheat that is high enough to sear but at a lower temperature than when sautéing. Both techniques require maintaining a high temperature even while moisture from the food is being vapourised.
If the pan cools enough to let moisture accumulate – for example because it was insufficiently heated, or overloaded with cold wet meat – then the food will stew in its own juices and its surface will not brown well.
The same thing will happen if the pan is covered, as the condensation from the steam will be trapped and drip back into the pan. The appetizing sizzle of frying meat is actually the sound of moisture from the meat being vapourised as it hits the hot metal pan, and many cooks use this sound to judge the temperature of the pan.
A strong continuous hiss indicates the immediate conversion of moisture to steam, leading to efficient surface browning.
GRILLING AND BROILING
Both grilling and broiling involve cooking food over an open flame. The main difference is that for grilling, the heat source is below the food, and for broiling, the heat source is above. Oxygen is needed for fire to burn.As the fire takes in oxygen from the surrounding air, which gets heated and rises as a result, cooler air with more oxygen rushes in as a replacement. This creates a draft that brings in oxygen continuously to sustain the flames.
Fanning the fire creates a greater draft and therefore makes it burn faster and hotter. A master griller stokes a fire by raking coals around or adjusting a vent under the grill. Rarely will he add more coals. He fans the fire to control the draft – a skill that is acquired with experience.
Increase the draft by too much and the fire will grow too hot and burn the food. Reduce the draft drastically and it can cause smoldering, leading to lack of heat, and affecting cooking time and results. To facilitate the control of fire, charcoal is often used.
Charcoal has many advantages compared to wood. It burns cleaner, hotter and more evenly than wood. It also lasts longer. However, hot coals cool slowly, so the draft should be adjusted well before you want the temperature to drop.
DEEP-FRYING
This is the most widely used cooking method throughout Indonesia, but it is often not done correctly in the average household, making it an unhealthy and fattening way of cooking. However, if done correctly, deep-frying can prove to be the most satisfying.Fats and oils are a useful cooking medium as they can be heated to temperatures well above the boiling point of water and can dry, crisp and brown the food surface easily. The usual deep-frying temperature is between 120–175°C.
For larger pieces that are deep-fried, pre-cooking at a lower temperature is recommended before deep-frying to thoroughly cook and brown them just before serving. Oil is not only a cooking medium that transfers heat to the food, but it is also an ingredient that is part of the dish.
The heat cooks oil as well, and the way that oil changes during heating have a profound impact on whether the food cooked in it will be appealing or appalling. It is therefore important to choose a suitable type of oil and handle it correctly.
Deep-fried food is usually coated in batter. Batt er for Deep-frying Th is is a basic frying batter for coating fish, meat, tofu, tempeh, vegetables or fruits. As a glutenfree alternative, regular wheat flavor can be replaced with rice fl our, which will result in an even.
STIR-FRYING
Stir-frying with a wok is actually a Chinese cooking method that is seldom employed for Indonesian cuisine. Originally a thin shell of iron, a Chinese wok today is commonly forged from carbon steel, a stronger material that can also withstand high heat.Regardless of the wok material, the patina must be present. A patina provides a protective barrier that inhibits rust and prevents food from sticking. The wok is set over an open flame and heated to very high temperatures for cooking.
As with sautéing and pan-frying, water should not accumulate during a stir-fry as that could result in stewing rather than stir-frying the food. High heat is required for moisture to evaporate, and even higher temperatures are needed to achieve the sought-after wok hei (pronounced as “hay”) that lovers of Cantonese cuisine are so familiar with.
Wok hei is a Cantonese phrase that literally translates to “breath of the wok”. It is that distinct flavor of food that has been aromatically charred by well-controlled searing high temperatures. This is the result of intense Maillard reactions at high heat and the fragrance imparted to the food from a highly-heated wok.
Amidst a skilled chef ’s flourishing act of tossing food in a wok and impressive handling of the flaming utensil, complex scientific processes are occurring. Simply put, food cooks very quickly via direct contact with the highly-heated wok surface.
To prevent the food from burning, the chef would toss it into the air after a brief stir-fry, subjecting it to cooler temperatures above the wok surface, which still cooks the food, but at a slower rate. The stir-frying and tossing are repeated until the food is stir-fried to perfection.
It takes a skilled chef to know when to toss the wok in order to achieve the desired wok hei. It is also important to exercise caution while employing this cooking technique, for, at such high temperatures, food can be flammable, which is dangerous if not handled properly.
Because of the extreme temperatures and potentially dangerous maneuvers required, home cooks are typically unable to reproduce woke. Western cooking techniques cannot achieve this unique taste as well since extreme high heat over an open flame is required, which Western-style burners cannot produce.
ROASTING
Roasting essentially employs dry heat from an open flame, an oven or other heat sources to cook food. Spit-roasting, also called “rotisserie”, is so closely linked to roasting that it is often thought to be an essential feature, but it is not necessarily so.Spit-roasting is done by impaling the meat on a metal skewer or – the preferred method in Indonesia – on a wooden stick to turn the food over a heat source. Traditional roasting in Indonesia is done over an open fire on a spit or when food is wrapped in various kinds of leaves, buried in hot charcoal.
In a Western kitchen, a standard oven can be used. If spit-roasting is not possible, the cut is roasted in an oven at medium to very low heat and basted frequently with an oil-based marinade. Today, in many parts of Indonesia, large families continue to use traditional roasting methods for cooking whole animals such as pigs and lambs, especially during festive or celebratory occasions, so that there is enough meat to go around.
As even piglets and lambs are too large for most ovens, roasting is the ideal method for cooking whole animals since it is easy to build a fire large enough to slow roast the meat to perfection.
GLAZING
Glazing meat involves coating the cut with a savory sauce for added flavor and sheen. Stock is reduced until it becomes a concentrated syrup before adding to the meat. A stock glaze can also be a basting liquid for meat browning in the oven.For glazing, the meat to liquid ratio should be 2:1 respectively at the start. Keep the liquid to a minimum, adding small amounts during the cooking process. This ensures that the final sauce will have the right consistency and that the meat has a nice shiny coating.
BRAISING AND STEWING
Braising is a relatively slow and long process for cooking large cuts of meat in liquid. This cooking technique is used for tougher cuts of meat, since the longer cooking process will break down the tough connective tissues in the meat, rendering fork-tender and succulent results.The-liquid for braising is usually a stock. Sometimes, liquor is added too. Depending on the chef ’s preference, the amount of braising liquid varies, but it is usually just enough to partially cover the meat. Beef, lamb, pork, chicken, vegetables, and mushrooms can be braised. The resultant braised sauce becomes an aromatic and flavourful part of the dish.
Stewing is often used interchangeably with braising as they are very similar cooking techniques. The difference is that a stew cooks smaller meat pieces of uniform size. More liquid is added to a stew too, as the meat pieces are usually fully submerged.
BRINE
Brining has been used to preserve food since ancient times. It involves immersing meat in a salt solution, often with other ingredients for flavor. If done correctly, brining will not only enhance flavor but also produce tender and moist meat.It is possible to achieve similar results by rubbing salt directly onto the meat, but this may result in loss of moisture as dry salt draws water out from the meat. The proportion of salt added and how it is applied to the meat is important, as salt can cure the meat, which is not what brining is supposed to do.
Depending on the thickness of the meat, the brining process can take a few hours to two days. During brining, interactions between the salt and the meat proteins will increase the ability of the muscle cells to hold water.
At the same time, as the brine changes the muscle structures and dissolves protein filaments within the meat, the flavor from the brining ingredients, such as spices and herbs, can be absorbed, and the meat also becomes more tender.
The brine works from outside in and has the strongest effect on parts of the meat that are likely to be overcooked. Therefore, even if the meat has been soaked briefly, it can make a difference. However, as brining makes the final dish saltier, the saltiness can be countered by adding sweet or sour ingredients such as fruit juices or buttermilk.
The following basic brine recipes can also be used for curing. Weigh the meat and water for curing together, making an allowance for the weight of bones and gristle if necessary. The amount of salt added should be 2-3% of the combined weight of the meat and water.
Combine with other ingredients such as spices and herbs if using, and vacuum seal everything to start the brining process.
SMOKING
Smoking is the process of flavoring, cooking, or preserving food by exposing it to the smoke from burning or smoldering plant materials, most often wood. This is a fantastic way to introduce an extra flavor dimension.Most of us are familiar with smoked salmon, trout, or meats like ham or bacon, but almost anything can be smoked. Like curing, smoking is an ancient cooking method that was originally used to preserve food.
The smoke would dry the surface, preventing it from going rancid, while some compounds in the smoke would inhibit the activity of microbes and enzymes that would otherwise quickly spoil the food.
Smoking can indeed be very addictive once you discover how simple it really is. Principle of smoking: Not much is really needed to add a smooth soft smoky flavor to your dishes. Simply use your small A BBQ grill and take a small stainless steel container into which you drill a few holes to allow airflow.
Next, you place some burning charcoal into the bowel and cover with your favorite wood chips. A good way to ignite your charcoal is with a blowtorch. Th at way you can create a lot of smoke with relatively low heat in the pan.
Once the chips smoke, place your goods on to the grill rack, cover the barbecue with the lid or with foil. If your barbecue has some ventilation holes on the bottom, gently blow in a little air and this will keep the charcoal glowing. You do not require a lot of heavy smoke (as this will make your food taste very bitter), but a soft gentle smoke right from the beginning when the chips start to smoke.
If you wish to cook your food at the same time as you smoke it, then insert a probe into the goods to be smoked and cook to the required core temperature
SOUS VIDE COOKING
It is the process of cooking vacuum-sealed food at very tightly controlled temperatures. How Sous Vide Works Sous vide was first used in French kitchens in the 1970s. The term “sous vide” literally means “under vacuum”.It is the process of cooking vacuum-sealed food at very tightly controlled temperatures. In contrast to traditional methods that cook food at high temperatures, sous vide cooks food at the temperature at which it will be served.
This is why sous to vide is also known as “low-temperature cooking”. With sous vide, many chefs are able to achieve the desired texture and doneness that is not possible with other cooking techniques.
The approach we have taken in this book is rather simple. Tender, delicate cuts require very gentle and precise cooking temperatures. This is why we recommend sous vide cooking mainly for chicken, beef steaks and seafood dishes.
Secondary cuts from the neck, shoulder, ribs, tongue or shin that are rather tough and require much longer cooking times are best cooked in a pressure cooker. Sous vide works like a pressure cooker in the sense that the sealed plastic bag prevents flavors from leaching out.
It also avoids cross-contamination. To understand the benefits of sous vide, it is important to know how different temperatures affect the meat. At about 48°C, the connective tissues within the meat start to break down, resulting in tenderisation. If heat is increased, the tenderisation process increases as well.
This is where we exercise caution, for above 60°C, collagen shrinks and wrings moisture from the meat, causing dryness and a tough texture. With sous vide cooking, the temperature can be controlled so that the meat does not dry out.
Also, as the food is held in a sealed bag, it does not lose moisture or flavor. Th is is in sharp contrast to traditional cooking methods such as roasting or boiling, which often result in loss of fat and moisture. This, combined with the low-temperature concept of sous vide, results in a very succulent and tender dish.
While this is effective for meats that can dry out or toughen when cooked using the usual high heat methods, cooking using the sous vide method can take a very long time, often taking days.
So, if you are willing to give it a try, note that most recipes often indicate cooking durations of 48–72 hours for tougher cuts of meat. Sous Vide Equipment The essentials for sous vide are a water bath, heat regulators and sous vide pouches.
Most of the benefits of sous vide are due to the controlled and low-temperature cooking process. Th is means that for those who are not willing to splurge on fancier tools such as vacuum sealers and other specialized equipment, there are cheaper alternatives.
For example, a crockpot would work just as well as it can hold a relatively large amount of water. To help with regulating temperatures, a good digital thermometer can be used. And, instead of sous vide pouches, re-sealable waterproof plastic bags will suffice.
Here are some readily available options:
1. A pot large enough for the food package to move about; a roomy self-heating device, such as a rice cooker or crockpot, is better as it maintains a more stable temperature.
2. As an alternative to self-heating devices, a stovetop for heating a pot of water bath can be used instead.
3. A good digital thermometer
4. Re-sealable waterproof plastic bags Conclusion It may sound strange to prepare ethnic Indonesian cuisine in plastic bags, as this is a distinct departure from the usual cooking techniques that many are accustomed to.
However, if you enjoy experimenting with food and would like to enjoy the benefits of sous vide, I highly encourage you to venture in this new direction.
You will see that in no time, you will master the basics of this incredible cooking technique and then not only you but also your family and friends will love the new tastes and flavors created by sous vide.
Basic Sous Vide Temperature Chart These temperatures and times are based on tender prime cuts and are not for tough or secondary cuts that require much longer cooking times