The Art
of Heat
of Heat
This method of cooking eggs in barely simmering water keeps the yolk soft and prevents rubbery whites.
What is poaching?
The browned crust on meat forms because of this reaction.
What is the Maillard reaction?
Alton Brown busted the myth that this cooking technique “seals in the juices.”
What is searing?
For the best results, Alton Brown recommends buying steaks at least this thick.
What is 1.5 inch thick?
Frying at too low a temperature, or for too long, causes food to soak up excess amounts of this.
What is oil?
In a low oven, hot air gently cooks a roast all the way through, while searing on a hot pan cooks the outside fast. These two ways that heat moves into food are called what?
What is convection and conduction?
Boiling water never browns food because it can’t get hotter than this temperature.
What is 212°F?
Slicing meat this way shortens muscle fibers, making even tougher cuts easier to chew.
What is cutting against the grain?
A roast can increase by this many degrees after leaving the oven.
What is 5–10°F?
This type of steak benefits from an oven-then-sear cooking method.
What is ribeye (or thick-cut or reverse-sear)?
Moisture retention during gentle cooking works because the proteins do not do this too quickly, which would force water out.
What is tighten (or contract or coagulate)?
White fish, shrimp, and scallops are especially prone to overcooking because they contain less of this, which helps retain moisture during cooking.
What is fat?
Resting is especially critical in this cooking method that uses high, direct heat.
What is grilling (or roasting)?
The rise in temperature after removing food from heat is called this.
What is carryover cooking?
After searing meat, these browned bits left on the pan are scraped up and often incorporated into a sauce, making the second stage of cooking more flavorful.
What is fond?
Gentle heat helps dissolve this protein in connective tissue, turning it into gelatin during braising.
What is collagen?
Roasting vegetables at high heat enhances flavor by driving off this, concentrating natural sugars.
What is water?
Resting matters because as muscle fibers relax, they do this instead of squeezing liquid out.
What is reabsorb the juices?
To prevent overcooking from carryover heat, chefs often remove this meat (or kind of meat) from the pan just before it reaches its target temperature.
What is tuna (or lean meat)?
Applied before cooking meat, this first draws moisture to the surface through osmosis, then reverses the flow, drawing flavor deep.
What is salt (or brining)?
In testing, Cook’s Illustrated found that poaching shrimp at around this temperature range (in °F) maximized tenderness and moisture.
What is 160–170°F?
Fish reaches doneness at 140°F, but to get a golden crust via the Maillard reaction—which starts near 300°F—chefs sometimes add a little of this.
What is sugar?
The larger the cut of meat, the longer the resting time—up to this many minutes for a whole roast.
What is 20-30 minutes?
Removed from the oven while still slightly underdone, this Italian egg dish finishes cooking gently from residual heat, thanks to carryover cooking.
What is a frittata?
By initially searing fish on this side, chefs promote Maillard browning which acts as a barrier, preserving moisture and preventing the delicate flesh from sticking during the final oven cook.
What is the skin side?