© Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Food skills and cooking techniques

Lesson objectives To identify a variety of practical skills used in cooking. To explain the safe methods for slicing, peeling and grating foods. To discuss the different cooking techniques for red meat. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Food skills There are a number of practical food skills used when making hot and cold and sweet and savoury dishes. Some skills you may use regularly such as weighing and measuring, peeling, slicing and grating whilst others less often such as rubbing in and kneading, e.g. when making pastry or bread. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Food skills – weigh and measure It is important that ingredients are measured accurately so that the recipe is successful. Weighing scales are used to weigh solids, e.g. flour and sugar and measuring jugs are used to measure liquids, e.g. milk. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Weighing solids To weigh solid ingredients accurately, you should: Place the scales on a flat surface; Put the bowl on top and then press zero. This will ensure that you only get the weight of the ingredient and not the bowl too; Use a spoon to measure the ingredient rather than pouring from the bag as it is more accurate and less likely to spill; If using balance scales, check that the dial is at zero before you start. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Measuring liquids To measure liquids accurately, you should: Place the measuring jug on a flat surface. Do not hold the jug in the air as you may get an inaccurate reading; Make sure that you can see the scale clearly; Pour the liquid slowly to avoid splashes. This is especially important with hot liquids; Pause and check from time to time and stop when you have exactly what you need. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Measuring with spoons There is a range of spoons for measuring small amounts of ingredients: metric and tea, dessert and tablespoon. Check the recipe to see whether you need a heaped or level spoonful. If level, use the back of a table knife to slide off any extra ingredient back into the container. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Measuring spoons - conversion Some recipes will ask for metric measurements, e.g. in grams, or tea, dessert or tablespoons: 1 teaspoon (tsp) = 5ml 1 dessert spoon (dsp) = 10ml 1 tablespoon (tbsp) = 15ml © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Sharp equipment and knife skills You may use a variety of sharp equipment to prepare your ingredients such as peelers, vegetable knives and graters. It is important to handle and use sharp equipment safely in order to prevent accidents. Depending on the type of food and whether you need to slice, dice or chop, you should use either the bridge hold or the claw grip. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The bridge hold The bridge hold is used to cut many foods such as tomatoes: Place the tomato onto a chopping board; Make a bridge with your hand. Your fingers should be on one side and your thumb should be on the other; Pick up the knife with your other hand and check that the blade is facing downwards; © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The bridge hold Then, guide the knife under the bridge and over the tomato. Cut into the food by pressing the knife down and pulling it out of the bridge; Now, take one half at a time and place it flat side down. Make a bridge over the tomato, and use the knife just like before to cut it into quarters; This method of cutting is safe and can be used for lots of different ingredients, such as potatoes or strawberries. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The claw grip Place the food such as cucumber or celery onto the chopping board. Make a claw with your hand by partly curling your fingers together. Decide how thick you want the slices before you begin. Then, pick up the knife with your other hand and check that the blade is facing downwards. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

The claw grip Tilt the knife and slice through the food, using your fingers as a guide. Slide your fingers back, keeping your grip on the food, and continue slicing carefully. This method of slicing is safe, and can be used for lots of different ingredients, such red meat and vegetables. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Peeling Carrots, along with other fruit and vegetables, will need to be peeled before they are used and it is important that this is done safely: Hold the carrot in one hand and rest it on the chopping board; Starting half way down, run the peeler along the length of the carrot away from yourself. Be careful, the peeler is sharp! Twist the carrot and continue to peel. Turn the carrot around and peel the other end; When finished, remove the peelings from the chopping board. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Grating Foods such as cheese, carrots, courgettes and apples, are often grated to change the texture and appearance. Graters can be sharp: First, place the grater onto the chopping board and hold it firmly by its handle; Hold the carrot at its widest end and rub it down-and-up the grater firmly; Continue grating until you are left with a small chunk of carrot. Stop at this point. There is no need to try and grate every bit; Lift up the grater. Spoon the grated carrot into a dish; This method can be used to grate lots of different ingredients, such as cheese or apple. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Peeling and chopping an onion © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Cut away the top of the onion Peel away the outer brown skin Cut the onion in half Slice across the onion Slice lengthways, ensuring that you do not cut all the way

Cutting meat safely It is important to use a sharp knife when cutting meat. For tender slices, look at the meat to determine the direction of the grain (the muscle fibres), and cut across the grain, not with it. Also remember to use a red board to prevent cross-contamination. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Other preparation skills You may also use other skills when preparing your ingredients. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Assembling the dish © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cooking When cooking food you would usually use the hob, oven or grill. Each of these pieces of equipment use heat to cook the food: Hob – conduction, e.g. stir-frying Oven – convection, e.g. baking, roasting or casseroling Grill – radiation. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Safety Hot equipment and food can be dangerous. In order to prevent burns or scalds you should: always use oven gloves to put food into and take out of the oven; turn pan handles in on the hob; be aware of hot liquid and steam when draining into the sink; be aware of others around you in the kitchen. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Meat cuts and cooking The method of cooking selected for a cut of meat will depend on: the type of muscle fibre it is made up from the amount of connective tissue it contains. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Meat cuts and cooking Cuts of meat which are from muscle areas which do a lot of work will need longer, slower cooking methods, e.g. stew or casserole. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Meat cuts and cooking Cuts of meat which are from muscle areas not so heavily used by the animal can be cooked much more quickly, e.g. grilling, stir frying. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Offal Offal such as oxtail and heart need longer, slower cooking such as braising or casseroling. Liver and kidney need shorter coking methods. Liver can be cooked and minced to make pâté. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cooking techniques – using the hob Frying Shallow: cooking food, in a small amount of fat, in a shallow pan. Dry-fryng: fry red meat without oil Stir: quickly cooking food, with or without fat, over a high heat. Deep: cooking food in a large amount of pre- heated fat. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cooking techniques – using the grill Grilling Quickly cooking or browning food under the radiant heat of an electric element or a gas flame. This is only appropriate for tender cuts of meat, no more than 5cm thick. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cooking techniques – using the oven Roasting Cooking food using dry, high temperatures in an oven. The dry heat caramelises the surface of the meat. Casseroling/Braising/Stewing Slowly cooking tougher cuts of meat, in plenty of liquid with a tight fitting lid. Braised meat sits on a thick bed of vegetables with strong stock. The cut of meat used is normally cubed, diced or steaks. Pot roasting Cooking a joint of meat, which has first been browned, on top of vegetables, with very little liquid, in a pot with a tight fitting lid. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Cooking techniques: Beef © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 RoastingPot roasting Casseroling/Braising/ Stewing

Cooking techniques: Beef © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 Barbequing GrillingFrying

Cooking techniques: Lamb © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 BarbequingGrillingFrying

Cooking techniques: Lamb © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015 RoastingPot roasting Casseroling/Braising/ Stewing

Getting ready to cook In order to prevent cross contamination and make sure that your food is safe to eat, before you start to cook you should: Tie back long hair; Remove your jumper and roll up long sleeves; Wear an apron; Remove jewellery and watches; Wash hands thoroughly with soap (ideally anti- bacterial) and hot water. Do not forget to dry them! © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

In addition… Collect ingredients and equipment and check that they are safe and hygienic to use. Use a separate chopping board and knife for preparing raw meat. Ensure that hands, equipment and work surfaces are clean before, in-between and after handling raw and cooked foods. © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015

Acknowledgement For further information, go to: © LMC 2015 © Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland 2015