Copy of `TX Beef - Food Dictionary`

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TX Beef - Food Dictionary Category: Agriculture and Industry > Beef Date & country: 13/09/2007, USA Words: 63

Cure
To preserve meat by either smoking, drying, pickling or salting.

Dash
Less than an eighth of a teaspoon.

Deglaze
To dissolve the small particles of sautéed meat remaining in a pan by adding a liquid and heating. Used as base for sauces.

Degrease
To remove the fat from the surface of a liquid.

Dice
To cut into equal sized cubes, ¼ to ½ inch square.

Dilute
To make a sauce or stock weaker by adding more liquid.

Dredge
To coat meat with a dry mixture such as flour, bread or cracker crumbs.

Drizzle
To pour liquid over the surface of food in a fine stream.

Dry heat cooking
Cooking without the addition of liquid. Examples include grilling, broiling and panfrying. Used for tender cuts or less tender cuts that have been marinated.

Dutch oven
A heavy pot with a tight-fitting cover.

Enoki mushroom
A member of the mushroom family. Looks like cooked spaghetti topped with tiny button caps.

Fillet
To cut meat away from the bone.

Flambé
To pour brandy or liqueur over food, warm and ignite with a match.

Fold
To combine a light mixture with a heavier one without stirring or beating, but gently lifting from underneath with a rubber spatula by using an over-and-over motion.

Fontina
A type of cheese, usually a cylindrical semi-cooked, full-fat, semi-hard cheese made from whole cow's milk. It varies in color from whitish-yellow to yellow. The cheese has a distinctive, sweet taste.

Fork Tender
A way to determine doneness of braised or stewed meat. Meat should feel tender when inserting a fork into the thickest part.

Glaze
A mixture brushed on food which adds flavor and gives a glossy appearance.

Grate
To cut food into small pieces by rubbing against the sharp teeth of a grating tool.

Grill
A quick, dry heat cooking method over charcoal, wood or gas flames. Used for more tender cuts. Less tender cuts can be used if marinated.

Hoisin sauce
An Oriental sauce used in cooking.

Irradiation
A process in which food products are exposed to a controlled amount of radiant energy to kill harmful bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, and Salmonella.

Italian seasoning
A dried mixture of Italian herbs. Can be found in the spice section of the grocery store.

Julienne
To cut fruits, vegetables or meats into match-like strips.

Kabob
Cubes of meat cooked on a skewer.

Marinade
A mixture used to enhance the flavor and/or tenderness of food.

Marinate
To let meat stand in a flavorful, usually acidic, liquid for several hours to add flavor or to tenderize.

Meat thermometer
An instrument used to read the internal temperature of meat.

Mince
To cut or chop in very fine pieces.

Moist heat cooking
Adding liquid during preparation to create steam. Improves tenderness of less tender cuts. Examples include braising and stewing.

Pan broil
A quick, dry heat cooking method using a pan on a stovetop. No oil is used and the pan is uncovered. Used for thinner cuts.

Pan fry
A quick, dry heat cooking method using a pan with a small amount of oil. No lid is used. Used for thinner cuts. Also called sautéing.

Parboil
To partially cook food in boiling water before completely cooking by some other process.

Pare
To cut off the outer covering of a fruit or vegetable with a vegetable peeler.

Phyllo (filo) dough
A tissue thin sheet of dough found in the freezer section of the grocery store.

Poblano pepper
A member of the pepper family. The peppers are dark green in color and vary in heat intensity from medium to hot. Dried poblano peppers are called ancho peppers.

Portobello mushroom
A meaty, delicious mushroom usually 4-6 inches wide. For preparation, remove and discard dark gills from the underside of the mushroom cap with a spoon.

Preheat
To set an oven or broiler at the desired temperature 15 to 30 minutes before use so that the temperature is reached before food is put in to cook.

Puree
To mash solid food or pass it through a food mill or processor until it is smooth.

Reconstitute
To rehydrate dried food by soaking it in water or another liquid.

Reduce
To thicken or concentrate a sauce by boiling, which lessens the volume and intensifies the flavor.

Roast
A slow, dry heat cooking method used for cooking larger cuts of beef. No liquid is added or cover is used. Used for more tender cuts.

Root Vegetable
The 'hard' vegetables that grown underground.

Roulade
A thin slice of meat rolled up with or without stuffing and cooked in seasoned liquid or sautéed.

Roux
A mixture of butter and flour cooked over low heat. Used for thickening a sauce.

Rub
A blend of herbs and spices that coats the surface of the meat. Used to add flavor.

Sauté
To brown or cook food in a small amount of oil.

Scald
To heat a liquid just below the boiling point. Tiny bubbles should form around the edge of the pan.

Sear
To brown the surface of food quickly using high heat.

Shallot
A member of the onion family. Shaped like cloves of garlic.

Shred
To pull meat apart into small pieces using two forks.

Simmer
To cook liquid below or just at the boiling point. The bubbles should rise slowly to the surface.

Slice
To cut food into same size flat pieces.

Slow Cooker
Also known as a crock pot.

Smoke point
The point at which fat breaks down, starts to smoke and gives off an odor. Different fats have different smoke points.

Stew
A slow, moist heat cooking method using a pot with a tight-fitting lid. The beef should be completely covered in liquid. Used for less tender cuts.

Stir-fry
A quick, dry-heat cooking method using a lightly oiled skillet or wok. Use high heat while continuously tossing ingredients. Any cut can be used as long as it is cut into thin, uniform strips.

Texas Toast
Thickly sliced (1-inch) French/Italian bread spread with butter on both sides and browned under broiler or on the grill.

Toss
To mix ingredients lightly.

Turmeric
A spice that comes from the root of Curcuma longa, a leafy plant in the ginger family. The most common form is dried and ground turmeric.

Whip
To mix ingredients quickly and vigorously to incorporate air and increase volume.

Wok
A round bottom pan used for stir fry and other cooking methods using high heat.

Wonton skins
A thin noodle dough that is used in Oriental recipes. Often available in the produce area of the grocery store.

Zest
To remove, in fine strips, the outermost peel of citrus fruits. Be careful not to include the bitter, inner white pith.