4 Issues That Can Wreck Your Stewed Food
Commercial cooking is a game of driving down distractions. The dishes that can sit and do their own thing are some of the most reliable staples in your kitchen. But even reliable stews and broths can start to throw a wrench in the works if things don't go just right. Make sure you're using equipment — not people — to minimize these four potential problems:
1. Food Sticking at the Bottom of the Pot
If you haven't paid attention to a stew or soup for a few hours, you might find most of the solids stuck to the bottom. This is going to be a problem any time there's a direct heat source — whether that source is the burner or the pot itself. Look for indirect heat sources or convection cooktops that better dissipate the heat.
2. Too Much Moisture Loss
A roiling boil will pull all of the water out of a pot in no time. Even a simmer will do the same thing — it just takes a little bit longer. But your team has to keep the temperature up all day long, so the food stays safe. Look for closed heating sources or better lids instead of constantly sending someone over to make sure the moisture isn't boiling away.
3. Signature Ingredients are Starting to Break Down and Lose Mass
Heat and movement will make even the toughest meats break down. While that can be a good thing, the last thing you want is for the meat to melt away entirely. Turn your stew into a stew and sous vide combo so you still have solid pieces of (still delicious) meat you can add to the stew at the end of the day.
4. The Temperature is Inviting Bacteria
When all the water is boiling out of a pot, the natural solution is turning down the temperature. But that can shift your food out of the bacteria kill-zone into a bacterial breeding ground.
The right equipment can do the job. Take a moment to browse through Thermodyne Foodservice Products, Inc.'s catalog for products that'll solve your problems.
Posted in: Cooking Tips & Recipes