Baking

• Baking means placing uncovered food in the dry, radiant-heated air of the oven. The baking process heats food from all its outer surfaces toward the center and is done when the center reaches a temperature close to that of the rest of the item. Oven settings for baking range from 225 degrees Fahrenheit, sometimes called a "cool" or "slow" oven, to the "very hot" or "fast" temperature of 500F. Baking recipes often call for temperatures in the 325F-350F range. Because baking involves exposure to heated air rather than direct heat, it usually takes longer than stove-top cooking or broiling. A piece of meat broiled in 10 minutes might require 30 minutes or more when baked. Baking times in a convection oven may be shorter because the oven fan circulates hot air, making exposure more efficient.

Broiling

• Broiling involves exposing food to direct, intense heat, often 550F and above. In a gas or electric oven, the heat source is above the food, which is placed on a dish that allows surface liquids to drain. Like roasting, broiling resembles cooking over a fire, and grilling and broiling techniques are closely related. In broiling, your goal is often to cook the outside surface of the food more than the inside. Exposure to intense heat can seal surface tissues, keeping natural moisture inside food. When you cook a piece of meat like a steak, this exposure is called searing.

Foods and Utensils for Baking

• Baking is especially suitable for dense foods such as flour-based doughs and solid cuts of meat or cut-up meats and vegetables with sauce. Baking heat slowly activates the leavening agents in breads, cakes and cookies and supports dough expansion and crust formation. Baking is also an effective way to heat food mixtures such as macaroni and cheese, enchiladas or chicken cacciatore, in which small pieces of different kinds of food cook in a sauce. Baking dishes are most effective when they are close to the size of their contents. Since baking involves exposure of all surfaces to heat, baking dishes are frequently shallow, from rimless cookie sheets to casserole dishes with rims of 2 to 3 inches.

Baking vs. Roasting

• Some recipes confusingly use the words "bake" and "roast" interchangeably. Roasting is meant to mimic the effects of cooking solid pieces of meat on a spit over a fire, so, although meat is cooked in baking heat, it is often elevated on a rack so that maximum surfaces are exposed to heat for browning and even cooking. A beef roast is often cooked on a rack, and the juices that drip into the pan below can be made into gravy. A roasted chicken is most likely whole and set on a rack. Baked chicken recipes often call for chicken parts and may include numerous other ingredients.

Foods and Utensils for Broiling

• Broiling is a highly effective quick method for cooking thin pieces of food such as chicken or fish filets, steaks or chops, ground meat patties and sliced vegetables. Intense direct heat quickly browns, crisps and caramelizes outer surfaces while inner surfaces reach but do not exceed USDA-safe minimum cooking temperatures, keeping food juicy. A boneless chicken breast, for example, can reach a safe internal temperature of 165F when broiled only 6 to 8 minutes per side. Dense-fleshed but juicy fruits and vegetables like peaches, pineapple, zucchini squash, onions, and bell peppers broil well in similar brief periods. Natural sugars caramelize, sealing outer surfaces, while insides remain juicy.