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Culinary Ladder · High school · Grade 11–12

Heat and Cooking Methods

How heat moves, why food browns, and every method: sauté, pan-fry, deep-fry with fire safety, roast, grill, broil, poach, simmer, steam, braise, stew and sous vide.

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8 topics in 3 units. Builds on Knife Skills and Food Safety and Sanitation, plus Physical Science on the Physics Ladder. Leads to Stocks, Sauces and Soups, Proteins, Vegetables, Grains, Legumes and Pasta and Baking and Pastry. Not sure this is the right course? Find your rung.

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Unit 1 How Heat Cooks

2 topics

Conduction, convection and radiation; browning reactions.

  1. Conduction, Convection and Radiation
  2. Browning: the Maillard Reaction and Caramelization

Unit 2 Dry-Heat Methods

3 topics

Sautéing, pan-frying, deep-frying, roasting, grilling and broiling.

  1. Sautéing, Stir-Frying and Pan-Frying
  2. Deep-Frying and Oil Safety
  3. Roasting, Grilling and Broiling

Unit 3 Moist and Combination Methods

3 topics

Poaching, simmering, boiling, steaming, braising, stewing and sous vide.

  1. Poaching, Simmering, Boiling and Steaming
  2. Braising and Stewing
  3. Sous Vide: Precise Low-Temperature Cooking