Combination Cooking Fundamentals

What happens to the meat if it is cooked too long? For example, if it was not checked properly and cooked past the 'fork tender' stage? Would it be tough, dry, or would it still be fork tender?

Good Question...check out topic 7 of the braising course for more info - http://rouxbe.com/school/sections/218

Basically no is the answer, that is the beauty of these type of dishes. You can never really go too far. The meat will still be moist and tender, especially with braised dishes. With smaller pieces of meat in stews, I would be a bit more careful, but really there is not an "exact" time that they are done. If you use good meat to start with, you should be okay.

I've just started this series so this question might be answered further on but I'm impatient.... What is the advantage/disadvantage of cooking for two/three hours in oven vs. on stovetop? I understand the oven has all around temperature and there may be problem of burning with stove top but I would think stovetop would be a bit more energy efficient.
Thanks, apologies if this is discussed elsewhere.

You are right about the reasons for cooking these types of dishes in the oven. The oven has more even, surround heat; whereas the dish can easily scorch or burn on the stovetop from the more direct heat on the bottom of the pot. By all means, it can be done on the stovetop, you will just likely need to have a more watchful eye. That is the beauty of combination cooking - once it is put together and in the oven, you can walk away and not worry about it (much like a slow cooker). Hope this helps.

Is there any reason why I shouldn't use an All-Clad stainless (aluminum core) pot for doing a stew, like beef bourguignon? They are fairly heavy pots and they are oven safe. I don't have the money right now to buy a Le Creuset enamelled cast-iron.

Any pot that can fit in the oven that is heavy-bottomed and obviously oven-proof pot will do. No need to have a particular brand.

I understand that I should cook the meat until it's fork tender, but I always read in restaurant menus about dishes that was cooked for 24 hours or even more. Can you actually overcook a braised dish ? or will it become even better with longer cooking time ?

We do talk about this in our Braising Lesson (end of topic 7). The quick answer, is that yes to a certain extent, you can over braise.

Restaurants may just be putting "cooked for 24hrs" on the menu to help "sell" the dish. It could also be because the meat was cooked sous-vide. They may also just cook it the day before and then not serve it until the next day. Hard to say exactly. I suggest watching topic 7 of the braising lesson for a bit more detail about this. Cheers!

If the recommended oven temperature is 95 C does that mean the food temperature should also be 95C? I ask because my oven is a bit old and decrepit and I am not confident that the oven thermometer is remotely accurate. However I do have a good quality probe type food thermometer and was wandering if I stick this into the food and get a temperature of 95C then I am cooking the food at the right temperature. Your advise will be gratefully received.
By the way I am a Brit that has subscribed to your site and I think it is fabulous. In the few weeks that I have been a subscriber my skills and results have noticeably improved.
Also as a Brit I would like you consider the possibility of using metric measurements alongside the American ones. Just to make life easier for your fans outside North America.

The oven temperature and the temperature of the food within the oven are not always the same. If you are cooking a prime rib for example the internal temperature of the food will likely be less than the outside temperature, especially if you like it more rare. I believe that your best bet would be to buy yourself a reliable oven thermometer.

For things like braised dishes your best bet for determining doneness is to test the meat. You are looking for it to be fork tender.

We are happy to hear that your skills in the kitchen have improved…this is great news!

As for the metric measurements this is something that we do try to do in the text recipes. We also started doing it in voice over for the lessons but honestly it was almost too much. Especially when we are trying to provide short concise information to people. The message was almost getting lost because you were just hearing me say all of these numbers.

This was even more confusing when I was giving a range of temperatures. For example, "the temperature should be between 180 degrees Fahrenheit to 200 degrees Fahrenheit or between 80 degrees Celsius to 95 degrees Celsius". Sometimes it was just too much and the actual message was getting lost. By the time I was finished talking about the different temperatures one would have likely forgotten what it was I was even talking about in the first place. Does this make sense?

I know I am rambling a bit, but I just want you to know that we do hear you and it is on our radar but currently we do not have this feature on Rouxbe. For more information see this forum post on this same subject. Cheers!

If I used a crock pot for this stuff, would I just brown the meat in a frying pan first, deglaze then put the meat and liquid into the crock for 2 hours?

Crock pots are totally acceptable...but now, as you have learned, the building of more flavor happens outside of the pot and in the pan. You are right, you can brown and deglaze and add everything to a crock pot. The only thing I would change is the cooking time. As discussed in the lesson, it is better to let meat cook slower and longer until it is fork tender. Usually crock pots have settings of 6 - 8 - 12 hours. Cheers!

I joined Rouxbe today. I think this course is wonderful. Although I have subscribed for a month, now I would like to actually make it 1 year. Could you please advise it is possible to do that?

I would be grateful if you give me your thoughts about usage of a pressure cooker can substitute slow cooking methods in the oven?

Glad you found Rouxbe (we have emailed you about your question regarding the annual membership), as for your question about slow cooking and a pressure cooker I am not quite clear...are you asking if you can use a pressure cooker instead of the oven for combination cooking?

You may want to check out this forum thread that talks a bit about Pressure Cooking. Cheers!

If you used a slow cooker would you start with less liquid since there is usually more liquid at the end of cooking than at the beginning. If so how much less?

I have not used a lot of slow cookers in my time; however slow and low cooking (like in this lesson) is essentially the same thing as using a slow cooker. As for the amount of liquid you may want to do a bit of experimenting with this. If you notice that you always end up with more liquid at the end of cooking then when you started then you may want to use a bit less. Alternatively, you could follow the recommendations in the lesson and then see how it turns out...you can still always reduce the sauce later. Cheers!

When I use a Slow Cooker and I do not want the liquid to be increased during the cooking process, I put a clean towel or paper towel between the pot and the lid.

Another excellent lesson and I learned a lot! I immediately see how a lot of this translates to live fire cooking too.

For example, using a dutch oven (cowboy or camp style) when I sear with the dutch oven exposed directly to the coals and then add liquid and shift it to indirect heat at a lower temp for the long moist heat cook.

But most noticeably, this is why the "texas crutch" of foiling ribs and briskets during the BBQ time works so well. Adam Perry Lang's beef back ribs use this technique and they come out perfectly browned and juicy.

Can't wait to practice this lesson on the tuscan chicken and the milk braised pork, both look fantastic!

Great lesson, as usual.
If I will try to braise chicken thighs and chicken breasts together, I understand that the final sauce will be somewhat diluted. But what about chicken breast, will it become fork tender or since there are no connective tissue in it, it will just become more tough?

Thank you!

Chicken breast is not suitable for braising as it does not have any fat and connective tissue which is needed for this type of cooking method. You may also find the Poultry Fundamentals helpful. If you want to add chicken breast to a braised dish, you'll need to add them near the end of cooking and cook them until they are just cooked through. Cheers!

I recently joined rouxbe and I have been doing a lot of browsing through the excellent resources on the site. I am really excited to get into my cooking education and have been concentrating on getting together good equipment for my kitchen first.

Apart from knife skills, I think the lessons on stock making and combination cooking would be good place to start, but I am not sure what kind of pot I should use.

I have a cheaper 6qt. non-stick stockpot which has a glass lid and a solid but not very heavy bottom. Apparently it can be used in the oven. I am not sure if this would be appropriate for combination cooking, or should I look at getting something else?

I am also confused about the difference between a casserole dish and a Dutch oven. Some online stores list these pots separately. If I wanted a good all-purpose pot to use as a beginner cook, which type should I go for, and what it the easiest way - apart from the names, which seem to be used inconsistently - to tell them apart?

Cheers,
Tim.

Ideally, you should find a pot that is not non-stick so you can properly caramelize/brown ingredients. An enameled cast-iron or heavy-bottomed stainless-steel pot is more suitable for pot roasting because you can brown the meat on the stove top and then transfer the whole thing to the oven without worrying about it.

It is true that different manufacturers call the same pot a casserole dish and a Dutch oven. Sometimes casserole dishes are just rectangular dishes that have no lid (think of a lasagne baking dish). The most important thing is to look for one that can be used on both the stove top and the oven. It should be heavy bottomed and have a tight-fitting lid.

The size is really up to you and how big of a dish you intend to cook and the amount of stock you want to make/have the ability to store. A 5 1/2 or 6 quart dutch oven is average...and a 12 to 16 quart stock pot will work well. You can check out our Rouxbe Store for some of the products that we like. In terms of a stock pot, just keep in mind that you don't have to spend a lot of money. Call up your local restaurant supply store as well. They can point you in the right direction. In terms of a Dutch oven, our favorite is Le Creuset. Their cast-iron pots will last a lifetime, so the investment is worth it. Cheers!