What is food processing? Instructions on proper food preparation techniques

Preparing food ingredients is a very necessary step before cooking. It not only helps preserve the flavor and nutritional value of food but also eliminates substances that can be harmful to human health. So what exactly is food preparation and what are the proper food preparation techniques? Let’s find out detailed information with Saigon Tourism College in the article below.

What is food processing?

When studying and working in the kitchen , you need to clearly understand what food preparation is? Accordingly, food preparation is an important stage in the food processing chain, including steps of cleaning, slicing, marinating, grinding – pounding, etc. of ingredients before moving to the heat processing stage. From seafood, animal meat, fresh fruits and vegetables to dried foods, all need to go through a thorough preparation process before applying food processing methods.

The raw material processing process usually includes two main stages:

• Rough processing:This is the step of removing inedible parts of food such as parts that are toxic or have low nutritional value.
• Preliminary processing:Includes the steps of cutting, marinating, grinding or pounding food ingredients to suit the specific requirements of each dish.

By carefully preparing ingredients and ensuring hygiene and safety, you can apply cooking techniques effectively, preserving the flavor and nutritional value of the food.

Food preparation is an extremely important step in food processing

Proper food preparation techniques

Besides understanding what food preparation is, you also need to know about proper food preparation techniques when working in the kitchen. Food preparation techniques play an important role in preparing ingredients before processing, helping to remove dirt, bacteria and toxic substances, as well as creating more delicious and attractive food. Below are some standard techniques for preparing raw materials:

• Before starting preparation, you should always wash your hands to prevent cross-contamination between raw and cooked foods.
• Use clean water and wash food directly under running water, rubbing gently to remove dirt and bacteria.
• Use salt water or diluted lemon juice to soak food and disinfect.
• Remove skins, stems, seeds and inedible parts of food.
• Cut food into appropriate sizes depending on how the dish is prepared.
• Use separate utensils, knives and cutting boards for raw and cooked foods to avoid cross-contamination.
• Absolutely do not let raw food come into contact with cooked food.

Preparation tips for each specific type of food:

• Fruits and vegetables:Wash under running water and rub gently on the surface to remove dirt and bacteria. For fruits and vegetables with hard skins, you should peel them.
• Meat:Wash with salt water or diluted lemon juice and remove inedible parts such as fat, tendons, and bones.
• Fish:Wash with diluted salt water or diluted lemon juice and remove gills, internal organs and fish scales.
• Poultry:Wash with salt water or diluted lemon juice, and remove internal organs and feathers.
• Beans:Soak the beans in cold water for at least 8 hours or more or, most conveniently, overnight to soften the beans and make them easier to digest.

Cut or slice food into appropriate sizes for the dish you are about to cook

Steps to properly prepare food

What is food processing and how is it done? In fact, preparing food ingredients is not only a way to make the dish delicious and attractive, but also to preserve the flavor and nutritional value of the ingredients. Therefore, when preparing food, it is necessary to follow the following basic procedures:

• Step 1: Soak food
• Soaking dried mushrooms, nuts, dried vegetables, etc. in cold water will help soften the food easily and remove dirt and other sticky substances from the drying process.
• For meat and fish, soaking in water for a certain period of time will help fade the secretions of the ingredients, clean them and keep the food’s color fresher and tastier.
• Step 2: Wash food
• For fresh fruits and vegetables, wash them thoroughly before peeling them to remove dirt and insects. After peeling, you need to wash it again to ensure the ingredients are completely clean.
• Cattle and poultry meat should be washed thoroughly to remove dirt from the slaughter and transportation process.
• Fish and seafood need to be thoroughly washed both inside and outside to remove dirt, internal organs, fish scales, fins, etc.
• Step 3: Sterilize and deodorize food
• Fresh vegetables can be washed with salt water, aerated with ozone, etc. to remove harmful substances from food.
• Fish and seafood are often disinfected with white wine, lemon, and chili.
• Poultry and livestock meat are often deodorized with white wine, ginger wine, etc.
• Step 4: Blanch the food

The purpose of blanching food with boiling water is to help remove strong odors, bitter tastes or dirt in ingredients before cooking. After blanching, the ingredients need to be washed again with clean water.

Proper food preparation procedures

Instructions on how to marinate ingredients properly

The process of marinating ingredients requires meticulous consideration for each type of food to ensure a suitable flavor and maintain the quality of ingredients.

• Seasoning order:You need to carry out the seasoning process in the following order: salty – sweet – fragrant – spicy – odorless. This will help the spices penetrate evenly and deeply into the food, as well as get the desired flavor after processing. In addition, following this order will help the cook not miss any spices.
• Salty:Use salt, seasoning, fish sauce, etc.
• Sweet:Sugar, MSG and honey.
• Fragrant:Minced garlic, purple onion, minced lemongrass, pepper, wine and aromatic leaves.
• Spicy:Satay, chili.
• Odorless:Cooking oil, eggs, flour,…
• Marinating time:Depending on the type of food and each dish, the marinating time requirements will be different:
• Whole meat such as beef and lamb:Marinate before cooking for about 10 minutes.
• Poultry and pork:For large pieces, marinate for over 30 minutes.
• Sliced ​​or minced pork, beef:Marinate for less than 5 minutes or do not marinate, instead add seasoning during cooking.
• Fish:Marinate 15 – 20 minutes in advance for sea fish because it has a natural salinity so the amount of salt can be adjusted to be less than river fish.
• Thick-leaf squid, shell-on shrimp:Marinate 15 – 30 minutes in advance.
• Shelled shrimp, squid:Marinate 5 – 10 minutes in advance or do not marinate but add seasoning directly during cooking.
• Octopus:Do not marinate for more than 15 minutes.
• Fruits and vegetables:Marinate with spices before grilling.
• Use the appropriate salt:

Salt used in cooking is divided into many types with different grain sizes and salinity. Accordingly, Kosher salt is often used to marinate meats and Sea salt is suitable for marinating fish and seafood. Avoid using iodized salt to marinate foods for long periods of time, because this type of salt has high salinity, easily making ingredients watery and dry during processing.

• Simple marinade with expensive ingredients:

There is a principle among chefs when preparing food that is, “The more expensive the ingredients, the simpler the seasoning must be.” The flavor of these foods is inherently delicious, so there is no need to marinate too much as it will overwhelm the natural taste of the food. Therefore, with ingredients such as salmon fillet, lobster, cod, sliced ​​beef, expensive mushrooms, etc., you only need to marinate simply with salt and pepper or do not need to marinate at all.

• Choose the appropriate marinade oil:

Only regular vegetable oil should be used to marinate meat. Although olive oil is very good for users’ health, it is easily oxidized when exposed to air, so it is often used in salads or in quick fried dishes.

Marinate ingredients properly to bring the best and most delicious flavor to the dish

What are the things to note when preparing food?

Bone broth: To have a pot of bone broth that is nutritious and delicious, you need to wash the bones, blanch them in boiling water, then rinse again and simmer over low heat for 2 – 4 hours.

• Preserving fresh vegetables:To keep the fresh green color and crispness of vegetables, after blanching with boiling water mixed with salt, take them out and immediately soak them in ice cold water.
• Potatoes:Blanch the potatoes while the water is still cold, then take them out and soak them in cold water before peeling and processing to retain the potato’s texture and nutrients.
• Onions:To make onions less pungent and crispier, you can soak them in ice cold water mixed with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice for about 30 minutes before using in salads or dishes.
• Marinating ingredients:When marinating ingredients in large quantities, mix the spices well in a bowl before sprinkling on the food to ensure even absorption. When marinating a small amount of food, you can add each type of spice.
• Grilled meat:For grilled meat dishes such as beef ribs, lamb, goat,… you can marinate with pear juice or apple juice for at least 20 minutes before grilling to make the meat soft and naturally sweet thanks to the acid in it. fruit.

Things to keep in mind when preparing food

Preparing food ingredients is an important and indispensable step in the daily cooking process and when preparing dishes at hotels and restaurants. This step is especially important for kitchen workers, who must follow the preparation process precisely to ensure food quality and safety.

Hopefully with the information shared above by Saigon Tourism College , you will clearly understand what food preparation techniques are as well as the most standard way to prepare food. In addition, if you are interested in the school’s Food Processing Engineering major , follow the detailed admission information below!