Stock pots, soup pots, Dutch ovens, saucepans, and skillets: If you have these in your kitchen, you also have their corresponding lids. And sometimes it seems like that stack of lids is doing nothing more than cluttering up your space. Some recipes tell you when to put a lid on a pan and others are mysteriously silent on the matter. By following a few simple guidelines you can hone your cook's instincts and stop puzzling over the question of when to put a lid on it.
Always cover your pot if you're trying to keep the heat in. That means that if you're trying to bring something to a simmer or a boil—a pot of water for cooking pasta or blanching vegetables, a batch of soup, or a sauce—put that lid on to save time and energy. Once you've hit the boiling point, remember to take the lid off—this will prevent the pot from boiling over. In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—clap that lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.
Trying to keep both heat and moisture in? Plan to keep the lid on, as this is the best way to achieve both. There are some essential cooking methods that rely on heat and moisture to get the job done—namely, steaming and braising. Steaming foods like vegetables, tamales, seafood, and grains supplies gentle, moist heat that will cook these foods to perfect tenderness without drying them out. Braising is the go-to cooking method for tougher cuts of meat, like brisket, chuck, pork shoulder, and short ribs. They need moist heat over a long period of time to break down the collagen and connective tissues for succulent, fork-tender results.
When to Keep the Lid Off
Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too. If you take a peek at your pot of soup and decide you'd like it to be thicker, just allow it to simmer with the lid off until it's as thick as you like. This same principle applies with most sauce and gravy recipes, which include a step to reduce a liquid—often stock, juice, or wine—in order to reduce volume and intensify flavors.
You should also leave the lid off whenever you're trying to achieve a beautiful sear. Searing takes place in a very hot pan and serves to create a flavorful, caramelized crust on the exterior of steaks, duck breasts, lamb chops, pork chops, salmon, tuna, scallops, and other kinds of meat and seafood. Moisture is the arch nemesis of pan searing, as it creates steam and prevents a crisp coating from forming, so this is the time to leave the lid off the pan. The same thought process applies to stir frying and deep frying: Just like with pan searing, moisture interferes with creating a caramelized, crispy surface on stir-fried and deep-fried foods. All foods give off some steam when cooking, so it's important to leave the lid off the pan during frying so the steam evaporates rather than collecting on the lid and dripping back into the hot oil. For the best-ever stir fry, fried chicken, French fries, hush puppies, doughnuts, fried oysters, crab cakes, fried fish, latkes, and other crunchy-crispy fried favorites, don't overcrowd the pan and leave that lid in the cabinet!
In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.
Covering a skillet, saucepan, or pot while cooking helps maintain temperature control, which is important for even cooking. It helps bring liquid to a boil faster, too (which uses less energy, aka, it's more cost efficient, too). Covering the pot keeps steam from escaping, too.
As with all food, it's important to ensure that the dish is evenly cooked. If you're thinking of leaving your food uncovered in the microwave to speed up the cooking process, that's a no-no. The dish should be covered, as the steam formed under the cover will help kill bacteria and ensure even cooking.
The direct heat exposure allows for faster cooking, which can be advantageous when you're looking to save time or achieve a faster cooking process. Reduction of excess moisture. Without a cover, it's easier to reduce excess moisture, which can be beneficial when you want to achieve a specific texture.
Most soups would be simmered covered to capture the moisture, however, if the soup needs to be reduced because you added too much liquid then uncovered is the way to go. If you are simmering uncovered it's best to check on the soup often to make sure it hasn't reduced down too much.
Then, as the heat from the pot cooks the food, the heat passes into the air, creating steam. That steam is hot, and that heat goes out of your kitchen exhaust as waste. But when you put a lid on, the heat stays in the pot. It helps cook your food faster.
Reducing – if you're trying to thicken a sauce or soup, keep the lid in the cupboard. Evaporation is key in the reduction technique, so you want to allow that moisture to escape.
Cooking with the lid off allows the steam (aka liquid) to evaporate out of the pot, thus reducing the amount of liquid in the pot. We cook with the lid off when we want something to thicken (for example: no-stir risotto after it comes out of the oven if it's still liquid-y).
Place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot. Wood is more heat-resistant than metal, so it stays cooler to burst hot bubbles that reach it. Add a dash of butter or oil to water with starchy foods such as potatoes or pasta. The oil remains at the top and breaks the surface tension, helping pop bubbles.
Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.
Or, well, it will, but you'll be left feeling like time is ticking more slowly. So put a lid on the pan. The air in the pan will heat up as the water heats up, and it circulates back into the water as it's heated. This helps bring the water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit more quickly.
Microwaving food without a cover is generally safe for many types of food, but it may result in uneven cooking, moisture loss, and splattering. Using a microwave-safe cover or lid helps improve cooking efficiency and maintains food quality while preventing messes inside the microwave.
Leaving food uncovered can lead to cross- contamination. Cover food with tight-fitting plastic wrap or aluminum foil. When disease- causing microorganisms are transferred from one food or surface to another, carried by utensils, hands or other foods, cross-contamination has occurred.
Stopping evaporation – got a saucy dish that's the perfect consistency but the veggies aren't cooked through (think stews, casseroles, or soups)? Cover with a lid and it will stop the liquid from evaporating allowing you to retain the consistency while still cooking the vegetables.
So put a lid on the pan. The air in the pan will heat up as the water heats up, and it circulates back into the water as it's heated. This helps bring the water to 212 degrees Fahrenheit more quickly. And before you know it, that unwatched pot will be boiling.
You can simmer with the cookware lid on or off, simply follow your recipe instructions. Keep in mind that when using a cover, you'll want to set your stovetop to a low setting as it can reach a simmer faster than without a cap. When you're not using a lid, adjust your stovetop setting to medium.
Regulate the heat so that a few bubbles rise to the surface. Skim regularly and keep the ingredients covered by topping up with cold water. Cook uncovered for 3-4 hours. Strain the stock, pour into a clean pan and boil fiercely to reduce the stock and intensify the flavour.
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