Why might adding some tomato product to a beef stew help make the meat more tender? 

Part 1

 Questions

1. Describe the difference between primary flavor and supporting flavor. Select a favorite recipe and explain the function of each ingredient, indicating which primary flavors are and which are secondary flavors?
2. When Chefs refer to the balance of a dish they are often referring to the elements that compose all of the taste profiles found in the foods we eat.  There are several ingredients that are used to enhance the taste of foods, ingredients that provide both Seasoning and Flavoring. Western cultures refer to the elements of taste as: sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Eastern cultures have added terms such as Umami and Spiciness.  For this discussion, can you recall the last time you experienced a meal that was unbalanced? Please share your experience and suggest ways to better balance the food eaten.

Part 2

Questions on Dry Heat Cooking

1. A cook in your restaurant is roasting several pans of chickens. He thinks they are browning too fast, and he covers the pans with foil to keep the chickens from browning much more. What is wrong with this?
2. You are roasting two beef tenderloins of the same size, one in an oven set at 450°F (230°C), and the other in an oven at 250°F (120°C). You remove both of them from the oven when the temperature at the center is 135°F (57°C). Describe the doneness of each tenderloin from outside to inside.  Which would you prefer to eat and why?

Part 3

Questions:

1. Why might adding some tomato product to a beef stew help make the meat more tender?  Please identify another way to tenderize meat during the cooking process.
2. Arrange the following cooking methods in three groups, depending on whether they are moist-heat methods, dry-heat methods without fat, or dry-heat methods with fat: braising, roasting, deep-frying, sautéing, poaching, steaming, broiling, pressure frying, grilling, simmering, braising or stewing.
3. Choose a favorite food you like to eat and describe the cooking technique that is applied.

– 450 words for each part. No citation, personal ideas.