Final answer:
Four back-to-basic cooking methods are roasting, boiling, grilling, and braising.
Step-by-step explanation:
When discussing back-to-basic cooking methods, we often refer to simple, traditional ways of preparing food. Four fundamental cooking techniques that embody this approach include:
- Roasting - Utilizing dry heat in an oven or over an open flame, roasting is excellent for enhancing the flavor of meats and vegetables.
- Boiling - Cooking food by submerging it in water or broth that is at a rolling boil, which is great for pastas, grains, and certain vegetables.
- Grilling - Employing direct heat from below to cook foods, grilling imparts a distinct charred flavor that is hard to replicate with other methods.
- Braising - Involves slow cooking foods with a little bit of liquid in a covered pot, making tough cuts of meat tender and flavorful.
These methods are universally recognized and can be seen throughout different cuisines and cultures. Moreover, they form the foundation upon which more complex culinary techniques are built. Becoming proficient in these fundamental cooking practices allows one to develop their sensibilities in the kitchen as Samin Nosrat suggests, eventually leading to an intuitive and skilled approach to cooking.