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STAVI shares tips for selecting and preparing delicious, nutritious industrial catering meals
Industrial catering has become an essential part of factories, industrial parks, plants, businesses, hospitals, schools and more. This is perhaps what has led to the emergence of a whole wave of industrial catering companies, meeting the demands of tight schedules and looking after the well-being and health of staff and workers. Below, STAVI would like to share with you our experience in selecting ingredients and preparing delicious, nutritious industrial catering meals.
Image: Selecting safe food of clear origin from STAVI
Learn more about STAVI, a provider of industrial catering
Learn about the industrial catering production process at STAVI in detail
Selecting food that meets food safety and hygiene standards
To produce a nutritious industrial catering meal that meets the standard, the first step is to select foods of clear origin that guarantee safety and hygiene. At STAVI, quality control is extremely strict: every food source is thoroughly inspected and is only used if it meets the safety and quality standards.
For meat and fish
Meat and fish are food sources that demand freshness, so these ingredients are almost always purchased daily, and any surplus is properly stored for a limited period in the refrigerator at the prescribed temperature.
When receiving meat, assess its appearance: the outer cut surface should be bright pink and the inside deep red. The skin should be soft, springy when pressed, and fresh pink. Pressing the meat with your finger should leave no dent, and the meat should have no bad smell and should not be slimy.
Image: Fresh meat and fish are the foods in industrial catering meals
For vegetables
Vegetables are another food source that is hard to keep for long and that loses its freshness when stored for many days. Therefore, vegetables and fruit must also be purchased fresh every day to ensure the freshness and nutrition of industrial catering meals.
When selecting vegetables and fruit, take care not to use produce with scratched, overripe or bruised skin or any other abnormal signs.
Image: Fresh green vegetables
For starches
Starch-providing ingredients such as rice, glass noodles, noodles and rice vermicelli should be stored in a dry, airy place on shelves to keep water from seeping in. Avoid high temperatures and direct sunlight, as these can degrade their quality and cause them to lose flavor and nutrient content.
Image: Storing starches effectively
Most staple foods can be stored for about three months if they are kept properly, with intact packaging that is not torn or punctured. You can extend the shelf life of rice and other starches by a few months by storing them in a cold store. However, large quantities of staple foods should not be kept for longer than 6 months.
For seasonings
Cooking seasonings are the decisive factor in the flavor of a dish and make it more appealing. Therefore, when choosing seasonings for your dishes, you should buy from large suppliers to secure both the quantity you need and protection against counterfeit or substandard products that could harm customers' health.
Image: Seasoning is important for every dish
Seasonings should be stored in a cool, airy place away from direct light. Humidity, heat and light can quickly rob them of their characteristic flavor. So although keeping seasonings on the kitchen shelf right in front of you may feel convenient, you should find another place for them, such as in a kitchen cabinet drawer.
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Tips for preparing industrial catering meals
Preliminary food preparation
Preliminary preparation covers cleaning, cutting, marinating, grinding, pounding and so on before ingredients move on to the cooking stage. Whether seafood, meat, fresh vegetables and fruit or dried foods, everything needs to be carefully prepared before any cooking method is applied. You can refer to the following 4 preparation methods:
1. Soaking food
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Soak dried mushrooms, nuts and seeds, dried vegetables and the like in cold water before cooking to soften them as quickly as possible; this also washes away dust and removes impurities left over from the drying process.
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For meat and fish, soaking in water and washing removes blood and reduces unpleasant and fishy odors, giving the meat and fish a fresher color.
2. Washing food
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For fresh vegetables and fruit, check carefully for bruising or rot and wash them thoroughly before peeling. Scrape away any bruised parts and wash once more to ensure the ingredients are completely clean before cooking.
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Livestock and poultry meat needs to be prepared again by carefully removing any remaining feathers or hairs and rubbing with salt to remove odors, then washing thoroughly with water to remove dirt picked up during slaughter and transport.
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Fish and seafood must be washed clean both inside and out; the black membrane inside the belly should be scraped off and the gills cut away.
3. Sanitizing and deodorizing food
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Trim the roots and wilted leaves from fresh vegetables, then wash them with water, treat them with ozone bubbling and so on to remove any harmful residues in the vegetables. Vegetables eaten raw should be soaked in salt water before eating.
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Fish and seafood should be sanitized with white salt, alcohol, or lime or calamansi; if not used right away, they should be kept in the refrigerator.
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Chefs usually remove odors from poultry and livestock meat with cooking wine or fresh ginger, or by blanching in boiling water...
4. Blanching food
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The purpose of blanching is to remove impurities in meat and fish and eliminate unpleasant or fishy odors and any dirt in the ingredients before cooking.
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After blanching, ingredients need to be washed clean of any scum clinging to the food.
For stir-fried dishes
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For stir-fries to be tasty and full of flavor, ingredients should be marinated for at least 30 minutes before cooking, especially meat and fish.
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Vegetables should be washed and tossed with salt to deepen their flavor, then rinsed, cut into pieces or briefly blanched in boiling water depending on the dish. When stir-frying, use high heat and work quickly so the vegetables stay crisp, and avoid covering the pan so that nutrients are not lost.
For stewed dishes
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For stews, to make the dish tastier and sweeter, ingredients should be stewed as soon as they have been prepared. Remove all fat before stewing so the dish is not too greasy, since fat can make a dish cloying and is also not good for the diner's health.
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Use just enough water to cover the meat in the pot so the meat becomes tender and more flavorful. If you prefer a thicker, richer sauce, you can add tapioca starch or cornstarch.
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Ingredients for stewing should be cut into cubes or thick batons so that the pieces of meat stay tastier and do not fall apart when stewed.
For fried dishes
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When frying, fry in small batches so the food cooks evenly golden and tastes better.
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Food should be drained before frying so the oil does not spatter. Fry over low heat so the food cooks evenly without soaking up oil inside.
Image: Delicious yet easy fried dishes
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To check whether the food is cooked, pierce it with a chopstick or skewer; if it still feels tough or red juices run out, it is not done yet.
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In addition, to make fried dishes tastier and richer, season them in advance during ingredient preparation.
For grilled dishes
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Ingredients for grilling should be sliced thin and wide and marinated about 30 minutes in advance so the seasoning soaks in evenly, giving the grilled dish a richer flavor.
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When grilling, brush on a layer of oil so the food stays tender and does not stick to the tray. For meats, leave a little fat but trim off the excess to prevent dripping fat from burning on the grill.
For soups
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Soups are cooked according to the weather and the seasons of the year: in the cold season, hearty vegetable stews, and in the hot season, light, refreshing soups so diners feel cool and enjoy their meal.
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Soups also depend on local and regional preferences, so suitable vegetables should be chosen.
We have shared our tips for cooking delicious, nutritious industrial catering meals. We hope that with the knowledge above you can be even more successful in your work. For any questions, customers can "CONTACT US DIRECTLY" for the fastest answers.
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