Combined or Mixed Cooking Methods

A culinary technique tutorial covering combined or mixed cooking methods, where food is first seared dry then finished with liquid to create a sauce through osmosis. Demonstrates ragú and braising using veal with vegetables, pisco flambé, and Asian-influenced broth.

10m Prep

20m Cook

30m Total

2 Servings

technique veal mixed-cooking ragu braise chifa wok flambé pisco culinary-education streetfood

Ingredients

liquid

veal stock (fond)
pisco (or other distillate for flambé)
cooking oil

protein

veal (small pieces) (cut into small pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper)

sauce

oyster sauce

spice

salt
black pepper

vegetables

bell pepper (cut into batons (bastones))
onion (cut into wedges (gajos))
snap peas (colantao) (julienne)
broccoli (cut into florets)

Steps

1

Season the veal pieces with salt and pepper. Heat a generous amount of oil in a wok over high heat until smoking.

Tip: Use clean oil and make sure the wok is very hot before adding the meat.

~3 min
2

Add the veal to the hot wok and fry over high heat to achieve a good sear (pardeamiento). Do not move it immediately — let it brown.

Tip: The goal is a browned exterior that will release juices when the vegetables and liquid are added.

~4 min
3

Drain off excess oil, leaving just a small amount in the wok. Return the veal and continue sautéing to deepen the sear.

~3 min
4

Add the broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and snap peas to the wok. Sauté everything together briefly.

~2 min
5

Add pisco (or chosen distillate) and flambé — ignite to burn off the alcohol and add aroma.

Tip: Pisco is the Peruvian choice, but any distillate works.

~1 min
6

Add the veal stock mixed with oyster sauce (the mojamiento). This finishes the dish with moist heat, creating a sauce through osmosis as the meat and vegetable flavors exchange.

Tip: The liquid should be just enough to create a sauce — not too much.

~3 min
7

Turn off the heat and serve. The dish yields a byproduct — a rich sauce — perfect to accompany rice or to dip bread.

~1 min

Cultural Context

Combined cooking methods (cocciones mixtas) are a cornerstone of both international and Peruvian cuisine, encompassing classic techniques like ragú and braising. Victor Heredia demonstrates the ragú technique using a wok in the chifa style, blending Peruvian pisco flambé with Asian-influenced broth — a fusion emblematic of Peru's chifa culinary tradition. The technique produces a rich sauce through osmosis, a hallmark of dishes like seco de ternera and fricasé.