A Recipe Guide to Cooking with Steam

Steamer cooking is a wonderful way to prepare all sorts of dishes, from crispy vegetables to crusty bread to savory proteins. Steaming cooks food without adding the unhealthy grease that accompanies many other cooking techniques, appealing to health-conscious customers searching for steamed menu items to keep their calorie counts down. Steam also transfers heat efficiently, without losing significant amounts of energy to the air. Despite its advantages, not every chef is accustomed to cooking with a steamer – and there are hundreds of steamer models to choose from, all with their own features. To help you take advantage of this healthy cooking method and add steamed items to your menu, we've collected a few steamer recipes as well as some advice for cooking different types of food with steam.

The Basics of Steamer Cooking

One of the biggest benefits of steamer cooking is that steam is always the same temperature – 212 degrees Fahrenheit – and will always cook with the same power. That means once you develop a recipe, you don't have to worry too much about whether or not the steamer is set to the right temperature. Instead, you've only got to focus on the total cooking time of most foods.

Steamers require water from some source, whether it's manually added or drawn from the building's water system, so if your steamer doesn't have an automatic water supply, check that the reservoir has sufficient water before starting to cook.

Then you have to prepare the food that's going to be steamed, and this is where it gets trickier. Steamers always provide the same level of heat, but how that same heat cooks food will change depending on the size, shape, and composition of the food. Smaller pieces have more surface area, which means the food will cook faster and more consistently. Chopping up your vegetables and meats will enable steam to cook them more thoroughly than it otherwise could.

How to Steam Vegetables

Steamed vegetable side dishes provide a healthy, crisp, and fresh addition to existing menu items, and establishments that can offer their guests healthy choices have a leg up on those that don't. These are the easiest dishes to prepare in a steamer, and when you add in different combinations and flavorings, your steamed veggies can cover a lot of ground. Here are a few steamer recipes for vegetables to get you started.

Commonly Steamed Vegetables

Asparagus: Steam 5 pounds of asparagus in a 2-inch perforated steam pan for about 8 minutes. After steaming, toss the asparagus in a half-pound of butter and whichever seasonings you like.
Broccoli: Cut into personal servings and steam in a 4-inch perforated pan. Preheat the steamer and cook for about 10 minutes.
Creamed Corn: Mix 48 ounces of creamed corn with 2¹⁄₂ tablespoons of margarine and 4 tablespoons of flour. Steam together for 25 minutes.
Pinto Beans: Quick soak the beans for an hour, then rinse and place them in four 4-inch steam table pans. Cover with broth or water and seasoning (omit salt here to prevent the hulls from hardening, then salt to taste afterwards). Steam the pans of beans for 3 hours.
Winter Blend: Julienne 4 pounds of yellow squash, 2 pounds of carrots, and 4 pounds of zucchini. Place in a 2-inch perforated pan and steam for 8 to 10 minutes. After steaming, toss the vegetables in your choice of oil or butter and seasonings for an easy steamed medley.

When steaming vegetables, the most important step is determining the time needed to cook the veggies thoroughly without breaking them down to mush. The preferred texture for most steamed vegetables is tender with a bit of a crunch, though tougher vegetables might need to be cooked until they're soft all the way through. Times listed above should be used as a starting point for crafting your own menu items. Each steamer might work a little differently, and your own combination of vegetables will change the required cooking times as well.

Recipes courtesy of AccuTemp.

How to Steam Proteins

So, given that we said earlier steam is always at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, how is it possible to safely cook meat with steam? Meats need to reach much higher temperatures than that to be safe for consumption. Steam can safely cook meat, though, because of the amount of heat it can carry, even at 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Steam carries six times as much energy as boiling water, and transfers that energy into whatever cooler surface it touches – in this case, the food you're cooking. The steam then condenses back into water, which can be reheated, bringing more heat energy to the cooking food.

After steaming meat, chefs will often broil, grill, or sear meat to give it an appropriate texture on the outside. Cooking with steam before finishing meats with another method keeps the inside juicy and reduces shrinkage.

Starting Times for Steaming Meats

Chicken Breasts: Steam chicken in 5- to 8-ounce portions for 18 to 20 minutes per pound.
Turkey: Steam a whole turkey for 6 to 8 minutes per pound.
Pork Chops: Steam quarter-pound pork chops for 10 minutes per pound. Thicker cuts will require longer steaming times to get thoroughly done.
Pot Roast: Steam for 8 to 12 minutes per pound of choice roast.
Steaks: Cooking time for steaks varies widely, dependent on the size and density of the cut, as well as the desired doneness. Smaller cuts (4 ounces) can be cooked in as little as 3 minutes, while a 22-ounce T-bone needs 10 minutes. The steaks should be finished with a more direct heat source to give them the appropriate texture and markings.
Salmon Steak: Steam a fresh 8-ounce salmon steak for 6 minutes (7 minutes if frozen).
Red Snapper (8 ounces): Steam red snapper fillet for 4 to 5 minutes, fresh or frozen.
Mussels and Oysters: Start out steaming for 2 minutes, then check every minute until done.
Eggs: 10 to 12 minutes for hard-cooked eggs, 3 minutes for soft cooked, and 6 to 7 minutes for scrambled eggs, depending on the style.

As with the vegetables, these cooking times are intended to be a starting point for you to reference in determining how to steam your own menu items. Chefs must ensure the proteins are cooked thoroughly, so every piece should be checked with a thermometer before serving to guests. Cooking with steam results in a different appearance than other types of cooking, so eyeballing a finished product isn't sufficient.

Recipes courtesy of Cleveland Range.

Cooking Beans, Rice, and Pasta in a Steamer

Steamers can even cook starches such as rice, beans, and pasta with the same heat efficiency they cook everything else with. Foods that need to be submerged or boiled to cook can still be done in a steamer, but should have sufficient water added to the pan to submerge the food. Of course, this means you must use a solid pan to cook these items.

Starting Times for Steaming Starches

Long-grain Rice: Add 4 cups of water per pound of rice and steam for 17 minutes in a solid pan.
Beans: Place 1 pound of beans in 1¹⁄₂ quarts of water. If the beans were presoaked, cook for 45 minutes. If unsoaked, cook for 2¹⁄₂ hours. Both styles need a solid pan.
Macaroni: Place in a 2¹⁄₂-inch perforated pan and use a solid 2¹⁄₂-inch pan as a liner. Cover macaroni with cold water and steam macaroni shells or elbows for 10 to 12 minutes.
Spaghetti: Place in a 2¹⁄₂-inch perforated pan and use a solid 2¹⁄₂-inch pan as a liner. Steam for around 10 minutes.

Recipes courtesy of Cleveland Range.

General Steaming Tips

We've provided you with some suggestions and starting points for adding certain steamed foods to your menu, but that isn't all that's required for using your new steamer. Here are a few more tips that can help you get the most out of your new equipment.

Steam cooks food by touching cold areas and condensing back into water, which passes the heat into the cold area. This means that the easier it is for steam to touch the product, the faster the product will cook.
Steamers are great for rethermalizing foods. Heat precooked meats to 165 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 to 30 minutes and hold them at 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
Perforated pans give steam better access to the food for decreased cooking times.
Shallow pans cook faster than deep pans.
Greater surface area decreases cook time as well. Break up large portions of food to ensure they cook evenly and thoroughly.
If steaming multiple types of food in separate pans, put the vegetables above the meat, as vegetables won't drip grease down while meat will.
Leave your pans uncovered unless your recipe specifies covering them. Covered pans prevent steam from reaching the food.
Place perforated pans beneath solid pans when cooking, as perforated pans will drip.
Remember to wipe out your steamer after using it. This'll prevent calcium buildup, which occurs when water is left to dry instead of being wiped clean.