Simmering: Watch the gentle cooking and texture cues in each dish. Examples include Tea eggs, Boiled corn, Millet congee. Open a full recipe for ingredients and the complete method.
Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low and maintain gentle bubbling. At the check point, look for tea-colored cracks and keep the eggs hot throughout. Simmer further if desired, then turn off the heat and remove them. Do not leave them soaking at room temperature for an extended period. Start a 15 min check-in after the tea returns to a boil and you reduce the heat.
The liquid bubbles gently and the cracked shells show tea-colored lines.
Reduce to a gentle simmer and leave the lid slightly ajar. At the check point, lift the corn with tongs and test a kernel for tenderness. Continue cooking firmer varieties as needed. Start a 15 min check-in after the water boils and you reduce the heat.
The kernels are tender with no hard raw center.
Reduce to a gentle simmer with the lid ajar. Stir occasionally and check that the grains are tender and the porridge has the desired consistency; continue if needed. Start a 15 min check-in when you reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
The grains are tender with no hard centers and the liquid has thickened slightly.
Maintain gentle bubbling and stir occasionally so the seaweed heats evenly. Start a 3 min check-in when the soup returns to a simmer after adding the seaweed.
The seaweed is soft and the broth has returned to a simmer.
Use the porridge program specified in the cooker manual and keep the steam vent clear. Do not substitute a rice program that boils dry or cover the steam vent with a towel.
A suitable porridge program is running with an unobstructed steam vent.
Set a 1 hr reminder from program start, while following the appliance instructions. When it is safe to open, keep clear of steam and check for soft grains with no hard centers. Continue an appropriate porridge cycle if needed.
The grains have no hard centers, the fruit is tender and the porridge still flows.
Heat the cooked minced pork with the broth in a small pan, stirring until hot throughout. Reheated chilled cooked food should reach 74°C in the center. Keep hot while finishing the noodles.
The minced pork and broth are hot through with no cold clumps.
Add the fried ribs, vinegar, both soy sauces, oyster sauce, bouillon, ketchup and five-spice. Toss and add hot water to just cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and set a 5 min first check. Continue until cooked through and as tender as desired; do not reduce dry just because the alarm rings.
The ribs remain surrounded by liquid and are cooked through; larger pieces may need longer.
Maintain gentle bubbling over medium-low heat and turn the wings occasionally. Check the thickest meat with a thermometer away from bone and continue until it reaches 74°C. If liquid runs low before the meat cooks, add a little hot water and continue.
The thickest meat reaches 74°C and is cooked through.
Bring to a steady bubble and start a 10 min first check. Add dark soy and continue until a skewer easily passes through the center; add a little hot water if needed. The timer cannot replace the tenderness check.
Melon centers are tender and some sauce remains.
Add fried eggplant, soy sauce and braising salt, then carefully pour in braising water around the pan edge. Bring to a boil and simmer, turning gently to prevent sticking, until centers are tender, batter has no raw dough and the egg-containing dish reaches 71°C in the center. Reduce as needed until the sauce coats.
Eggplant centers are tender with no raw batter, center reaches 71°C, and sauce is thick but flowing.
When boiling resumes, reduce to a steady simmer and start a 20 min first check. Lift out a pod with tongs, cool briefly and open it to check that beans are tender without a hard center. Continue if needed, keeping water in the pot.
Beans are tender without hard centers and the pot has not boiled dry.
Add rice cakes, pork, remaining soy sauce and the measured water. Fold gently. Once bubbling, cover over medium heat and set a 2 min check. Uncover, turn and check the centers; add a small splash of hot water and continue if firm. Do not scrape a dry pan. Follow longer package cooking requirements.
Rice cakes are hot and flexible with no firm core; a thin layer of liquid remains.
Cover and keep the sauce bubbling steadily with a 5 min check. If it smells scorched or nears dryness, lower the heat and add a little hot water immediately rather than waiting for the alarm.
Steam softens the noodles without scorching the base.
Pour the reserved sauce evenly over the noodles, cover and set a 3 min check. Continue until noodles have no hard centers and the thickest pork reaches 63°C. Add a little hot water and continue if noodles remain firm; the beans must be fully cooked.
The noodles are cooked, pork reaches 63°C and beans are fully cooked.
Fold in fermented rice and optional goji berries. When gentle bubbling returns, set a 2 min check and heat through. Add a little hot water if too thick without breaking the balls.
The fermented rice is dispersed and the soup is hot throughout.
Use medium-low heat to scent the remaining oil with scallion whites and minced garlic without browning them. Add tomato and pepper, cook until tomato releases juice, then mix in soy and optional sugar. Add water just to cover the tomato; bring to a boil, add cooked egg and oyster sauce, and simmer until tomato is soft, pepper loses its raw crunch and the sauce thickens slightly. Taste before optional salt.
Tomato is juicy and soft, pepper cooked and softened, egg curds intact and sauce slightly thickened.
Maintain gentle bubbling and set a 1 hr check. Stir across the base regularly and watch the liquid, adding a little hot water if it runs low. Check for tender skin and meat when the alarm sounds and continue if needed; do not leave the stove unattended for long periods.
The skin is soft, meat tender and enough braising liquid remains.
Toss with salt, carefully add the measured pan water along the side and cover. Once steady steam appears, set a 1 min check. Continue if stems are too firm, keeping a little liquid at the base.
A fork enters the stems readily while the florets stay intact.
Add cabbage, luncheon meat and optional enoki, adjusting water to just cover the gently packed leaves. Add a little oyster sauce, sugar and MSG. Once boiling, set a 3 min first check; continue until stems are tender and any enoki is thoroughly cooked and steaming hot throughout.
Cabbage stems are translucent, leaves are wilted and any mushroom clusters are loosened.
Add the remaining oil. If using tomato, soften it first, then add zucchini and salt. Toss, reduce heat and set a 4 min check, stirring occasionally and continuing if slices remain firm.
Zucchini edges are translucent and the slices are soft with a little released juice.
Add water to just cover pork and stems, then stir in bouillon and spice powder. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer and set a 20 min check, topping up with a little hot water if needed.
Pork and cabbage stems gently bubble in broth as stems become translucent.
Drain and shorten noodles with kitchen shears. Mix cabbage leaves into the pot, add noodles and press into the broth. Cover and set a 5 min check. Continue until noodles have no hard centers, stems are tender and the thickest pork slice reaches 63°C.
Noodles are translucent and supple, leaves wilted and the broth still fluid.
Toss in Chinese leek until the edges soften, add the sauce and mix. Cover and set a 2 min check. If the base nears dryness before chicken is cooked, lower heat and add a little hot water.
Leek begins to soften and chicken is coated in sauce with a little liquid at the base.
Toss in leek whites, then add remaining infusion and enough extra water for a shallow layer. Cover over medium-low and set a 2 min check. Continue until the thickest chicken cube reaches 74°C, adding a little water if needed.
Leek whites are slightly softened and chicken coated in a little fluid sauce.
Add the whole spices, bring to a boil, cover and maintain a gentle simmer with a 2 hr check. Watch the liquid level. Add radish only when the beef begins to soften; continue braising first if still very tough.
Beef gently bubbles in dark broth and begins to soften.
Add radish and a little hot water if needed. When simmering resumes, set a 30 min check. Finish when radish yields easily, beef is tender and the thickest meat reaches at least 63°C. Remove whole spices with tongs.
Radish edges are translucent and sauce-colored, and beef is tender without falling apart.
Bring to a boil, cover and maintain a gentle medium-low simmer with a 8 min first check. Probe the thickest wing meat away from bone to 74°C. Continue braising if needed, adding a little hot water when necessary.
Wing meat is plump and evenly colored with braising liquid remaining.
Coat with light soy, dark soy and remaining wine, then carefully add boiling water to just cover. Add remaining ginger, bay and star anise, bring to a boil, cover and simmer gently with a 40 min check, watching the liquid level.
Pork gently bubbles in reddish-brown liquid with evenly colored surfaces.
Add optional cooked quail eggs and tofu skin and turn gently. Whether using them or not, continue covered simmering with a 40 min check. Keep cooking until the meat yields easily, topping up with hot water if needed.
Pork is tender but holds its shape, with optional eggs and tofu skin colored by the sauce.
Add water to just cover chicken, then mushrooms, white pepper, optional potato and a little salt. Bring to a boil, cover over medium-low and set a 20 min check. Continue until thickest chicken reaches 74°C and any potato is tender, topping up with a little water if needed.
Chicken and mushrooms sit in a concentrated broth and any potato edges are softened.
Transfer beef to a braising pot, cover with fresh water and add remaining unused seasonings except salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and start a 1 hr 30 min check. Inspect water about every 30 minutes and carefully top up with hot water before meat is exposed.
A gentle simmer continues with enough liquid around the beef.
Add salt and continue simmering with a 1 hr 30 min check, inspecting liquid regularly. Beef should be easily pierced; verify at least 63°C in its center. Continue cooking if not tender.
Beef is tender but intact and its center reaches at least 63°C.
Slice ginger and divide scallions and whole peppercorns equally. Without rinsing raw poultry, put chicken in a pot with ginger and half the scallions and peppercorns; cover with water. Boil, skim and simmer with a 20 min check. Remove only when thickest meat away from bone reaches 74°C.
Chicken center reaches 74°C before removal; time alone is insufficient.
Gently add tofu, remaining salt and soy, and hot water around the edge to cover. Boil, then gently simmer over medium heat with a 10 min check, nudging to prevent sticking. Verify 71°C in the minced-meat dish and hot tofu centers before reducing to a little flowing sauce.
Tofu is hot through and intact, minced-meat dish reaches 71°C, and some flowing sauce remains.
Add both soy sauces and the listed cooking water. Bring to a boil, add softened vermicelli and gently separate. Reduce to medium-low and start a 5 min check, adding a little hot water if needed.
Noodles are separated in sauce without sticking.
Leave a thin oil coating, cook scallion whites, ginger and garlic until fragrant, then stir-fry mushrooms. Return chicken and add strained soaking water, sugar and remaining two-thirds of the light soy. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium and start a 2 min first check; add a little hot water if liquid runs low.
Chicken and mushrooms sit in gently bubbling sauce without boiling dry.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover, opening as needed to check. Inspect the thickest prawn inside and remove only when flesh is pearly white and opaque. If liquid runs low first, add a little hot water rather than obeying a no-opening/no-top-up rule.
Thickest prawn flesh is pearly white and opaque.
Briefly take the pan off heat and carefully add a little wine, then vinegar, sugar, dark soy and water to just cover the fish. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, cover and start a 1 min first turning check; turn carefully and continue simmering.
Fish simmers gently and stays intact when turned.
Add drained grains and lotus and stir. Start a 1 hr check when gentle bubbling resumes. Simmer, stirring the bottom occasionally and adding a little hot water if needed.
Grains begin to open, lotus softens and porridge still flows.
Check dates and longan are shelled and pitted, rinse and cut smaller, then add with sugar. Simmer with a 1 hr check until beans, lotus and grains have no hard centers, continuing with more water if needed.
All grains and beans are fully tender; porridge is thick but flowing.
Simmer, stirring the bottom occasionally, until grains are very soft with no hard centers. Add a little hot water if liquid runs low before the rice softens; do not automatically stop according to a water-volume time formula.
Grains are very soft and porridge has a flowing consistency.
Confirm ingredients stay below the porridge fill line and use a manufacturer-supported porridge program suitable for raw meat additions. Never leave raw pork overnight on a delayed start or treat keep-warm as cooking.
A suitable porridge program runs with the steam vent clear.
Tear fungus smaller and put it in a pot with lotus, dates and listed cooking water. Boil, reduce to low, leave the lid ajar and start a 1 hr check, stirring the bottom and topping up hot water as needed.
Fungus softens and lotus centers begin tenderizing without boiling dry.
Add half the rock sugar and any rinsed goji berries. Continue over low heat with a 30 min check, moving on only when fungus is soft and lotus has no hard center. Cook longer if needed.
Fungus is soft and slippery and lotus has no hard center.
Add corn and black pepper, reduce to low, cover loosely and start a 20 min check. Inspect liquid and top up with hot water if low rather than boiling dry.
Corn cooks in gently bubbling broth with enough liquid.
Add carrot and start a 40 min check when gentle simmering resumes. Continue until rib meat and carrot are easily pierced, verifying at least 63°C in thickest meat away from bone; simmer longer if not tender.
Ribs and carrot are tender and meat center meets its temperature target.
Add listed soup water and all vegetables. Boil, reduce to low, cover loosely and start a 40 min check, topping up hot water as needed. Probe thickest rib meat away from bone for at least 63°C and check yam and carrot are easily pierced; continue if needed.
Meat center meets its target, vegetables are tender and broth remains.
Bring the listed soup water and ribs to a boil, add bitter melon and dried shrimp, then maintain gentle bubbling with the lid ajar to prevent overflow.
The soup bubbles gently with dispersed bitter melon and shrimp.
Set a 2 hr first check when heat is lowered. Inspect the liquid regularly and add hot water to prevent drying. The meat should separate easily from bone and reach at least 63°C in its thickest part; continue if not yet tender.
The ribs are cooked and tender with sufficient broth remaining.
Put chicken, ginger, yam and chestnuts in a clean pot, just cover with water, bring to a boil and reduce to gentle bubbling. Set a 30 min first check and watch the liquid. The thickest chicken must ultimately reach 74°C.
Chicken is cooking, yam and chestnuts softening and broth remains.
Stir pumpkin puree into the broth and add pitted dates. Set a 10 min check once gentle bubbling resumes and stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Confirm chicken reaches 74°C and yam and chestnut centers are tender, then season with salt.
Chicken reaches 74°C, yam and chestnuts are tender and pumpkin is evenly mixed into the broth.
Gently heat over low heat, adding a little hot water if the pan dries. Refrigerated cooked jelly should reach 74°C throughout; a brief toss alone is insufficient. Once a thin sauce coats the cubes, taste and add optional salt only if needed.
The jelly reaches 74°C through the center with a thin coating of sauce.
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