(WineMag) - Braising, simmering, roasting, grilling. Learn how four different heat sources and techniques turn the same ingredient into a variety of different dishes.

Consider chicken. The same bird, depending on little more than the method in which it’s cooked, can make very different dishes: crispy roast chicken, char-grilled chicken, wine-braised chicken or a perhaps a long-simmered chicken soup.

The flavors and textures resulting from each cooking technique vary—as do the wines that best pair with the final dish. A crisp steel-fermented Chardonnay, for example, is great with chicken soup, while grilled chicken might call for a savory Pinot Noir that has seen some oak to match the charred flavors.

No cooking method is intrinsically “better,” and an understanding of cooking methods is a key to become a better cook and a more appreciative eater. To get you started, here are four popular techniques and how they affect your food. Get cooking.