Of the following cooking methods, which uses both dry and moist heat?

The correct choice, braising, involves a combination of both dry and moist heat cooking techniques. This method typically starts with searing the food, often meat, at a high temperature in a small amount of fat, which utilizes dry heat. This initial step helps to develop rich flavors through the Maillard reaction. After searing, a small amount of liquid is added to the pan, and the food is then covered and cooked slowly in the oven or on the stovetop. This phase incorporates moist heat, as the steam generated by the liquid cooks the food gently, allowing it to become tender and absorb the flavors.

In contrast, broiling and sautéing primarily rely on dry heat. Broiling cooks food with direct heat from above, making it a dry method, while sautéing uses a small amount of fat in a pan over direct heat to cook food quickly. Blanching involves briefly boiling food (moist heat) and then plunging it into ice water to stop the cooking process, which does not incorporate a dry heat component. Thus, braising is unique among the options for its effective combination of both cooking methods.