One step holds the meat at a low temp (225F in this case), for the temperatures to equilibrate throughout. So, chefs are increasingly turning to a two-step cooking process. Resulting in a thick gray band surrounding a pink center. While its true a roaring flame produces a brown and flavorful crust, the high temperatures also overcook the outermost steak layer while waiting for the inside temperature to catch up with the surface. The best way to cook a steak is to limit the time spent over the highest heat. As a first test, we grilled two 13 oz (395 gm) rib eyes, each 1½" thick. Finally, the coals themselves begin to crack open, dry out, burn and release their own heat.īurning the moisture out of meat is nearly as complex as the mastery of fire. As the temperature rises, gasoline absorbed by the coals diffuse out of the coal "sponge" and burns, but the coals stubbornly refuse to ignite. the drip and loose myowater easily emerges). When you first light the coals, the surface gasoline burns (e.g. ![]() But in general, when the juices are freed, they remain at large.Ī good analogy is to imagine a pile of coals soaked with gasoline. surface tension and capillary sponge effects). burst cells walls, or denaturing of proteins), while others allow for a bit of re-adsorption as the meat cools (e.g. Some of these processes are irreversible (e.g. So the moisture profile is grossly non-uniform.Īt higher temps still, more cells break, enzymes complete their digestion of proteins, and more myoglobin mixes in. Louis rib cooked low and slow might be at the same temperature from bark to bone. In a thick roast cooked at high temperatures, the top 1/8" of the roast might reach 200F or higher and almost desiccate, while the interior is still raw. Which is why a temperature probe inserted in this range appears to have struck an artesian well. This "collagen corset" squeezes on the muscle fibers, wringing out additional liquid- some myowater, some myoglobin from burst cells. Then, around 135-145F, theĬollagen web which holds the muscle fibers together begins to shrink before finally softening into gelatin. As the heat increases, more tightly bound water is freed, but this water must diffuse from the meat's center to the surface to evaporate, which takes time. The first "sweat" occurs with very loosely contained water oozing out through relatively wide channels in the meat. Then there are the massive changes induced with temperature. There are a continuum of forces holding water molecules inside meat- some weak enough to be dislodge with gentle thumb pressure, others requiring the heat of cooking, and still others, near charring flames. But even the concept of "loosely bound juices" is a convenience. Myoglobin is mostly stored within the cells, and not released until the cell walls start to break down (although a bit oozes into the the intercellular spaces, to join with the myowater that is loosely bound). But juice is the surrogate that is most visible on the plate, and the one that invites the most controversy. Others prefer the softer, more relaxed texture of slightly rested meat. Some people enjoy the flavor of a hot steak, particularly the crispy bark that sogs out if rested. Tenderness, which is more a consequence of marbling, enzymatic dissection of muscle proteins, and gelatinizing collagen depends only slightly on juice content 2. Some of the moisture is in the form of myoglobin stored within the cells, while still other water molecules are embedded deep within complex proteins and polymers.Īnd juice is only one measure of a perfect "bite". Some of this moisture is in the form of water chemically and mechanically stored between the cells (myowater). Surprisingly, most meat is around 70% water. Science is reproducibility, but in food science, mere concordance in closer Tenderized, aging, salting, the fat cap, and on and on. The moisture's fate depends on the breed, the feed, how it was slaughtered, whether the meat was frozen or injected or mechanically ![]() Unlike a rose, a meat is not a meat is not a meat. ![]() Certainly, the cutting board is often a "bloody 1 mess" after slicing- wouldn't it be nice if a simple "time-out" was the solution?īut how much liquid actually oozes out, and why? Even a review of the scientific literature reveals there is no broad consensus on the details. Supposedly, this five, or ten, or twenty minute "nap" allows the meat to reabsorb juices that might otherwise ooze out and be wasted. A mid-day rest is said to relax the mind, allowing one to absorb new concepts and more easily retain memories.īut is resting as important for meat, as it is for your mind?Īccording to conventional wisdom, after grilling a steak or baking a roast, we are sternly admonished to "let it rest" under a foil tent.
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