Science of Cooking: Ask the Inquisitive Cooks! (2024)

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" Why does the meat I cook in liquid taste dry? "

Help! I’m trying to find out why my roasts cooked in the Crock-Pot are tender but have a dry taste to them. I cook them in plenty of liquid, usually beef broth, consommé, or water, and add onion soup mix and veggies. What could my problem be?

Alice
Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Hello Alice,

It sounds odd, but meat can become dry even when it’s cooked in moisture. The most likely cause of this is overcooking. As meat cooks, its muscle fibers shorten in both length and width and eventually squeeze out the juices they normally hold. As you can imagine, this leaves meat dry, and often stringy in texture.

To avoid this problem, choose less-tender cuts of meat. Roasts such as cross rib, shoulder, brisket, blade, or short rib are good choices: These cuts benefit from cooking in moist heat. Be careful not to cook the roast too long. Test for doneness using a meat thermometer near the end of the cooking time. At 160ºF (71ºC), a roast will be cooked to medium. At this temperature, some of the tougher connective tissue breaks down to gelatin, which helps “lubricate” the meat.

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The timing will take some trial and error on your part, but eventually you’ll get tasty (and moist) results. Another tip is to make sure the liquid doesn’t boil. Cook at a very gentle simmer so that the liquid breaks lazily on the surface. The temperature of the surrounding liquid should be about 180ºF (82ºC). Meat that cooks at too high a temperature, even if it’s in liquid, can still become tough and dry.

Many thanks for your good question.
Anne & Sue

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FAQs

What is the scientific approach to cooking? ›

Molecular gastronomy is the scientific approach of cuisine from primarily the perspective of chemistry.

What are the scientific principles of cooking? ›

Let's take a closer look at a few reactions between heat and food and discover the scientific principles behind some of our favorite dishes.
  • Maillard Reaction: The Browning Magic. ...
  • Protein Denaturation: Changing Structures. ...
  • Gelatinization: The Science of Starch. ...
  • Caramelization: Sugars at Work. ...
  • Cooking Oil and Heat Transfer.
Oct 6, 2023

Is cooking chemistry or physics? ›

For example, the art of cooking itself is chemistry; we use various processes, including heating up and freezing food, adding spices to your favorite dish, browning bread, and more. Chemistry is an essential component in the kitchen.

What is the basic science behind cooking? ›

The role of heat, acid, and enzymes in cooking

Heat and enzymes: Heat breaks down enzymes such as proteins. This is called denaturing, and it's why egg whites turn solid and white when you cook them. Without this reaction, many foods wouldn't have their distinctive "bite" when you eat them.

What is the science of cooking called? ›

molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking. The name is sometimes mistakenly given to the application of scientific knowledge to the creation of new dishes and culinary techniques.

What is the best question to ask a chef? ›

Chef Interview Questions to Assess Background and Skill Level
  • Tell me about any formal training you've received.
  • Do you have any relevant industry certifications?
  • Where did you receive the most hands-on training?
  • Have you ever been responsible for creating or updating menus?

Is cooking an exact science? ›

Cooking is flexible, while baking is precise

And while all cooking is scientific, it's true that baking relies on pure scientific precision to create a great dish.

Is cooking an art or science? ›

Culinary Arts: A blend of Art & Science. Culinary art is both an art and a science. It requires more than just knowledge of the food being prepared and the methods of preparation. It involves what flora & fauna gives us in the form of ingredients.

What is the science behind food? ›

Food Science is a multi-disciplinary field involving chemistry, biochemistry, nutrition, microbiology and engineering to give one the scientific knowledge to solve real problems associated with the many facets of the food system.

Can cooking be a scientific method? ›

If a cook draws on the scientific knowledge of an expert for guidance, there may be a scientific mindset in their cooking. There is also a parallel between the order of scientific method and that of culinary method, both of which are focused on producing results.

What is the science of cooking techniques? ›

Convection
  • Convection can be as simple as stirring a pot on the stove.
  • Hot air in an oven creates movement either through a natural or a fan-forced process.
  • Boiling, simmering, or steaming creates movement through the heating and condensation of water.
  • Deep-frying in oil is a convection process similar to boiling water.

What is scientific method in food? ›

Nutritional scientists discover the health effects of food and its nutrients by first making an observation. Once observations are made, they come up with a hypothesis, test their hypothesis, and then interpret the results.

What is the scientific definition of cooked? ›

In scientific terms, cooking is transferring energy from a heat source to the food. It is as much about the ways ​heat changes the food as it is about the heat itself.

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