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

Still have more questions? You'll find more answers in our archived monthly feature articles by the Inquisitive Cooks.

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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 basic science behind cooking? ›

Conduction: direct contact with a heat source, such as in a cooking pan. This is generally directional, and it helps you sauté scallops or sear steak, for example. Convection: heat transfer via air or water. This happens in an oven and is more even in nature, meaning your roast beef gets warmed all the way around.

What is the scientific approach to cooking? ›

Science is an important and constant element in the culinary process. Foods are scaled proportionately, and combined in a certain order, to achieve desired outcomes. Chemical reactions occur in cooking through manipulation or emulsification. The control of heat and cold maximizes food quality and safety.

What is the science of cooking called? ›

molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking.

What are the scientific principles of cooking? ›

​​Exploring the Science of Cooking: How Heat Affects Food
  • 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

What is the psychology behind cooking? ›

One of the primary psychological benefits of cooking is its ability to alleviate stress and promote relaxation. Engaging in the process of preparing a meal allows individuals to shift their focus away from the pressures of daily life and immerse themselves in a sensory-rich, hands-on experience.

What is the first principle of cooking? ›

It's a way of thinking, an ability to see that everything you do from the moment you step into the kitchen to the last dish you dry is part of a single, simple process. You realize that the “perfect” way to prepare any dish is whatever happens to work with you and your meal.

What is the hypothesis of cooking? ›

The cooking hypothesis starts with the claim that unlike other animals, hom*o sapiens has evolved an obligation to include cooked food in the diet such that we cannot live without it.

How is cooking a form of therapy? ›

Cooking has long been considered a therapy that may offer many physical and mental health benefits of creating a meal. One systematic review found that cooking interventions, such as community-based cooking classes, can improve mood, social isolation, and symptoms of depression.

What is the scientific reason for cooking? ›

Food may be contaminated with harmful microbes that can cause disease. The high temperatures involved in cooking kill these microbes. Cooking also makes foodeasier to digest. It can improve thefood's appearance, texture and flavour, too.

Is cooking a chemistry or physics? ›

Any cooking you do involves chemistry. The use of heat, cold, and cutting changes the composition of foods.

What is the word for studying cooking? ›

Culinary arts are the cuisine arts of food preparation, cooking, and presentation of food, usually in the form of meals.

Is cooking a science or math? ›

While cooks and chefs don't need science or math degrees, they do need a working knowledge of the principles of numbers, chemistry, and biology.

What are the 5 elements philosophy cooking? ›

The "Five Elements" Theory of Chinese Cooking
  • The Theory.
  • In Chinese Cuisine.
  • Red/Fire/Heart Food.
  • Green/Wood/Liver Food.
  • Yellow/Earth/Spleen Food.
  • White/Metal/Lung Food.
  • Black/Water/Kidney Food.
  • Not a Prescription Diet.
Jan 29, 2020

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.

Is cooking an art or science? ›

Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or safe.

What is the science of cooking food? ›

The Science of Cooking shows you how by bringing food science out of the lab and into your kitchen, providing you with all the scientific information you need to take your home cooking to a whole new, more nutritious level!

What is the science behind food science? ›

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.

What are the basic concepts of cooking? ›

It explains that cooking uses heat to improve food's appearance, taste, and make it digestible while killing harmful bacteria. Heat transfer occurs through conduction, convection, and radiation. The two main cooking methods are dry heat and moist heat. Learning to cook improves life skills and health.

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