How cooking actually works

The science behind your cooking:

When you cook meat, it transforms from a raw, often reddish or pink state to a rich, brown hue.
This color change is a results from complex chemical reactions that also enhance the flavor, and aroma of the meat. The primary mechanism responsible for this browning is known as the Maillard reaction, a chemical process involving the interaction of amino acids and sugars.
The Maillard Reaction:

The Maillard reaction occurs when the meat is heated, typically at temperatures above 140°C
(284°F). It is named after the French chemist Louis-Camille Maillard

1.Initial Reaction: The amino group (–NH2) from amino acids or proteins reacts with the
carbonyl group (C=O) of reducing sugars, forming N-substituted glycosylamine.

2. Amadori Rearrangement: The N-substituted glycosylamine undergoes a rearrangement
known as the Amadori rearrangement, producing a compound called an Amadori product (1-
amino-1-deoxy-2-ketose). This intermediate is crucial for the subsequent stages of the Maillard reaction.

3. Complex Reactions and Brown Pigments: The Amadori products then partially degrade
though dehydration, fragmentation, or grow through polymerization. These processes lead to the formation of a diverse array of molecules, including melanoidins, which are large, browncolored polymers that contribute to the characteristic brown color of cooked meat.
While the Maillard reaction is the primary driver of meat browning, other factors also play a role:

Myoglobin, the protein responsible for the red color in raw meat, denatures and changes color as it is exposed to heat.

Fat in the meat can oxidize during cooking, contributing to both browning and flavor
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