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

FAQs

What is the science behind cooking food? ›

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.

Molecular gastronomy includes the study of how different cooking temperatures affect eggs, their viscosity, surface tension, and different ways of introducing air into them. Spherification of juices and other liquids is a technique of molecular gastronomy.

The relevance of connective tissue to cooking is that collagen dissolves in hot water, so less tender cuts where connective tissue is well developed benefit from cooking with moisture. In contrast, fibers of elastin are not tenderized by moist heat, and therefore remain tough.

All cooking is scientific in nature, but with baking there is a very specific scientific interplay between ingredients.

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.

Cooking isn't just an art; it's a science. We'll help you understand the physical and chemical processes that make food look, smell, and taste the way it does. Why On Earth Are People Putting Olive Oil in Their Coffee? Does Vodka Sauce Really Need Vodka?

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.

Some of the beef cuts highest in collagen are oxtails and shanks. While these will break down when braised, these smaller cuts are not ideal for pot roast. Other cuts with higher collagen content are chuck roast, brisket and the bottom round.

Fats are crucial to meat texture. Waxy when cold, fats start to melt around 130°F to 140°F, lubricating muscle fibers just as they are getting tougher and drier from the heat. Fat does not evaporate like water when you are cooking.

What temperature breaks down collagen? ›

To keep track of a low and slow cook, you really need a thermometer, and you need a thermometer that you can leave in your food. Collagen dissolution really gets going starting at about 170°F (79°C). But as it takes a long time for those helixes of protein to unwind, it's better to get the temperature a little higher.

We have noted three major characteristics of the scientific method (empirical referent, repeatability, self-correcting). Another important characteristic distinguishes knowledge gained using the scientific method from that gained through our daily experiences. Science is systematic.

Science Fair Central provides a five-step explanation for the scientific method: research, problem, hypothesis, project experimentation, and project conclusion.

Devices like sous vide machines or immersion blenders have democratized gourmet cooking, allowing even amateurs to produce restaurant-quality meals. The world of molecular gastronomy, blending science with culinary art, offers a theatrical dining experience with spherification and foams.