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posted by mrpg on Sunday September 09 2018, @05:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the if-god-isn't-real-how-come-meat-can-be-cooked? dept.

Submitted via IRC for SoyCow1984

[...] You've just encountered the bane of aspiring pit masters everywhere: the Stall (also known as the Zone or the Plateau), a common phenomenon in low-temperature cooking. What, precisely, causes the stall is a perennial topic of debate among BBQ enthusiasts. Is it a protein called collagen in the meat, which combines with water to convert to gelatin at the 160°F point? Or is it due to the fat rendering, turning lipids to liquid?

Several years ago, Greg Blonder, a Boston College professor, did the experiments and came up with a definitive answer: evaporative cooling. The meat sweats as it cooks, releasing the moisture within, and that moisture evaporates and cools the meat, effectively canceling out the heat from the BBQ. These days, Blonder is the resident science advisor and myth buster at the popular BBQ and grilling site called Amazing Ribs. "I spend a lot of my time settling bar fights, basically," he joked.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/09/let-science-be-your-guide-for-the-perfect-labor-day-bbq/


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by AthanasiusKircher on Sunday September 09 2018, @11:29AM

    by AthanasiusKircher (5291) on Sunday September 09 2018, @11:29AM (#732454) Journal

    I remember reading this guy's experiment post about the "stall" years ago. It's good science and all, though I have to admit being a bit baffled as to why anyone was surprised by the results... Or why anyone would think collagen breakdown or fat rendering would take anywhere near as much energy as evaporative cooling.

    It's pretty well-known when meat begins to release a lot of juice. That's why people target "medium rare" for the juicy result. And as you start going above that temp, more and more juice is released from the fibers, and the meat gradually dries out. It happens in steak (or even more noticably in burgers where juices move more readily -- you know that liquid that pools on the top of a burger until you flip? If you've ever played around with an instant read thermometer and a thick burger as it's cooking, you'll notice temperature shifts due to evaporative cooling on the surface). Why would it be any different in brisket? And evaporation (to anyone who knows anything about phase transitions) takes a huge amount of energy.

    Anyhow, again kudos to the guy for measuring it. But I don't think it was a huge surprise to anyone who understands basic science of cooking.

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