2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
When we cook, we all often use culinary advice and skills passed down to us by our grandmothers and mothers, and we take for granted what we hear or see in culinary shows.
Yes, many of the things learned in this way are valuable, practical and good, but now we will understand that in certain cases this is not the case and it turns out that we have been mistaken for a long time.
Recently, the journal New Scientist, whose subject is serious science and innovation in this field, debunks some of our most sustainable culinary beliefs and principles. The truth is that they have no scientific basis, and we follow them only because someone said so.
You judge for yourself.
Myth 1: Do not fry in olive oil
Even people who have no idea about cooking know it. It is believed that the fat molecules of this type of fat burn at a lower temperature than those of other vegetable oils and then produce aldehydes and other chemical compounds that can be toxic and dangerous to our health, and also give an unpleasant taste. of food.
Yes, however, numerous studies have shown that olive oil, both ordinary and extra virgin, are stable and persist without breaking down such substances even at high temperatures. Even when burned, they release far fewer chemicals than other popular vegetable fats. This is due to the fact that olive oil is much more resistant to oxidation than others.
Martin Grotveld, a professor at the University of Montfort, recommends olive oil for cooking and frying.
Personally, for many years in Spain, I have watched the mass cooking and frying mainly with olive oil, and it is well known that the Spanish population is one of the leading places in life expectancy.
Myth 2: Boil the pasta in a large bowl with plenty of water with a little fat so it doesn't stick
This is a recommendation even to very great Italian chefs, and also appears as an indication of some of the pasta packages themselves. In a larger vessel, the water will return to the boiling point faster after adding the paste, they say - and when there is more water, it will not stick.
This is not so. It has been shown that regardless of the size of the vessel and the amount of water and paste, the boiling point returns almost at the same time.
The truth is that in order not to stick the paste you prepare, all you have to do is stir for the first 60 seconds of putting in the water. Only during this one minute can sticking occur, because then the almidon / starch granules on the surface explode.
It is also a myth that if we put oil or any fat in the water, it will prevent sticking. This cannot happen because the oil is quickly lost in so much water. So save the fat to spray the pasta after it is cooked, so it will certainly have a greater effect (if you serve it separately from the sauce, of course).
Myth 3: Meat must first be sealed over high heat to preserve its juices
I will admit that I was shocked here and felt great resistance. We are used to sealing the stack before throwing it in the oven. But if we cook two identical pieces of meat and seal one and put it in the oven, and with the other we do the opposite - first in the oven and finally in the tanning pan, we will see that there is no difference in the juiciness.
In order for the steak or any kind of meat to be juicy, the condition is simply to let it rest for a few minutes before cutting it. Thus, the muscle fibers relax and at the same time expand, retaining the juices of the meat.
The good thing about sealing is that it helps the flavors to expand and become more intense.
Another tip to have a juicy steak or steak on your table - add salt at the end, because salt, as we know, extracts liquids from food.
Myth 4: Marinate the meat to make it taste better
And as we have talked about meat, let us pay attention to the belief and the widespread practice of marinating meat sometimes for hours and days in order to flavor and make it more tender.
For people who do not have much time and patience for these procedures, there is good news: Only salt, the smallest molecules of sugar and some acids can penetrate into the meat only up to 2-3 millimeters. So this process, in which we invent different marinades, combining spices, is totally meaningless.
The marinade stays on the surface no matter how many hours you keep it.
We are not talking here about those in industrial conditions, in which they manage to soften or flavor the place with the help of chemicals. Then it even loses its authentic taste and it doesn't matter if we eat chicken, pork or beef - everything looks the same.
To marinate meat for hours or days only makes sense if we use one with a hard shell (from ripening, for example) and let it mature. Thus, with a suitable combination of acids, the crust will soften and it will not decompose as long as it continues to mature inside.
Myth 5: So that your onions don't get hot, soak the peeled heads in water
Scientific research has shown that most of the chemical compounds that cause our tears are released only after cutting, chopping. Do not look for tricks that will save you the unpleasant fury, because there are no really effective ones.
The truth is that the more practice you have in cutting onions, the more you build immunity against these chemicals and every time you will be affected less and less. You just have to persevere until you reach this point.
Myth 6: Plastic cutting boards are the better option than wooden ones for hygienic reasons
And this can be said to be a myth, because scientists warn that bacteria such as salmonella and e-cars can live on plastic surfaces, while on wooden - no.
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