To Know
Victor Stampfer knows something about cooking. At the end of his long book he lists this knowledge clearly and articulately:
Cellulose hydrolysis above 120C
Cooking vegetables to hydrolysis pectin and starch > 85C
Pectin Hydrolysis 85C
Cooking vegetables to hydrolysis (starch only) 85C > > 80C
Starch solubilization and hydrolysis 80C
Myofibrilar proteins and myoglobin alteration (loss of waterholding capacity; color is definitely altered) 68C
Cooking of –
– braized, sauteed, steamed or boiled meats
– roasted white meat
– fish
Sarcoplasmic protein alteration (modification of the perception of color) 62C
Cooking of –
– just cooked fish < 62C
- red, roasted or grilled meats <62C
- rare 56-58C
- medium rare 58-60C
- medium well 60-62C
- well done > 62C
Beginning the destruction of vegetative forms of bacteria 52C (careful of spores!)
Bacterial growth, spore germination < 52C
It is really all you need to know to cook some of the best meals of your life.