It'sFoodTime!

Chemistry in the Kitchen

There’s a lot happening on the food front, with equipment and ingredients evolving in directions that aren’t obvious to those of us who cook at home.  I’ve talked before about the unusual approaches being used by Charlie Trotter, Wylie Dufresne, Grant Achatz, Thomas Keller, Joel Rubuchon and others to create dishes that are completely different from any you might have experienced.  As usual, I’ve become hooked on the topic and am deep in research mode as I learn about the equipment, techniques and chemicals that are part of these innovative chef’s arsenals.  In particular, I’m embarked on a project to not only learn more about the methods that the master chefs are using, but to actually use the same equipment and techniques in the home kitchen!  Watch for future blogs that survey new equipment and the use of food-safe chemicals to create unusual textures and flavors.  With some luck, I’ll be able to surprise my unsuspecting family and friends with some amazing food!

Salt, Part 8: To Serve Man

The ability of salt to cause water to move across cellular boundaries is at the core of salt cures and other forms of preservation using salt. Salted meats, whether fish, meat or fowl are cured by applying lots of salt to the entire surface area of the raw meat. The salt penetrates the cellular barriers of the meat, drawing moisture out of the meat and allowing the salt in. Eventually, the surface area of the meat is too dry to support the growth of bacteria, and this outer, dry layer inhibits the penetration of additional bacteria into the meat. Voila, a salt cured meat that can be packed in barrels, and put on a ship that is heading to the New World!

We can use this ‘curing’ characteristic of salt in our every day cooking of meats. Marinating meat with a salt enriched marinade, or even better, soaking the meat for some period of time in a brine of salt water (and sugar, to help browning and add some flavor) has an amazing impact on how juicy and flavorful meat prepares. The salt in the brine works two ways. First, by the process of osmosis, salt laden water penetrates into the surface of the meat, eventually increasing the overall moisture content of the meat. Secondly, salt causes the proteins in the meat to ‘denature’, which means the proteins change from being tightly curled up, to being loosely arranged, random shapes. This denaturing of the proteins opens up the path for even more moisture, as well as other flavoring elements included in the brine or marinade, to penetrate deeply into the meat. The importance of brining meat before preparing can’t be understated. Even shrimp benefits from a short brining period. Chicken and pork transform from often dry, tricky to make dishes, to juicy and flavorful main dishes. For beef, where brining isn’t usually necessary to get a juicy result, it is still important to sprinkle some salt on both sides of the meat before cooking in order to begin to draw out some of the surface juices, which contribute greatly to a deep brown, flavorful sear.

– Chris

Salt, Part 7: Doctor Salt

The concentration of electrolytes in our system must be precisely maintained in order for our bodies to work.  Sodium, along with potassium, are two of the most important electrolytes in our body, so not surprisingly our bodies have quite a few processes in place to ensure we always have the right electrolytic balance.  If our bodies have an excess of salt, we feel thirsty and consume more liquids.  The kidneys get the job of deciding how much of the water we drink should be retained and how much should be shed in order to maintain electrolytic balance.  If we consume a lot of salt, a significant amount of water can be retained.  Some of this retained fluid moves across the cellular boundary and causes puffy looking skin and hard to remove jewelry.  Want to lose some weight fast?  Cut back on the salt and start shedding excess water! At 6 pounds per gallon, this could get you down to fighting weight in less than no time!  This is a favorite trick of the “wonder weight loss diets”.  Fast results by cutting out salt, without actually losing any fat.

There is some debate over how much effect salt actually has on blood pressure, but one side effect of water retention triggered by excess salt is an increase in the volume of plasma in the blood stream, with a resultant increase in blood pressure.  Over a sustained period of time, this can cause all sorts of problems.  Interestingly, drinking very large amounts of water and eating no salt can cause your body to force sodium out of the cells and into the blood stream where it is removed by the kidneys.  Eventually you die.  Conversely, consuming large amounts of salt relative to the amount of water, like drinking seawater for example, causes the body to force water out of the cells and let sodium in, eventually causing you to die.  Balance. It’s all about balance!

– Chris