About chicken and osmosis
Why Heston Blumenthal says it needs to soak chicken before low-temperature baking in salty solution of water? I always thought that osmosis goes better if water would be unsalted, and meat would be more tender soaked in pure water?
Thanks.
Best Answer
What you are referring to is called a brine. It's pretty common to brine meats, especially poultry (think Turkey, etc). Brining meat before cooking helps break down protein bonds, and create a more tender, moist finished product.
thekitchn.com has a very succinct explanation:
What Is Brine?
Brine is a salt solution made by mixing salt and water, usually about 5 to 8 percent salt by weight. Some recipes include sugar and other ingredients to add flavor to the meat being brined, but a basic brine is a salt-water solution.
How Does Brining Work?
Here are three major functions accomplished by brining — and reasons to try it. It's so easy, too.
Meat absorbs some of the liquid: When a piece of meat is soaked in a brine solution, that solution is slowly drawn into the meat, and even though some of it is inevitably lost during cooking, it still makes a big difference. Since the meat starts out with more liquid within, it ends up juicier and more moist when cooked.
Muscle fibers are dissolved: Highly concentrated salt solutions will cause proteins to precipitate (essentially forcing them to aggregate with each other and clump together). On the other hand, a low-concentration salt solution has the opposite effect and actually can increase protein solubility and allow more proteins to dissolve. So brine actually helps dissolve some of the muscle fibers, which helps to reduce the toughness of meat.
Muscle fibers and meat proteins denature: A salt solution can denature proteins, essentially unfolding and unravelling them. As they unfold, water works its way in between these proteins so there is more water in between the meat proteins as the meat cooks. This results in a more tender cooked meat.
Source: thekitchn.com
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Quick Answer about "About chicken and osmosis"
Muscle fibers and meat proteins denature: A salt solution can denature proteins, essentially unfolding and unravelling them. As they unfold, water works its way in between these proteins so there is more water in between the meat proteins as the meat cooks. This results in a more tender cooked meat.How does osmosis work in meat?
Osmosis is the diffusion of water through a semi-permeable membrane - in this case the meat cells. Through diffusion, the salt and water within the meat cells balance with the salt and water in the surrounding brine which results in a higher concentration of salt and water in the meat.What is the science behind brining chicken?
Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, The brine surrounding the muscle fiber cell has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells.Why do you put chicken in salt water?
The process of soaking the meat in salted water causes the chicken to absorb some of the water through osmosis, making it moister when cooked. You can also work with dry brines, which lead to crispy skin and keep the natural moisture in the bird without the hassle of a wet brine.Does meat absorb water?
Raw meat will absorb water if it soaks in it, but when meat begins to cook, it exudes, or gives off water.Varicella zoster virus - causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, pathology
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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