Brown sediments when frying meat
Possibly, this is a rather trivial question, but I've not yet found any good explanation.
Whether I cook a steak for bacon, as long as it is red meat, the ground of the pan fills with a brown sediment, similar to this picture.
What's that? As for bacon, I heard that some people even collect the flavored grease.
Best Answer
The brown color is given by the caramelization of the sugars contained in the meat. It is due to a chemical reaction that is triggered by the high temperature in the pan (take place between 140c and 180c or 284f and 356f) called Maillard reaction. It is exactly the same thing that gives bread and fried foods their characteristic golden-brown color and their delicious taste!
But back to the picture: the reason why you see the bottom of the pan becoming brown is because during cooking the meat lets some juices out. Those juices contain sugars that caramelize and stick to the pan or float in the hot grease.
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Why does meat turn brown when you cook it?
Cooking meat at a high temperature browns meat because of the maillard reaction. As meat ages it turns brown from oxidation. The oxidation process is a result of the bound iron molecule in myoglobin going from the ferrous to ferric form. This produces what is called metmyoglobin.What does brown the meat mean?
Browning is the process of partially cooking the surface of meat to develop its flavor through various browning reactions and give it a more attractive color.Why does beef turn brown?
After beef has been refrigerated for about five days, it may turn brown. This darkening is due to oxidation, the chemical changes in myoglobin due to the oxygen content. This is a normal change during refrigerator storage.Why Does Red Meat Turn Brown When Cooked?
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