Color change in duck meat!
I roasted a duck some days ago, and while eating, the meat on the carcass slowly turned a sharp red, much like an apple turns brown. I can't find any information on this anywhere, as all questions equal "is duck meat red meat?", so my question is: what happened? I've never seen this before.
Best Answer
I have seen the same phenomena with cooked hamburgers and steaks. My research led me back to part of your question having to do with duck meat being characterized as red meat.
What differentiates red meat from white meat is the amount of myoglobin in the meat which absorbs oxygen from the air. All red meat, when exposed to air, will turn bright red. I have only observed this with raw or relatively rare cooked red meat so if your duck was not cooked beyond medium, that could be the answer. Like you, however, I did not find any material that cited the exact scenario you described.
Here are my links to the articles on myoglobin in red meat:
http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=1859
http://m.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-white-meat-and-dark-meat.htm
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What colour should duck meat be?
Duck is scientifically considered a white meat due to its myoglobin content and classification as poultry. Still, it's typically darker in color than most parts of chicken and turkey and often cooked differently. Therefore, duck may be considered a red meat by culinary standards.Why is my duck meat brown?
This is because more oxygen is needed by muscles doing work, and the oxygen is delivered to those muscles by the red cells in the blood. One of the proteins in meat, myoglobin, holds the oxygen in the muscle, and gives the meat a darker color.Is it normal for meat to change color?
Color changes are normal for fresh product. With spoilage there can be a change in color\u2014often a fading or darkening. In addition to the color change, the meat or poultry will have an off odor, be sticky or tacky to the touch, or it may be slimy. If meat has developed these characteristics, it should not be used.How can you tell if a duck is rotten?
Though duck meat is naturally gamy, spoiled duck meat assumes a putrid odor. According to the website Chefs Best, fresh duck meat should smell clean without odors. A sulfur, "skunky" or moldy dishrag smell is evidence of S. putrefaciens and Pseudomonas, both odor-producing bacteria present on spoiled chicken and duck.Rubber Ducks at the Swimming Pool - Nursery Cartoon Animation Video
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Answer 2
So there is likely a few different things going on here. One, the method of cooking is important in answering this question because when roasting, especially something like a full duck carcass the innermost areas are going to obviously take the longest to reach a desired temperature. We have to also remember that the density of the bones mean they are likely to withhold heat much longer than the meat that was cut from it. Knowing what we know about myoglobin, it is likely that after the meat was carved from the carcass the remaining meat was then being initially exposed to oxygen and due to the continued carry-over heat of the bones was increasing in temperature and continuing to manipulate the color of the meat. Also, the PH of the meat has a lot to do with the color of meat so the seasonings and acidity of your cooking may have something to do with it as well.
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