On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 302

when it’s completely relaxed, with little or no colored juice (some colorless fat may melt out) Rare meat, some of whose protein has coagulated, is more resilient when poked with the finger — like the thumbforefinger muscle when the two digits are stretched apart — and red juice begins to appear at the surface To some people this is meat at its most succulent; to others it is still raw, “bloody” (though the juices are not blood), and potentially hazardous Medium-done meat, whose connectivetissue collagen has shrunk, is more firm — like the thumb-forefinger muscle when the two digits are squeezed together — and squeezes droplets of red juice to steak and chop surfaces, while the interior pales to pink Most but not all microbes are killed in this range Well-done meat, nearly all its proteins denatured, is frankly stiff to the touch, little juice is apparent, and both juice and interior are a dull tan or gray Microbes are dead, and many meat lovers would say that the meat is too However, prolonged, gentle cooking will loosen the connective-tissue harness and bring back a degree of tenderness Meat Doneness and Safety As we’ve seen, meats inevitably harbor bacteria, and it takes temperatures of 160ºF/70ºC or higher to guarantee the rapid destruction of the bacteria that can cause human disease — temperatures at which meat is well-done and has lost much of its moisture So is eating juicy, pink-red meat risky? Not if the cut is an intact piece of healthy muscle tissue, a steak or chop, and its surface has been thoroughly cooked: bacteria are on the meat surfaces, not inside Ground ... prolonged, gentle cooking will loosen the connective-tissue harness and bring back a degree of tenderness Meat Doneness and Safety As we’ve seen, meats inevitably harbor bacteria, and it takes temperatures of 160ºF/70ºC or higher to guarantee the rapid... 160ºF/70ºC or higher to guarantee the rapid destruction of the bacteria that can cause human disease — temperatures at which meat is well-done and has lost much of its moisture So is eating juicy, pink-red meat...denatured, is frankly stiff to the touch, little juice is apparent, and both juice and interior are a dull tan or gray Microbes are dead, and many meat lovers would say that the meat is too However, prolonged, gentle cooking will loosen the