On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 344

contributes to their appearance and texture High salt concentrations cause the normally tightly bunched protein filaments in the muscle cells to separate into individual filaments, which are too small to scatter light: so the normally opaque muscle tissue becomes translucent The same unbunching also weakens the muscle fibers, while at the same time dehydration makes the tissue denser and more concentrated: hence the close but tender texture The Enigma of Hams Cured Without Nitrite Though most traditional long-cured hams are treated with saltpeter to provide a steady supply of nitrite, a few are not The eminent prosciuttos of Parma and San Daniele are cured with sea salt only, yet somehow still develop the characteristic rosy color of nitrite-stabilized myoglobin Sea salt does contain nitrate and nitrite impurities, but not enough to affect ham color Recently, Japanese scientists found that the stable red pigment of these hams is not nitrosomyoglobin, and its formation seems associated with the presence of particular ripening bacteria (Staphylococcus carnosus and caseolyticus) And it may be that the absence of nitrite is one of the keys to the exceptional quality of these hams Nitrite protects meat fats from oxidation and the development of off-flavors But fat breakdown is also one of the sources of desirable ham flavor, and nitrite-free Parma hams have been found to contain more fruity esters than nitrite-cured Spanish and French hams The Alchemy of Dry-Cured Flavor Some of the muscles’ biochemical machinery survives intact, in particular the enzymes that break flavorless proteins down into savory peptides and amino acids, which over the course of ... the absence of nitrite is one of the keys to the exceptional quality of these hams Nitrite protects meat fats from oxidation and the development of off-flavors But fat breakdown is also one of. .. that the stable red pigment of these hams is not nitrosomyoglobin, and its formation seems associated with the presence of particular ripening bacteria (Staphylococcus carnosus and caseolyticus) And. .. also one of the sources of desirable ham flavor, and nitrite-free Parma hams have been found to contain more fruity esters than nitrite-cured Spanish and French hams The Alchemy of Dry-Cured Flavor Some of