In the current cold weather there is nothing better than that A good stew with legumes or a very warm meat stew. But popular wisdom and our own organoleptic experiments tell us that it is much better if we leave the pot overnight, until it cools, to be served the next day with a shot of heat.
Thus, An elDiario.es reader sent the following request to our members’ mailbox: “We all know that broth (Galician or other stew) is better the next day.”
“I would like to speculate,” he continues, “that this is because the fermentation processes are more uniform and digestible. The question arises, are the second-day pies more digestible? And the third year? And assuming they are more digestible, do they win or lose with food?
Პirveli Fermentation processes inside the pot can be excludedFor the simple reason that the heat killed all the micro-organisms, and even if some did, there would always be a residue.
Otherwise we find that the brew has a sour taste due to the fermentation of acetic acid and/or gives off a bad smell due to the compounds formed.
What happens there when the oven is cooked?
But it is true that certain processes occur during cooling Helps to improve the taste of food coral And they are several. But to describe them, first of all, it is necessary to explain what happens when a stew, broth or stew is prepared on fire during its preparation.
In legumes and vegetables, the process Gelation of starch, which are carbohydrate chains. Due to the action of heat, the amylose and amylopectin in the starch acquire a soft and spongy texture, the same thing happens in flour dough when we bake bread.
On the other hand, everyone Flavoring herbs to add separation compounds that produce aromas; Garlic and onion should be added to these herbs, also with a very strong aroma.
as soon as meatsWhen cooked, they release their juices into the broth. At the same time, heat causes proteins to break down into amino acids, which are shorter and more digestible, and impart a stewed flavor known as umami (Japanese for delicious) that hits the back of the tongue.
First of all, it is due to existence glutamic acidAn amino acid that is highly present in muscle fibers. To no avail, broth flavoring tablets consist of glutamate paste.
secondly, Tendon parts and collagen The pieces of meat will turn into jelly. At the same time, gelled starch in its spongy mass captures all these flavors and juices that are released by meat, herbs, garlic, onions, etc.
Thus, if we eat a stew, broth or freshly cooked stew, we will notice strongly the taste of aromatic herbs and garlic, but we will do it clearly and separately, individually, because when chewing vegetables and legumes they It will release the flavors remaining in the spongy mass of starch.
This is how he explains it In a 2011 Forbes magazine article Biochemist Kanta Shelke, then speaker Institute of Food Technologists from the United States. After the above detailed explanation, Dr. Shelke goes on to describe the phenomena that occur during the rest of the pot.
What happens when the pot rests?
First, when the broth is cooled, a phenomenon known as Retrogradation of starch, which we have already described in this article. During it and when the broth cools, the starch mass loses its sponginess and crystallizes, as we see what happens to aged bread.
During crystallization, starch releases the juices stored in the medium, i.e. the aromas of spices, garlic, onions and other flavors such as meat and glutamic acid.
These flavors, in turn They disappear over time due to oxidation and partial breakdown of fats due to lipases, enzymes that break fatty acids into smaller chains and release glycerol.
This means that the individual flavors are not so sharp and that they blend better and blend into a “combined flavor” where none stands out over the other, according to the aforementioned Dr. Shelke.
In addition, perhaps the most important process takes place; It is that while the stew has cooled, As this BBC article statesThe collagen and parts of the tendon eventually form a jelly.
Anyone who has ever made gelatin knows that you have to add flavor because it is a soft mass by itself. But when orange juice, sugar, etc. As it is added, the gelatin catches it, which joins the whole mass with heat.
It is no longer a sponge, as in the case of starch, but a A gel that slowly dissolves in the mouth, retains the aromas and flavors it releases slowly and evenly. That is, in the rested stew, the aromas moved from the starch to the gelatin and also weakened, becoming indistinguishable from each other.
Culinary consultant J. Kenji Lopez-Alt Also explains the process This other article from Serious Eats magazineand adds the importance of the release of free sugars by breaking down some of the starch, or directly from the vegetable tissues, which explains the increase in the sweetness of the dish and of the pork.
It should be added here that enzymes that break down proteins continue to work during cooling and even find their optimal point, thus increasing Release of “delicious” amino acids broth
At least Serious Eats magazine did before Comparison between ovens cooked at the moment and ovens left overnightand hardly found any significant difference other than a slight increase in odor and sweetness in vegetables such as El Comidista report in this article.
In summary, and in response to our readers, it seems that ovens, stoves, broths, ovens, and stoves improve their flavor as they rest. At the same time, by the action of enzymes, it breaks down complex structures and makes them more digestible.
In any case, it is advisable not to leave the pot to rest for too many days, because eventually the microorganisms will start to act and the fermentation can spoil the taste.
Source: El Diario
