On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 346

pork pieces are tumbled with salt to draw out the muscle protein myosin, which forms a sticky layer that holds the pieces together.. Modern ham and bacon contain more moisture than the d

pork pieces are tumbled with salt to draw out the muscle protein myosin, which forms a sticky layer that holds the pieces together Most corned beef is now injected with brine

as well; the briskets never touch any actual salt grains

Modern ham and bacon contain more

moisture than the dry-cured versions

(sometimes more than the original raw meat!) and about half the salt — 3–4% instead of 5– 7% Where slices of traditional ham and

bacon fry easily and retain 75% of their

weight, the wetter modern versions spatter, shrink, and curl as they give up their water, and retain only a third of their initial weight

Smoked Meats

Smoke from burning plant materials, usually wood, has helped to preserve food ever since our ancestors mastered fire Smoke’s

usefulness results from its chemical

hundreds of compounds, some of which kill or inhibit the growth of microbes, some of which retard fat oxidation and the development of rancid flavors, and some of which add an

appealing flavor of their own Because smoke only affects the surface of food, it has long been used in conjunction with salting and

drying — a happy combination because salted meats are especially prone to developing

rancidity American country hams and bacons are examples of smoked salted foods Because there are now other ways to store meat, and because some smoke components are known

to be health hazards (p 449), smoke is now used less frequently as a full-strength

preservative, and more often as a lightly

applied flavoring

Hot and Cold Smoking Meat can be smoked

in two different ways When hot-smoked, the

meat is held directly above or in the same