How to cook braised pork so that it is oily but not greasy?

In the process of making braised pork, there are two key processes that can affect the taste and aroma of the meat. The key to the first step is whether to fry or blanch it first. The key to the second process is whether to add salt during the stewing process or at the end. Which way to make braised pork is more delicious? Let me analyze it slowly.

Let’s first understand what raw materials are used in braised pork and what are their characteristics.

Let’s first talk about the main ingredient, pork belly. Pork belly is the meat from the red and white pig belly composed of several layers of lean meat and fat, usually with pig skin. From a biological perspective, pork belly is composed of skin, fat layer and muscle. The epidermis is pig skin, which is mainly composed of collagen accounting for about 85%, followed by elastin. Pig skins are used to produce "gelatin". The fat layer is almost all fat cells, and also contains some lecithin and cholesterol that the human body needs. Muscle is composed of muscle tissue, and its main component is protein, but its protein composition is somewhat different from that of pig skin.

Other raw materials include white sugar or rock sugar, onions, ginger, garlic, star anise, aniseed and other seasonings. The main function of these raw materials is to increase the flavor of meat and remove the fishy smell of meat.

Now that we have the raw materials, how does the aroma of braised pork come about?

Raw meat does not have much aroma originally (of course, this is only for humans. For carnivores, raw meat is already quite fragrant), and it only becomes fragrant when heated. This is because during the heating process, various components in the meat undergo a series of complex changes, producing some volatile aroma substances. During the heating process, lean tissue gives meat its aroma, while fatty tissue gives meat products its unique flavor. If fat is removed from various types of meat, the flavor of the meat will be almost the same without any big difference. Therefore, if there is no lean meat or too little lean meat when cooking meat, it will not be very fragrant.

There are currently more than 1,000 identified volatile components of meat, mainly including N-S-O-heterocyclic compounds and other sulfur-containing components, including furan, pyrrole, thiophene, imidazole, pyridine and cyclovinyl sulfide. and other low molecular weight precursor substances. Among them, pyrazine is the main volatile substance. The precursor substances that generate these substances are mainly water-soluble sugars and amino acid-containing compounds, as well as lipid substances such as phospholipids and triglycerides. Carbohydrates, amino acids, and lipids produce meat flavor through degradation. At the same time, ribonucleotides, ribose-5’-phosphate, and methylfuranolone also produce meaty aroma through hydrogen sulfide reaction.

Speaking of these complex change processes, we have to mention a very classic chemical reaction-the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction, proposed by French chemist L.C. Maillard in 1912, is also known as "non-enzymatic browning reaction" and exists in almost all types of food processing. This non-enzymatic browning is a reaction between carbonyl compounds (reducing sugars such as glucose and xylose) and amino compounds (amino acids and proteins). Because after a complex process, the final product is a brown or even black macromolecular substance melanoidin or pseudomelanin, so it is also called the carbonyl amine reaction. Common ones such as the golden yellow color of bread crust, the brown color and rich aroma of braised pork, the reddish brown color of fried foods, etc. are largely the result of the Maillard reaction.

When making braised pork, lean meat, fat and sugar meet the conditions for the Maillard reaction. After the Maillard reaction, the braised pork has its unique aroma. But the question arises again. Since the Maillard reaction can occur in all the methods mentioned above, which method is more delicious? It depends on which method causes more Maillard reactions and is more complete.

Factors affecting Maillard reaction include:

1. Glycoamino structure. Reducing sugars are the main substances in the Maillard reaction. The browning speed of five-carbon sugars is 10 times that of six-carbon sugars. Among reducing monosaccharides, the browning speed of five-carbon sugars is: ribose gt; arabinose gt; xylose, while the six-carbon sugars are: galactose gt; mannose sugar>glucose. Reducing disaccharides have large molecular weights and slow reaction rates. Among carbonyl compounds, α-vinyl aldehyde browns the slowest, followed by α-disaccharide compounds, and ketones the slowest. Amines brown faster than amino acids.

Among amino acids, basic amino acids are slower, and amino acids are slower than proteins. Therefore, the quality of the meat and the added sugar determine how quickly the Maillard reaction occurs.

2. Temperature. The Maillard reaction can occur under oxidizing conditions at 20 to 25°C. Generally, for every 10°C difference, the reaction speed varies by 3 to 5 times. The speed increases above 30℃. Above 80°C, the reaction rate is less affected by temperature and oxygen. Usually the temperature of processed food is higher than 80℃, such as the temperature of stewed meat is about 100℃, and the temperature of toasted bread is about 150-250℃. High temperatures help the Maillard reaction occur, and it can be speculated that frying is more likely to cause the reaction than boiling.

3. Moisture. When the moisture content is between 10 and 15, the reaction is easy to occur, but it is difficult to occur in completely dry food. It can be seen that don't over-fry it, as it is not a good thing if it is dry.

4. pH value. That is pH. When the pH value is above 3, the reaction accelerates as the pH value increases. When the pH is greater than 7, the reaction speed is fast and difficult to control, and the flavor is also poor. The pH value is related to the water used and the seasonings added, which may explain why food made with water from some places tastes better than water from other places.

Through the above analysis, we can conclude that the frying method is better than the water method, but the frying process should be shorter and not too dry.

Put the salt first or last?

To answer this question, we need to know what salt does. Salt (NaCl) is a necessary seasoning when cooking, but it is not just a seasoning, it can also maintain the body's osmotic pressure balance and other physiological needs. What is osmotic pressure? The phenomenon of water moving from a system with high water potential to a system with low water potential through a semipermeable membrane is called osmosis. Osmotic pressure is the water potential difference at which osmosis occurs. The greater the osmotic pressure, the faster the osmosis. When making braised pork, one of the functions of salt is to adjust osmotic pressure.

When making braised pork, the water potential of the soup and the water potential in the meat cells form a water potential difference, and osmosis will occur. Either the water in the soup enters the cell, or the water in the cell comes out and enters the soup (equilibrated water potential is also possible). If no salt is added at the beginning, the osmotic pressure in the meat cells will be higher, and water molecules will automatically enter the meat cells. When too much water enters, the cell membrane cannot bear it and bursts. The cells rupture, the contents are released, and the flavor of the meat becomes stronger. This is why when simmering broth, salt is generally not added at the beginning and salt is added at the end, so that the original flavor of the meat can come out and the soup can be more fresh. If salt is added at the beginning, the osmotic pressure in the soup will be high, and the meat cells will release water, but only water will come out, and other ingredients will still remain in the meat. This can easily cause the meat to become stale and have a bad texture and taste.

It seems like it is better to add salt at the end. In fact, this is not necessarily the case. Making braised pork is not as good as making soup. The focus of making soup is the delicious flavor of the soup, while eating braised pork is meat. Therefore, the meat must have flavor, that is, NaCl must enter the meat to make the meat fragrant. It seems that the salt should be put in first, but if the salt cells are put in first, water will easily come out. What should I do? Some places blanch it with water before cooking, which cleverly solves this problem. Blanching it with water actually destroys the meat cells. Once the cells are broken, it will be easier to taste when cooked again. In addition, if you add salt at the beginning, it can inhibit the rupture of the remaining meat cells and retain the taste of the meat - although water molecules will escape.

Taking all things into account, it is better to add salt in the middle when making braised pork, that is, to perform preliminary treatment on the meat before adding salt. Meat processing methods include frying and blanching, both methods can make delicious braised pork. Blanching can rupture the outer cells, which helps to enhance the flavor; frying helps initiate the Maillard reaction, forming a protective layer on the outside to prevent internal water loss, making the meat more tender. Therefore, the key to delicious food is actually the heat. The frying time should not be too long, and the blanching time should not be too short. In addition, the amount of salt is also critical. To achieve the appropriate osmotic pressure, it can not only absorb the flavor, but also protect the original flavor of the meat cells. Delicious braised pork is also related to water quality, seasoning, etc. In short, making delicious braised pork is not easy and requires experience and skills.

I hope this article can provide a scientific reference for friends who like food.

If you are interested, you may want to try it yourself and compare which method makes the braised pork more delicious.

Attached is the recipe for those friends who will drool after seeing this.

Classic braised pork recipe:

1. Wash the pork belly (laminated lean meat and fat meat, preferably with the skin) and cut into cubes, 2 cm square.

2. Put oil in the pot (put more), heat it up, add a spoonful of sugar (either white sugar or rock sugar) (you can put more), and stir-fry until it becomes mushy (commonly known as caramel. This There should be thick smoke coming out of the pot at this time, don't be afraid). Or blanch it in boiling water for 5 minutes and take it out to remove the fishy smell and foam! (Secret recipe: It’s best to add some white wine!).

3. Pour in the cut meat and seasonings (thick slices of ginger, garlic cloves (do not crush them), cinnamon, dried chili peppers, star anise, orange peel (not tangerine peel)), and bring to a boil over high heat. Fry for three minutes, when the meat turns deep red.

4. Add an appropriate amount of salt, one spoonful of dark soy sauce, 1/5 spoonful of vinegar, half a spoonful of sugar, two spoons of cooking wine, half a spoonful of chicken essence, and clear soup (cold water is also acceptable) until the meat is 3 mm covered, and bring to a boil over high heat. (It starts to smell fragrant).

5. Pour into the stew pot and simmer over low heat for 1 and a half hours. At this time, the soup should be very small and thick (if there is too much soup, you can reduce the soup over high heat, but you have to stand aside and watch) , add green peppers (not very fat bell peppers), add some coriander, then taste for saltiness, and simmer for another 3 minutes.

To sum up, braised pork is my favorite. If it is delicious and tasty, it can truly be called braised pork. Generally, the braised pork tastes good in restaurants. Friends who like to eat meat. Just try it!