What happens when you cook something?

cunnins4

Is there a chemical reaction when you cook, let's say, a chicken? What happens the meat? I know the heat kills the bacteria that can cause food poisoning, but what actually happens to the meat?

just a thought I had the other day!

ApeXaviour

I haven't done chemistry (or biology) for a number of years, so my answer won't be the most technical. But let me try the example of roasting a chicken. I'd imagine a number of things occur, not least which is removing a lot of the water. Second you'd be denaturing many of the proteins. By that I mean you're providing them enough energy that their structure is no longer stable and bonds break reform with other parts. This causes them to become all tangled up with each other, i.e. they coagulate. You can see this when you heat an egg. In meat as a changing of colour and texture (less strength, easier to carve but more rigidity). This denaturing also occurs within the bacteria etc. rendering them well... dead.

As you keep heating, you'll begin to oxidise the hydrogen etc in these proteins, i.e. burn them. Leaving you with a nice black carbon finish on the outside of your chicken. If keep going you'll eventually allow enough energy (and boil off enough water) for combustion to occur. At least I believe that's how it works. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Creature

ApeXaviour wrote: »

I haven't done chemistry (or biology) for a number of years, so my answer won't be the most technical. But let me try the example of roasting a chicken. I'd imagine a number of things occur, not least which is removing a lot of the water. Second you'd be denaturing many of the proteins. By that I mean you're providing them enough energy that their structure is no longer stable and bonds break reform with other parts. This causes them to become all tangled up with each other, i.e. they coagulate. You can see this when you heat an egg. In meat as a changing of colour and texture (less strength, easier to carve but more rigidity). This denaturing also occurs within the bacteria etc. rendering them well... dead.

As you keep heating, you'll begin to oxidise the hydrogen etc in these proteins, i.e. burn them. Leaving you with a nice black carbon finish on the outside of your chicken. If keep going you'll eventually allow enough energy (and boil off enough water) for combustion to occur. At least I believe that's how it works. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong.

Well then you've got a good memory because thats spot on.

bradnailer

I put it on a plate and eat it:D