The Maillard reaction gives brown meat its unique and delicious flavor. Find out what it is and how it can improve your garden kitchen with our guide to Maillard’s reaction meat.
Of all the meat science concepts related to cooking, the Maillard reaction is possibly the safest. Known to some as the process that creates gold, it is much more than that.
It’s the science behind why crickets taste so good. Given the right conditions, we can create a chemical reaction that completely changes the color, flavor, and texture of our meat.
From the crispy crust of a grilled steak to smoky brisket and crispy bacon, the culinary world owes a lot to the Maillard reaction.
Our guide to cooking meat explains exactly what this phenomenon is and how you can use it to your advantage and grill your meat perfectly every time. Let’s get into that.
What is the Maillard reaction?
The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars found in meat and is caused by high temperatures. It is known to brown the pigments in cooked meat, causing the charred brown color in grilled steak. However, a newer molecule is also being produced, all of which alter the aroma, flavor, and texture of meat.
It’s different from high dry heat, so we don’t see the same effect with slowly roasted or steamed meats. This is also why smoked beef steak tastes so different from grilled beef, even when it’s the exact same cut of beef and the same internal temperature.
Named after French scientist Louis-Camille Maillard, who discovered the reaction between amino acids and sugars at high temperatures, the process explains the browning we see in cooked foods. IT IS CAUSED by the energy transfer from dry heat to food and explains its change in color, taste and texture.
The Maillard reaction is a reaction between the amino acids in proteins and the glucose contained in meat. This causes new compounds to form, causing the surface to turn brown and crispy, with a new flavor and texture.
You can observe the Maillard reaction in different types of food, which involves a heating process and an internal chemical reaction to produce a caramelized brown appearance. You can see that in the meat. The crispy, flavorful crust is made through processes that include the Maillard reaction.
However, it is not limited to meat. We see it in baked goods like bread where it forms a crust and turns golden brown. It also browns toast, veggies like potatoes are fried to perfection and look great. Even beer, whose golden color comes from heating the malted barley during browning.
The process
The reaction starts at around 149°C (300°F) where the sugars react with the protein takeovers. This non-enzymatic process leads to the formation of compounds and molecules that contribute to the new taste, color and aroma of the meat.
Flavor and odor molecules are formed by a reaction between the reactive carbonyl of the sugar and the nucleophilic amino group of the amino acid. This produces N-substituted glycosylamine and water. Glycosylamine then undergoes the Amadori rearrangement, forming ketosamines.
Amino acids are not neutralized and therefore the whole process WILL be accelerated in an alkaline environment. This Process creates many flavor compounds that make the food tastier once it has gone through the Maillard reaction. The ketosamines continue to react. In subsequent reactions, they form both water and reductones.
Formation of aspirin, diacetyl, pyruvaldehyde and hydrolytic cleavage begins, producing brown nitrogenous polymers and melanoidins, which are color pigmenting molecules.
The formation of flavoring compounds is another complex process in which they break down into even more compounds. These complement each other and differ from food to food. But they all form during the Maillard reaction. While the sugar carbonyl is part of the equation, this process is distinct from caramelization.
Maillard Reaction vs Caramelization: What’s the Difference?
The Maillard reaction is similar to caramelization. Both are non-enzymatic reactions in which chemical reactions cause food to turn brown. However, the required conditions are slightly different in each case.
The two processes may coincide, but the clear difference is that the Maillard reaction involves amino acids and proteins. Caramelization requires sugar and carbohydrates.
The Maillard reaction is the reaction between reduced acids and sugars in foods when they are exposed to heat and have reached a certain temperature. In contrast, caramelization is the process of oxidizing sugars. This gives a nutty taste and a dark color. During caramelization, volatile chemicals are released, water is released in the form of steam, and sugars are broken down.
The point at which caramelization occurs will vary depending on the sugar used. Fructose does not require as much heat as glucose and sucrose. It caramelizes at 230°F while sucrose and glucose caramelize at 320°F. Lactose caramelizes at 397°F while galactose requires 320°F.
While both processes require heat and a specific temperature, Maillard reactions must occur in order for the process to take place, unlike caramelization, which involves the pyrolysis of sugars. Caramelization turns sugar into a liquid and does not involve protein or enzymatic reactions like the Maillard reaction requires.
In most cases, both processes occur together, but the one that emerges victorious finds what they need most to make it happen. For example, a steak has more protein, so a Maillard reaction is more likely to occur than caramelization.
When you grill non-meat or protein-based foods, you will find that some form of caramelization occurs. For example, candy corn and onions change flavor and become sweeter as a result of the process.
Interestingly, when you add a non-meat based food like barbecue sauce to the meat and cook it together, the flavor of the barbecue sauce changes completely.
What is a non-enzymatic reaction?
Both the Maillard reaction and caramelization are forms of non-enzymatic browning, in which the shape of the food changes due to a chemical reaction not caused by enzymes in the food. The enzymatic reactions are reversed where the food oxidizes and turns brown. For example, when bananas get old and brown.
How to get the Maillard reaction
Understanding this process is crucial to becoming a better grill master, so you know when it happens, at what temperature, and how to squeeze every ounce of crispy, browned deliciousness out of every cut of meat. Create a beautiful tan on meat by following these steps.
Keep meat dry
We need heat, but any moisture on the surface can create steam and change the conditions we need for tanning. Avoid using a marinade or spray. Dry sear to remove excess moisture from the surface of the meat and pat dry before cooking.
Create space
Spread the meat evenly across your cooking grates, leaving at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) between each piece. This will allow good airflow through the cookbox, allowing the process to run at its best.
Oil the meat
We often use oil to keep meat from sticking to the cooking grates, but it also serves another useful function. The oil can help act as a heat conductor and help create an even color across the surface of the meat.
Add sugar
If you’re cooking at low temperatures first (like reverse searing ), add a pinch of sugar to your dry BBQ mix to add a bit of caramelization to the process. However, if you’re cooking on high heat, avoid it altogether. Sugar will burn on high heat and ruin your food.
High temperatures
While we’re through smoking or roasting on the grill that can produce the same internal temperature in the meat, the difference between low and slow heat and scorching high heat leads to an entirely different end result. Low and slow smoking ensures a juicy and tender meat dish, while grilling enhances flavors to form a delicious golden caramel-flavored color on the outside.
The Maillard reaction begins when the meat reaches 300°F, which means the cooking environment needs to be even higher. Crank your grill up to at least 350°F (177°C) to create the dry heat we need. For this reason, most grilling recipes recommend setting your stovetop at 375°F-400°F.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
