denaturing of its myoglobin and
cytochrome pigments. But two cooking
methods can leave well-done meat
attractively red or pink.
Barbecued meat, stew meat, a pot roast,
or a confit can be surprisingly pink or red
inside — if it was heated very gradually
and gently. Myoglobin and cytochromes
can survive somewhat higher
temperatures than the other muscle
proteins. When meat is heated quickly,
its temperature rises quickly, and some
of the muscle proteins are still unfolding
and denaturing when the pigments begin
to do the same. The other proteins are
therefore able to react with the pigments
and turn them brown. But when meat is
heated slowly, so that it takes an hour or
two to reach the denaturing temperature
for myoglobin and cytochromes, the
other proteins finish denaturing first, and
react with each other. By the time that