Subbiah: Heat, proteins, carbohydrates mix to bring the magic to grilling
On the biggest barbecuing day of the year, the fireworks in the sky will be matched by those produced when food meets fire and smoke on the grill.
July 1, 2021
By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast facts
- July 4 the biggest weekend for barbecuing
- Maillard reaction key to flavor
- Basting can slow, or stop Maillard reaction
(740 words)
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On the biggest barbecuing day of the year, the fireworks in the sky will be matched by those produced when food meets fire and smoke on the grill.
A 2017 survey by the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association found July Fourth to be the biggest grilling day of the year, followed by Memorial Day and Labor Day. The survey also found that 72 percent of the consumers who responded to its survey said flavor was the reason they used a grill.
Jeyam Subbiah, Ph.D., head of the food science department for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumper College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, said grilling’s high temperatures set up a unique chemical reaction when meat hits the metal.
There are a couple of things happening all at once. In a process called caramelization, heat breaks down carbohydrates into sugar, browning them and developing distinct flavors.
At the same time, heat is doing some wonderful things to proteins.
“Meat has a lot of proteins and proteins are made up of amino acids,” Subbiah said. Heat breaks the proteins down into their component amino acids.
When carmelized sugars meet liberated amino acids, magic happens.
“At about 300 degrees Fahrenheit, at very high heat, the amino acids react with the sugars and create Maillard browning,” Subbiah said. The Maillard reaction, named for French chemist Louis Maillard, is what makes grilled meats taste good.
“Slow cooking and stewing doesn’t really bring that,” he said. Basting foods also lowers the temperature and slows or can prevent the Maillard reaction.
There’s another reaction that brings sizzle to the grill.
“When some of the juices fall down in the flame, they vaporize and rise up and mix with what’s happening on top of the grill and create rich compounds … that create complex flavor and aromas,” he said.
The smoke produced by grilling with charcoal or wood has its own magic. High temperature breakdown of the cellulose and lignins in wood produce phenols and carbonyl compounds that impart the smoky and sweet aromas to smoked foods.
Food science and safety
Subbiah offered a checklist of actions to ensure the holiday grillfest doesn’t go wrong.
- Thaw meats in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Room temperature thawing encourages the growth of pathogens.
- Don’t wash your meat. “When you try to wash it, it will splash and you will spread coli and Salmonella on your countertop and kitchen,” Subbiah said. Washing meat causes more cross-contamination “Plus you lose the juices from the meat.”
- Avoid cross-contamination by keeping utensils and dishes used for raw meat separate from those used for cooked meat. Cooking kills both pathogens that cause illness and the spoilage bacteria that cause food to spoil. “If raw meat touches the cooked meat, you inoculate the cooked meat with the bad bugs,” he said. “With no spoilage microbial competition, the pathogens can grow faster.”
- Use a thermometer. “You cannot look at a piece of meat on the grill and know whether it has been cooked to a safe temperature,” Subbiah said. Ground meat needs to be cooked to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Poultry needs to go to 165 and whole cuts of beef, pork and lamb should be cooked to 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
- “Any leftovers, if not eaten within two hours, need to be refrigerated right away,” he said. “Any more than two hours and it’s dangerous.”
Whole vs. ground/processed meat
Subbiah said consumers need to look carefully at the meat intended for the grill.
“This is the trickiest thing,” he said. “The inside of the meat is sterile. If the meat is intact, you can heat the sides of the meat and kill the bugs.”
However, some cuts of meat have been tenderized mechanically through use of needles that break up tough fibers. Other meats are made more tender or juicier through injections of marinades or saltwater solutions. Both are inexpensive ways to “upgrade” lesser cuts of meat. The tenderizing needles and the injection needles both pick up contaminants from the meat’s surface and carry it inside the cut of meat.
That means, the meats are not sterile, Subbiah said. “Cook it well. I wouldn’t go any lower than medium with a steak.”
Information in this article was also contributed by Jennifer Acuff, s an assistant professor in food safety and microbiology, for the Division of Agriculture and the Bumpers College.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Media contact: Mary Hightower
501-671-2006
mhightower@uada.edu