Steakology

This was a short (10-15 min.) talk that I gave to my fellow Bocoup folk during a company get together. Tech people giving non-tech talks is super fun.

Mine was about steak, and what happens at a molecular level when you cook it (along with some tidbits about flavor).

Transcript

1. steakology.
   Thursday, August 2, 12
   

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2. steakology.
   (things about steak that won’t make you hungry)
   Thursday, August 2, 12
   

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3. Thursday, August 2, 12
   

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4. Thursday, August 2, 12
   

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5. Thursday, August 2, 12
   

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6. blood + water
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7. bacteria
   blood + water
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8. animal tissue
   bacteria
   blood + water
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9. science
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10. GENE \ˈjēn\
    a molecular unit of heredity
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11. DNA
    dē-äk-siˌrī-bō-
    n(y)u-ˌklē-ik-ˌā-sid
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12. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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13. Actin
    Myosin
    muscle tissue
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14. temperature
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15. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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16. RAW
    BLUE 115°F
    RARE 126°F
    MEDIUM-RARE 131°F
    MEDIUM 145°F
    MEDIUM-WELL 154°F
    WELL DONE 163°F
    OVERCOOK
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17. muscle tissue
    adipocytes
    RAW
    145°F
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18. tenderness
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19. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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20. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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21. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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22. flavor country
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23. flavor country
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24. fat
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25. Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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26. thanks
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27. load-bearing muscles of the cow contain more collagen as
    a buffer or for padding - plurivacuolar cells a.k.a. brown
    fat, also known as "baby fat" is used to generate heat - cow
    muscle proteins & human muscle proteins are the same
    molecule, just a different percentage - a black & blue steak
    is served blue rare on the inside, and charred 'sooty' or
    black on the outside - meat containing the volatile
    compound butanoic acid will smell rancid - monosodium
    glutamate (msg), is a volatile compound that gives off a
    savory, brothy aroma - freezing a carcass too soon after
    death keeps the proteins all bunched together, resulting
    in very tough meat - upon death, and as glycogen supplies
    are depleted, adenosine triphosphate regeneration stops,
    and the actin & myosin remain locked in a permanent
    contraction called rigor mortis
    Thursday, August 2, 12
    

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