Have you all eaten egg noodles? Put one or two pieces of fried lunch meat in the instant noodles and an fried egg, not too delicious ~
Hong Kong Dandan Noodles
I've been trying to write the popular science of lunch meat for several days, but I haven't found a narrative logic that I find interesting.
The last cruelty, simply, say it directly, be bold.
Why is the lunch meat tender and tender?
Canned luncheon meat
Most people accepted the appearance of lunch meat at first sight, and probably never thought about why. For example, lunch meat is cooked meat, but shouldn't it be gray when cooked? Why is lunch meat pink? Isn't it colored?
If you look carefully at the ingredients list of a good lunch meat, you will find that there is no pigment in it. The pink color of this lunch meat comes from nitrite. Of course, I said pink that looks comfortable. If it is that kitsch powder, it must be colored.
Lunch meat ingredient list
Almost all minced meat foods are pink, so they have an appetite. If a lump of gray lunch meat is placed in front of you, can you eat it?
As for why the lunch meat is so tender, we have to start with the changes in the chemical composition of the meat. This knowledge point is not difficult, just remember a few conclusions after reading it.
More than 90% of the red color of fresh meat comes from the "myoglobin" in muscle, that is, myoglobin, abbreviated as "Mb".
fresh meat
When the meat is "alive", the oxygen content is appropriate, so it is red. However, after it "dies", it splits and is exposed to the air, and continues to oxidize to form "oxygen complex Mb", which is crimson. The meat at this time is a common meat color in meat stalls.
If we continue to oxidize, the color will be deeper and become "oxidized MB"-so the experience of buying meat in the vegetable market is to look at the color of meat. If the color is too dark, it means that it has been a long time and is not very fresh.
Relationship between myoglobin and meat color
Of course, there is also a case where "oxidized Mb" will appear after the meat is cured, which is the color of lean meat in bacon.
Oh, yes, if the meat is heated, it will form "denatured Mb", which is taupe, which is the color of Qingshui cook the meat.
The above is the discoloration principle of Mb under normal circumstances.
Garlic paste and white meat, cook the meat is taupe.
However, once meat meets nitrite, it is different-it will form "NO-Mb".
How exactly is it formed? It involves orbital hybridization, energy level transition and "spd". Friends who haven't attended college chemistry classes can't understand it (it is still very useful to learn chemistry well, and chemistry can be used to explain the principle of composition change). Just remember the conclusion: "NO-Mb" will absorb turquoise light, so it presents a complementary color-pink!
Most meat emulsion products are basically made into attractive colors in this way. (The leader specially drew a picture for everyone to explain. If you can't read, look at the picture below. )
Of course, some people say that nitrite is toxic. Yes, but its addition is very low, so it is not toxic. Besides, you've already eaten lunch meat. What do you care? ......
Drawing: leadership
Lunch meat, choose the expensive one
Lunch meat in a hot pot restaurant can best reflect its quality, because there is only one name on the menu in the store: whether lunch meat is delicious or not, you won't know until you eat it in your mouth-
Some taste sweet, soft and elastic, some taste powdery, and some are greasy. ...
Is there no uniform industry standard for lunch meat?
Yes! Regardless of brand issues (such as a common forest brand, SPXX brand and Sanhua brand), luncheon meat, as a canned food, is highly recognized and its packaging looks similar. However, many people have not carefully read the name above-the so-called lunch meat is actually divided into three types: ham, ham lunch meat and lunch meat.