Posted on 04/06/2009 7:23:17 PM PDT by GOPGuide
It is a simple pleasure for millions of hungry Britons but researchers have uncovered the science behind the enduring appeal of the bacon sandwich.
A complex chemical interaction in the meat is what produces the winning combination of taste and smell in a bacon buttie, according to an expert.
The reaction between amino acids in the bacon and reducing sugars in the fat is what provides the simple snack with its appeal, according to Elin Roberts, science communications manager at the Centre for Life education centre in Newcastle.
She explained that the chemical changes that take place when the bacon is heated are more important than other variables such as brown sauce distribution or toaster settings.
At the centre of it all is the Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar which often requires heat. The acid and sugar react to release a huge amount of smells and flavours.
Ms Roberts said:: "The smell of sizzling bacon in a pan is enough to tempt even the staunchest of vegetarians. There's something deeper going on inside. It's not just the idea of a tasty snack. There is some complex chemistry going on.
"Meat is made of mostly protein and water. Inside the protein, it's made up of building blocks we call amino acids. But also, you need some fat. Anyone who's been on a diet knows if you take all the fat from the meat, it just doesn't taste the same. We need some of the fat to give it the flavour."
She added: "Fats mean that there are some reducing sugars in there as well. When it's really hot – that's when the Maillard reaction starts."
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Doesn’t work on me then. I don’t like bacon.
Ahhhh, bacon!
Liberal!
I don’t have to smell it cooking — just reading about it and I want it now... LOL...
A BLT is good, a BBB is even better. With mayo and mustard. My apologies to those that don’t eat pork. It’s just so good.
I love bacon sandwiches. I’m glad they “uncovered” the “science” behind them before I died. “Science” is always giving me warm fuzzies these days.
You said — Doesn’t work on me then. I don’t like bacon.
—
Well, what kind of world would it be if everyone was normal? LOL...
Meat is murder...tasty tasty murder.
Multi-billion dollar study reveals that boys prefer girls and that girls prefer chocolate. Film at eleven.
It is a good book. I got it for Christmas a couple of years back...
Cheers!
When I was in elementary school this school yard lady took away my bacon sandwich said it was unhealthy. She made me eat the school food and charged me for it! B****.
I have a friend who was shot in the head and was in a coma for 3 months. When he came to he said every thing smelled like bacon. He tells me that its weird but he still loves bacon. lol
I’m telling you grand son what you just said. I’m reminded of the evening many many years ago when my sister and I came home from school and Momma told us our Easter Rabbits ran away and then we had meat for dinner for the first time in 3 months...
Yeah! And actually I like to be eating bacon to keep the Muslims away from me... LOL..
I got a good blast of bacon at the store today, almost bought some slab bacon for the BB game.. a nice crunchy blt mmMMmm.
Is it halal?
Pure heaven is a bacon and lettuce sandwich (no tomato for me), mayo and white bread toast. Loved em since I was a kid. Didn’t matter whether they were fresh made or stuck in a baggie for school lunch.
Bacon is nature’s perfect food. Period.
Hey. I like all other meat and PETA can stuff it ;-)
If I am ever shot in the head, please, please, feed me a bacon sandwich. My living will.
Grandson knows of my fondness for bacon, but I don’t think he’d eat breakfast at my house if I bought one of his pigs.
I wonder if they need a research assistant?
The bacon in the photo looks closer to ham. What do they put on their bacon buttie? Is that pickled beets next to the sandwich...
The store where I get breakfast smokes there own. It will drive you crazy if you walk in there while they are packaging!
agree...Bacon, an honorary Vegetable.
I’m now hungry for a BLT with home grown tomatoes!
Toast.
Mustard.
Tomatoes!
Lettice (optional)
BACON! piled high.
Toast.
Ambrosia!
Now that’s a classic!
>Meat is murder...tasty tasty murder.
Indeed so!
And, on the subject of pork:
http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Pork/
BACON!
I’m a full-fledged member of PETA... (People for Eating Tasty Animals)...
“I don’t like bacon.”
Rag head!!!
What if we combine this study with the one from about two weeks ago, where the attractiveness of a man driving a £170,000 Bentley vs. the same guy in a £2500 Ford Festiva was studied in great depth? For this exercise, assume that a woman sees a man driving a £170,000 Bentley and cooking a bacon “buttie” when her amino acids are stimulated. Alternatively, suppose the Ford Festiva driver is cooking bacon and emitting bacon dioxide whilst the Bentley driver is not.
Question: Would the sensory stimulation provided by the odor of the cooking bacon be sufficient in a statistically significant number of cases to overcome the woman’s prediliction for men driving £170,000 Bentleys?
Discuss amongst yourselves.
The only thing better than bacon is chipotle sauce. I buy it by the gallon.
mmmmm Bacon....
I just KNEW someone would do that!
For the record, I DO like ham ;-)
BACON EXPLOSION
2lb Thick Cut sliced bacon
1-1/2 lb Italian Sausage, casings removed
3 TBS Barbecue Rub
¾ cup Barbecue Sauce
1. Using ten slices of bacon, weave a square lattice like that on top of a pie: first, place 5 slices of bacon side by side on a large sheet of aluminum foil, parallel to one another, sides touching. Place another strip of bacon on one end, perpendicular to the other strips. Fold first, third and fifth bacon strips back over this new strip, then place another strip next to it, parallel to it Unfold first, third and fifth strips; fold back second and fourth strips. Repeat with remaining bacon until all 10 strips are tightly woven.
2. Preheat oven to 225 degrees or light a fire in an outdoor smoker. Place remaining bacon in a frying pan and cook until crisp. As it cooks, sprinkle bacon weave with one tablespoon barbecue rub. Evenly spread sausage on top of bacon lattice, pressing to outer edges.
3. Crumble fried bacon into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle on top of sausage. Drizzle with ½ cup barbecue sauce and sprinkle with another tablespoon barbecue rub.
4. Very carefully separate front edge of sausage layer from bacon weave and begin rolling sausage away from you. Bacon weave should stay where it was, flat. Press sausage roll to remove any air pockets and pinch together seams and ends.
5. Roll sausage towards you, this time with the bacon weave, until it is completely wrapped. Turn it so that the seam is down. Roll should be about 2 o 3 inches thick. Sprinkle with remaining barbecue rub.
6. Place roll on a baking sheet in oven or in smoker. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer, about 1 hour for each inch of thickness. When done, glaze roll with more sauce. To serve, slice into ¼ to ½ inch rounds.
Yield: 10 or more servings.
"Fats mean that there are some reducing sugars in there as well. When it's really hot – that's when the Maillard reaction starts."There's a duck involved?
If meat is murder, than milk is theft. And possibly sexual assault.
|
|
|||
Gods |
There's a possible genetically coded reason for this, but I don't wanna wreck anybody's meal... |
||
|
· Discover · Nat Geographic · Texas AM Anthro News · Yahoo Anthro & Archaeo · Google · · The Archaeology Channel · Excerpt, or Link only? · cgk's list of ping lists · |
|||
Mmmmmm, Bacon!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
