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SECTION 1 • LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING INTRODUCTION
2.
M
EAT AND NUTRITION
Meat plays a significant role in the diet;
therefore, one of the primary goals in food
preparation is proper nutrition. Meat is one of the
best sources of protein; is a rich source of B
vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin;
and includes fats, carbohydrates, minerals,
pigments, enzymes and water.
All of these elements are affected by cooking,
but over-heating destroys many of them. Low
temperature Halo Heat cooking helps preserve
unstable, heat-sensitive vitamins and nutrients.
A report on the Nutrient Analysis of Roast Beef,
conducted by the University of Wisconsin-Stout
in July 1971, concluded, “
…
it is apparent that
Alto-Shaam cooking method results in lower
moisture losses. Even after a 24 hour holding
period, the Alto-Shaam product is nutritionally
equal to, and possibly better than beef roast cooked
in a conventional oven and removed immediately
after cooking.”
Fat contributes greatly to the flavor of meat.
During the cooking process, fat not only melts, but
also changes chemically. With low temperature
cooking there is less chemical change and less fat
melt resulting in a more flavorful finished product.
The enzymes found in meat break down the
tissues and act as natural tenderizing agents. A
premium price is paid for aged meats where this
enzyme action has already started, however;
enzymes are destroyed by high temperatures.
Low temperature cooking does not destroy these
enzymes and, particularly in the hold cycle, creates
this natural chemical action to tenderize or age the
meat right in the oven. For this reason, it is
important to use fresh beef and it is essential to
allow the product to remain in the hold cycle for
at least the minimum amount of time suggested
in the individual procedures. The longer meat is
left in the hold cycle the more tender it becomes,
making the purchase of more expensive, aged
meat unnecessary.
Meat is seventy to seventy-five percent water.
High temperatures cause this water to evaporate
during cooking resulting in loss of product
moisture. Cooking at low temperatures in a Halo
Heat oven retains the maximum amount of water
content resulting in a juicier finished product and
an extended holding life.
Along with better nutrition, a more tender
finished product, less shrinkage and higher
moisture content, meat will not require the addition
of as much salt as needed with conventional
cooking methods. Natural flavors are preserved.
This is a significant factor in today’s health
conscious diets.
LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING INTRODUCTION
LOW T EMP ER ATU RE C OOK IN G FACT S