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cooking guidelines - deluxe control • 2
LOW TEMPERATURE COOKING FACTS
INTRODUCTION
MEAT 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.