The Secret of Simmering

Simmering means leaving time some time!

When it comes to cooking, we tend to think ""heat"", but when our food does not immediately reach the desired temperature, we think ""time"".
How long will it take before the meal is suitably cooked?
While this question is crucial for roasts, it does not have any meaning for slow cooking or simmering. Cut a slice of roast beef: the difference in colour between the dark brown skin and the pink and red heart tells you what temperature the meat has reached, but when it comes to a beef stew, the only thing that matters is time…

When you heat food, it causes a reaction. The food changes, as does its taste and texture.
Take the example of an egg. The white coagulates at 62°C (143° F), but you have to reach 68°C (154° F) for the yolk to harden. Every time that we provoke this kind of reaction, we should understand that these reactions also need time.
Sugar does not instantly dissolve in water. It dissolves more quickly in warm water than in cold water, and if we heat that water we will get caramel.
When we heat, it is not just a simple, unique reaction that we create, but a multitude of reactions.
It is all a matter of measure and temperature.

For stews, there are 3 goals to reach:
- to release the entire range of flavours contained in the different ingredients
- to make the meat soft and tender
- to create an exchange between the flavours

Let´s start at the end. When it comes to meat, the main flavours are contained in the fats. These fats are turned into fluids by the heat and become charged up with new tastes