Confit is one of the oldest ways to preserve food. Connective tissues such as tendons and ligaments contain large amounts of collagen which makes the meat we eat very tough. At F collagen will begin to dissolve and turn into a rich liquid, gelatin. Denaturation of the collagen molecule is a kinetic process, and hence a function of both temperature and duration of heating. Cooking at low temperatures require long periods of time to liquify collagen. This will give meat flavor and a silky texture.
For a comparison of weight loss at different temperatures see why meat shrinks when cooked. Note: Gelatin is a mixture of peptides and proteins formed from broken down collagen. Gelatin is soluble in ot water and forms a gel when cooled. Elastin which is found more frequently in older animals is a yellow connective tissue and does not break down in cooking.
Elastin is found primarily in ligaments but also in smaller amounts in tendons. After confit duck is removed the mixture is cooled and inverted onto a plate. Image shows gelatin solution that settled to the bottom. This is a result of liquids being squeezed out at temperatures above F.
Higher temperatures are needed to breakdown the collagen into gelatin. Minimizing loss of fluids from meat is only possible by cooking at low temperature. Note on Cooking Fish : the collagen levels in fish are much lower than land animals -- except for squid and octopus which are high in collagen. Fat is crucial to meat texture. Waxy when it is cold, fat does not evaporate when you are cooking as does water. It melts and lubricates the fibers as they are getting tougher under the heat.
Fat is also the source of much of the flavor in meat. Fats will not break down during cooking unless the temperature excedes the fats smoke point. The amount of liquid water expelled from muscle fibers is related primarily to the temperature the meat is heated to.
Meat that is cooked above F in a liquid can become dry as water from the meat is release into the bathing solution. How to confit.
How to use a sous vide vacuum bar sealer. By ingredient. How to confit cod. How to confit a duck leg. How to make duck confit sous vide. How to confit egg yolks. How to confit egg yolks sous vide. How to confit hake. How to confit quail leg. How to confit a leg of rabbit. Sign up to our newsletter now. Doesn't the meat dry out or turn greasy?
The process of confit differs from deep frying in one key way: temperature. But before we jump there, what does the word mean, and where does it come from? The word confit pronounced "kon-FEE" derives from the French verb confire , which simply means to preserve. Traditionally, confit simply refers to any sort of preserved food, whether it's meat, fruit, or vegetables. This preservation takes place by slowly cooking food in a liquid that is inhospitable to bacterial growth. Once cooked, the food is then packed into containers and completely submerged in the liquid, creating an impenetrable barrier and preventing any further bacterial growth.
Since the just-cooked food is nearly sterile as it is submerged and is cut off from any potential bacterial contamination sources, it can be thusly stored for a very long time indeed. Properly confit'ed duck legs, for instance, can last several weeks in a cool room, several months in a refrigerator. Confit fruit can last for years. With certain foods—most meats—this storage phase is nearly as important as the initial cooking phase as muscle and connective tissue slowly break down and tenderize.
A well-matured piece of confit duck leg should nearly melt in your mouth, and this is largely the appeal of the cooking method. While the method was originally created as a matter of necessity—meats needed to be preserved in the days before refrigeration—as with many such foods, the process lingers on as a matter of good taste. Originally, meats destined to turn into confit—duck legs, goose, gizzards, kidneys, pork bellies, etc. These days, they're cured simply because, well, it tastes damn good.
Another interesting modern-day twist is that the term "confit," originally a noun, is now used as a verb in modern English-speaking kitchens.
Chances are it has not been aged and stored under its fat or syrup for more than a few days. Heck, it may have been cooked just that morning. So we come again to the question: If we're submerging something in fat and cooking it, how come the results are so different from deep-fat frying? With deep fat frying, the end-game is a crisp, crunchy surface, and the means to get there?
A high temperatures, water is very rapidly and forcefully expelled from surfaces due to evaporation. When you drop a battered cod filet or a breaded chicken finger into hot oil, its water content quickly turns into steam, bubbling up and out of the oil.
Meanwhile, the high heat triggers the Maillard reaction, a series of chemical reactions that develops flavor and turns foods that delicious golden brown. Cooking times are measured in minutes or seconds, and as soon as the food is done, it's retrieved, and served. A confit, on the other hand, is a much cooler affair.
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