Results: Maillard or Caramelize?

How do you prefer to cook your bacon?

Bacon actually goes through two separate chemical reactions on its way to becoming golden brown and delicious. Probably the most well known is caramelization, which occurs at temperatures above 320 degrees fahrenheit. When you caramelize meat, the color comes from sugars being browned and brings out a nutty, caramel type flavor. The other reaction is called the Maillard reaction, which occurs when denatured proteins on the surface of the meat recombine with the sugars. This reaction occurs fairly rapidly at 300 degrees, but in certain conditions it can occur at much lower temperatures. While it looks similar to caramelization, the flavors it contributes are slightly different. The Maillard reaction in bacon is associated with meaty or umami type flavors. Were you aware of these two different reactions?

With bacon, it is possible to enjoy both of these reactions in the same slice since at around 350 degrees both reactions will be occurring. However, it is also a perfect medium to explore the differences between the two. As a demonstration for a friend, I cooked some slices at 300 degrees in the oven for a little over an hour allowing most of the browning to come from the Maillard reaction. Then I cooked some at 400 degrees so most of the browning came from caramelization. Is this an experiment you will try?

Do you enjoy learning about the chemical processes that occur when you cook?