How to Reduce Weight Loss in Dishes: The Slow Cooking Technology

Slow cooked pork leg

How does it work?

The principle of cooking at low temperatures (65 °C, 71 °C, 121 °C) allows you to obtain tender and juicy pieces of meat because the proteins do not have time to transform into collagen, release the connective fibers in the meat, and compress the muscle structure. As a result, dehydration is minimal, meaning there are almost no losses of water weight or total product mass.

There are two key factors that control shrinkage and weight loss during cooking.

1. Temperature at which the meat is cooked

   
   

The higher the cooking temperature, the greater the shrinkage losses. Overcooking also leads to significant weight loss. High temperatures and excessive cooking time push moisture to the surface, where it evaporates or drains away.

2. Internal temperature of the meat

   
   

As mentioned above, overcooking leads to excessively high internal temperatures in the meat, which results in greater weight loss. Because of this, I recommend cooking red meat at 71 °C for longer cooking or at 121 °C for shorter cooking times, always controlling the process by measuring the internal temperature of the product. It is recommended to use a digital thermometer such as the Steba AC 11.

Pepper-crusted slow-cooked pork neck

Products are placed into a combi oven for slow cooking.

Loading five different types of meat for slow cooking at the same temperature.

Slow cooking for 12–18 hours in a UNOX oven.

Slow cooking can be performed in any convection oven or combi-steamer.

Four main factors for determining the correct cooking time for meat.

1. Age of the meat and part of the carcass

   
   

Older meat cooks faster, loses more moisture, and can have a shorter shelf life after cooking compared to fresh meat.

The redder the meat, the higher the myoglobin content. This means the animal used this muscle group more intensively. These include the hind leg, front and rear shank, rump, neck, and brisket. Parts such as flank, top sirloin, diaphragm, striploin, and tenderloin cook much faster.

2. Initial internal temperature before cooking

   
   

The meat should be placed directly from the refrigerator, where the temperature is 3–4 °C, into a preheated heating cabinet.

Frozen meat, such as cut blocks of trimming or frozen hindquarters from Uruguay or Paraguay, will require approximately one and a half to two times longer cooking time. In addition, tissue damage caused by freezing leads to extra moisture loss and therefore greater shrinkage.

3. Desired level of doneness

   
   

The higher the required internal temperature of the product, the longer the cooking time will be. The cooking times indicated in this guide are based on reaching the mandatory internal temperature of 65 °C inside the product in accordance with sanitary regulations.

Slow-cooked picanha

4. Quantity and quality of the product

Proofing cabinets such as Hurakan are simple to use and maintain. After placing the raw product inside and setting the temperature (up to 80 °C in dry mode without water and above 80 °C strictly in humid mode with water), there is no need to constantly check or turn the product or adjust time and temperature settings.

The cooking process requires minimal time and effort. This advantage allows your staff to focus on other tasks such as preparing the final dish and plating.

When using a heating cabinet, external ventilation and exhaust hoods are generally not required. The air in the kitchen remains fresher, and energy costs are reduced because the cabinet consumes minimal electricity.

Since an exhaust hood is not required, the cabinet can be installed almost anywhere: in a kitchen corner, on a buffet line, or in a banquet room.

The oven can also be built into a counter or, to save space, even placed in a dry storage room.

Using low-temperature ovens also reduces the time required for cleaning equipment. Most products do not contaminate the internal walls of the chamber.

Temperature modes and cooking times in heating cabinets and combi ovens in slow-cooking mode.

Product slow cooking in stretch film (food-grade plastic wrap with at least 10 layers) or foil in convection mode or in a heating cabinet.