Applying Scientific Principles to Cooking - Science Outside the Classroom

Written by founder, William Brooke, this blog breaks cooking down into core, reusable principles rather than recipes. Using ragu as an example, it explains flavour balance, Maillard reactions, protein chemistry, collagen-to-gelatine conversion, and finishing techniques, showing how understanding what’s happening at a molecular level lets you cook intuitively, confidently, and creatively.

Cooking Without Recipes - Understanding the Science of

Cooking

I have a terrible memory. At school I gravitated to STEM subjects where memory recall is limited and instead a few core principles are understood and then built upon and applied in various scenarios. After all, once we understand a thing there is nothing left to remember, we just ‘know’ how it works.

With this in mind, and a little effort up front, we can develop an understanding of the key principles in different domains to give us a toolkit which can be applied to diverse situations.

Let’s apply this to my favourite everyday task: cooking. 

There are a handful of culinary techniques and by understanding what is happening on a molecular/biological level we can apply these techniques in a range of different dishes, and there is no need to memorise or look up recipes once we understand what is happening ‘under the hood’.

For the purpose of this article and to explain culinary chemistry, we’ll be referring to cooking a beef ragu. 

Principle 1: How Flavour Is Built in Cooking

Understanding Taste, Aromatics, and Balance

There are five major flavour groups: sweet, salty, bitter, sour, umami. Alongside these there are various aromats, and spice levels (which technically activates nerve endings as opposed to taste buds and can be considered distinct from these).

In our dish we will identify which ingredients will contribute to the different flavour groups.

• Sweet – the sofrito (onion, carrot, celery, garlic), tomatoes

• Salty – pancetta, salt, parmesan, stock

• Bitter – some contribution from the caramelisation of the meat but in general not desirable, we will limit contributors to these.

• Sour – vinegar, tomatoes

• Umami – the meats (heightened through Maillard reactions, see below), tomato puree and passata, milk, butter, parmesan.

In addition to the main flavour groups there are a wide and diverse range of molecules which contribute to different types of flavours and aromas. These can loosely be grouped under the term ‘aromats’, in our recipe we will select a handful of herbs to provide these alongside the stock, red wine, the vegetables and so on.

A rule of thumb for selecting these is ‘if it grows together, it goes together’. Namely if there are different ingredients that grow in similar geographic areas they are likely to complement each other.

We can get an intuitive sense for why this might be the case: the flavour molecules in the ingredient are influenced by the makeup of the soil, the animals which pollinate or fertilise the ingredients, the amount of water and sunlight, and so on. Essentially, produce with similar inputs are more likely to contain structurally similar chemical molecules.

Principle 2: How Heat Creates New Flavours

The Maillard Reaction Explained 

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids (from proteins) and reducing sugars when food is heated in a hot pan (approximately above 140°C), in a low moisture environment. These reactions take place on the surface of the meat which is in contact with the pan, turning the beef from red or grey to a golden brown colour.

These brown, caramelised areas have a whole suite of new, rich flavour molecules, both appetising in taste and smell. Furthermore, although these high temperatures contribute to drying out meat, the new compounds formed increase the amount of saliva we produce whilst eating and so give the illusion that the food has more moisture than it actually does.

Volatile Chemicals in Fresh Produce

There are a wide variety of different molecules which contribute to flavour in fresh produce. These molecules have different levels of volatility/stability. When applying heat, the more volatile molecules quickly break down, while other molecules may form by processes such as the Maillard reactions above, or by molecules in the product itself combining (the chef’s term for this is “marrying”).

In tomatoes, as in a lot of fruit and vegetables, the delicate “green” or fresh notes are largely made up of volatile molecules and these flavours are quickly lost upon cooking. Whilst caramelisation creates sweeter and richer notes, desirable in our case when making a ragu.

If however we want both the rich and the fresh notes in our dish, we could add fresh tomatoes at the end of the dish, or we could add a few leaves and stems from the tomato plant at the end of the dish only briefly as these contain very high concentrations of these volatile, “green” molecules.

Principle 3: How Protein Chemistry Controls Texture

Using Milk, Acidity, and Enzymes to Tenderise Meat

Milk changes the chemical composition of protein molecules in meat through a combination of denaturation, enzymatic action, and chemical tenderization. When used as a marinade or braising liquid, milk weakens meat fibres without the harsh, toughening effects of strong acids. 

Although mild, the lactic acid in milk (and especially buttermilk or yogurt) lowers the pH of the meat. This acidity causes meat proteins to denature (unfold) slightly, creating a more tender texture, as the proteins are less tightly bound together. 

In addition, the calcium in milk acts as a catalyst that triggers enzymes within the meat to break down its own proteins, a process similar to how aging tenderizes meat.

Principle 4: Why Slow Cooking Creates Richness

Collagen, Gelatin, and the Science of Mouth-feel 

There are many ways of thickening sauces, but one of the best ways of achieving this (whilst making it taste especially tender) is to incorporate gelatin into the sauce via the breaking down of collagen found in connective tissues.

Collagen is found in skin, bones, connective tissues. It is made up of amino acids which form a very strong triple helix structure.

Collagen starts breaking down (denaturing) around 160°F (71°C), but needs extended time at higher temperatures, often between 170°F to 200°F (77°C to 93°C) or more, to fully convert into gelatin. We achieve this through “low and slow” cooking.

These gelatin molecules are no longer locked in the triple helix structure and are free to individually move around the sauce. However, once the sauce cools, the gelatin molecules no longer have the kinetic energy from the energy provided through heat transfer. They settle into a lower energy state by forming a tangled, 3-dimensional network with other gelatin molecules.

This network traps a large amount of the water (and flavour) molecules within its structure through capillary forces, transforming a thin liquid into a viscous, thickened sauce. 

Gelatin melts at a temperature just below human body temperature. As the food is chewed, the gelatin gel melts in the mouth, releasing the trapped moisture and flavour, which the brain interprets as a rich, smooth, and "juicy" sensation. In low-fat products, gelatin can mimic the creamy, rich mouthfeel of fat by creating a structured yet smooth consistency, contributing to the perception of succulence without the extra calories.

Principle 5: Finishing a Dish Using Scientific Balance

Adjusting Richness, Acidity, and Freshness at the End

We now have the main ideas in place to make a pleasurable ragu. Once cooked we can taste the dish and then make different finishing touches to improve flavour, texture, appearance, and mouth-feel.

If we want to perhaps counteract the acidity of the dish from the tomatoes, whilst also adding richness and creaminess we can add a splash of milk.

If we want to improve appearance we can add a few knobs of butter to bring a gloss to the sauce, which will also increase the richness and mouth-feel of the dish if desirable.

If we want to balance against the richness of the dish, making the dish feel "lighter" and "fresher", we can add a combination of sweet and sour via a gastrique: a mixture of caramelized sugar and vinegar, which also adds a range of complex and subtle new flavour molecules.

Heating the sugar and vinegar together causes them to break down and transform into hundreds of new, complex flavour compounds through a process of pyrolysis. The addition of an acidic liquid (vinegar) stops the caramelization process and dissolves the sugar solids. As the mixture reduces, the water content in the vinegar evaporates, concentrating both the sugar and the acetic acid. The interaction between the acid and sugar creates a balanced flavour profile that is more complex than just mixing the ingredients cold. 

Beyond balancing richness, the acidity stimulates the production of saliva, which helps to wash away fatty droplets from the taste receptors in the mouth, further enhancing the perception of the dish's balance.

Bringing It All Together - Beef Ragu Method  

With this in mind we determine a recipe for ragu which considers the molecular ingredients and how they are modified by the addition of heat over time.

1. Sweat pancetta, add diced onion, carrot, celery, cook on low heat, add garlic and cook (keep the vegetables pale, we don’t want to brown or caramelise them as this adds bitter flavours, we are using these ingredients primarily to bring sweetness to the dish, as well as aromats).

2. Remove the vegetables (known as a sofrito). To the pan add ground beef (50% shin, 50% chuck) on a medium heat, brown fully. Release all water from the beef. Keep breaking it up in the pan as it will clump. Cook until it has a dark brown caramelisation (this is when we have achieved the Maillard reactions). Keep scraping the pan regularly to lift the fond off the bottom of the pan. Season the beef here, but not too much as salt is introduced via pancetta and stock.

3. Dice pork belly (the collagen in the belly breaks down into gelatine which thickens and enriches the sauce as it cooks). Add once the beef is fully coloured

4. Add tomato puree and cook until it is caramelised (it loses the bright red colour)

5. Add a splash of milk (approx. 50-100ml), this softens meat fibres and tenderizes the meat, once the milk is fully absorbed, add red wine and reduce wine approximately 50%, scrape all the fond off the bottom of the pan.

6. Add the sofrito back to the pan, add tomato passata, parmesan rind, bayleaf and thyme.

7. Add chicken or beef stock.

8. Cover and cook in the oven at 120 degrees for 4.5 hours to develop flavour molecules and fully convert the collagen in the pork belly to gelatin.

9. Make a gastrrique (100gr vinegar in a pan, add 50gr sugar), bring to boil and simmer for a minute or two

10. Take sauce out the oven, remove herbs and parmesan rind

11. Add 50ml milk, some knobs of butter, add a few spoons of gastrique to taste

Culinary Chemistry & The Benefits of Intuitive Cooking

Cooking shows us the power of learning through principles rather than just instruction. When a student understands why something behaves the way it does, they are no longer dependent on recipes, rules, or memorisation. They can reason, adapt and create independently.

This way of thinking sits at the heart of Witherow Brooke’s educational philosophy. 

Our approach to online homeschooling and academic support is built around deep conceptual understanding, not memorising or surface-level exam technique. 

For families seeking a bespoke education, this principle-driven approach allows learning to extend far beyond the classroom. Whether through interdisciplinary exploration, applied problem-solving, or intellectually rich discussion, students are supported to develop confidence, curiosity and independence.

Similar to how understanding the science of cooking frees you from following recipes, a first-principles education empowers students to think critically and adapt through life experiences.

To start your journey with Witherow Brooke, enquire today.