What You Need to Know
The Maillard reaction between surface proteins and sugars occurs optimally at 140–165 °C, creating melanoidins that give the crust its brown color and savory flavor. Collagen in the connective tissue hydrolyzes into gelatin between 60–70 °C, while fat rendering begins around 40 °C and continues as the meat approaches 70–80 °C, providing a self‑basting effect that keeps the interior juicy. Herb essential oils such as thymol, carvacrol, and rosmarinic acid volatilize at 120–180 °C, infusing the meat with aromatic compounds that also act as mild antioxidants.
The Science
Primary Reaction
Maillard reaction and collagen hydrolysis to gelatin