One important aspect of molecular gastronomy is the application
of scientific principles to food preparation in a normal
kitchen. This can very well be illustrated by discussing the
preparation of a steak. The surface of the meat needs to be
heated to > 120 °C (250 F) for the Maillard reaction to take
place at a reasonable rate. This gives meat much of it’s
characteristic aroma. The interior of the meat however should
not be heated to more than 50-65 °C (120-150 F) for a rare or a
medium rare appearance. If the heat is provided by a frying pan
with a temperature typically in the range 120-160 °C (250-320
F), the different temperature required for the interior and the
surface of the meat can actually be quite difficult to achieve.
Bringing the meat to room temperature before cooking by taking
it out of the fridge 1-2 hours in advance helps. Also, half way
through the cooking it’s advisable to let the meat rest on a
plate to allow the heat to diffuse into the interior and to let
the surface cool down a little.