Maple-Glazed Pork Roast

Mini Experiment #3

Maple-Glazed Pork Roast (serves 4 - 6 gnomes or 3 normal people)

Final Product: 

Hypothesis: Using 1 and a half teaspoons of red cayenne pepper in the maple mix (instead of a pinch) will enhance the spicy flavor of the pork roast.

Null hypothesis: There will be no difference in the spicy level of the pork with or without the red cayenne pepper.

Independent variable: Red Cayenne Pepper

Dependent variable: Level of spiciness

Standardized variables:
- Skillet temperature
- Stove temperature
- Places where heat was conducted to the skillet
- Room temperature (70° F)

Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup maple syrup, preferably grade B
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   pinch ground cloves
   pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 boneless pork loin roast, preferably blade-end, (about 2 1/2 pounds), tied at even intervals along length with 5 pieces butcher's twine
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Cooking instructions (Experiment):
1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Stir maple syrup, cinnamon, cloves, and cayenne together in measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. Put an extra amount of Cayenne pepper to spice things up (1 1/2 tsp).
3. Pat roast dry with paper towels, then sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed ovenproof 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke, about 3 minutes.
5. Place roast fat-side down in skillet and cook until well browned, about 3 minutes.
6. Using tongs, rotate roast one-quarter turn and cook until well browned, about 2 1/2 minutes; repeat until roast is well browned on all sides.
7. Transfer roast to large plate. Reduce heat to medium and pour off fat from skillet.
8. Add maple syrup mixture and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (syrup will bubble immediately). 
9. Turn the heat off and return roast to skillet; using tongs, roll to coat roast with glaze on all sides.
10. Place skillet in oven and roast until center of roast registers about 135 degrees on instant-read thermometer.
11. 35 to 45 minutes, using tongs to roll and spin roast to coat with glaze twice during roasting time. I personally did it 4 times (40 minutes / every 10 minutes)

Roast center registers 135° F

Roast center registers 145° F

12.Transfer roast to carving board or plate; set skillet aside to cool slightly to thicken glaze, about 5 minutes.
13. Pour glaze over roast and let rest 15 minutes longer (center of loin should register about 145
degrees on instant-read thermometer).
14. Snip twine off roast, cut into 1/4-inch slices, and serve immediately.

(Source: America's Test Kitchen - The science of good cooking)

Results:
The hypothesis was supported because I gave it to my roommates to try and all three of them said it had a little spicy kick. Good enough to be comfortable when you eat the pork roast. A side dish that would go well with the sweetness of this dish would be garlic sauteed greens, Hispanic rice (Arroz amarillo) or braised cabbage.

Roast on skillet in the oven

Roast done set on a plate

In the book it says how many roasts turn out dry, but the glazes are actually even a bigger problem for the cook. Some are too thin, too sweet, too much of a maple flavor, etc. America's Test Kitchen wanted a glistening roast, which, when sliced, would combine the juices from tender, well-seasoned pork with a rich maple glaze to create complex flavor in every bite. And it really happened. I was surprised how juicy the roast was once its cut. I really thought that caramelizing the maple sauce would make it crispy and overcooked. However, I realized how different it was when combining the savory-sweet and salty flavors.

Browning the roast will enhance a flavorful ­exterior. The grease that the pork had and is still on the skillet has to be discarded immediately. That's when the maple mix is poured on to the skillet.
The science behind the skillet is the following: the smaller area of the skillet kept the glaze from spreading out and burning, and the glaze reduced nicely while the roast cooked. Also rolling the roast in the glaze, just like I did rolling it every 10 minutes for 40 minutes ensured even coverage and resulted in a tender, juicy roast packed with maple flavor an a kick of spicy too.

Problems:
Very challenging for me since it is my very first recipe word by word that I follow, except for the cayenne pepper. I think that roasting in this recipe is not as demanding as doing some other roasting. People were telling me not to do it because I was going to be in the kitchen for 6 hours at least. And I have been and I like it; even if the cooking took me only an hour and a half just the pure emotion and excitement were amazing.
I would have loved to have exactly a 10-inch skillet or a perfectly 2 and a half pound pork loin roast, but I guess that would not have changed the final product much.

 Pictures of the experiment:

Cooking with my cooking hat on

Final presentation (Iron Prawn)

Sugar extraction from soda can

Mini Experiment #2

Sugar extraction from soda can

Hypothesis: A considerable amount of sugar different to the 'sugars' shown in the Nutritional Value (32 g) table of the soda (ginger ale) will be extracted by boiling the liquid on a pot.

Null hypothesis: There will be no difference in the amount of sugar extracted, it will be the same amount.

Independent variable: Soda can (ginger ale)

Dependent variable: Amount of sugar extracted from the soda can (measured in grams)

Standardized variables:
- Cooking pot temperature (boiling point)
- Time it takes to evaporate the liquid (13 minutes)
- Places where heat was conducted to the pot
- Weight of a standard soda can (12 fl oz = 354 g)

Ingredients:
- Schweppes Ginger Ale soda can (12 fl oz)
- Cooking pot (any size)

Experiment:
1. Weigh the cooking pot on a scale (45 g in this experiment)
2. Open the soda can and pour it in a measuring cup to get the volume if needed but usually it will be the same for soda cans (12 fl oz = 354 g)
3. Pour the liquid into the cooking pot, place it on the stove and bring heat to boil.
4. Check the soda as it gets evaporated and stir frequently with a metal spoon (preferably) until a thick brown layer of liquid is on the bottom of the cooking pot.
5. Remove the cooking pot from the stove. Let it cool down then weigh the cooking pot again with the liquid in it.
6. The weight of the cooking pot will be subtracted from the last recorded weight of the pot with sugar.
7. The weight recorder will be the amount of sugar of the soda can.

Results:
The soda evaporated in 13 minutes leaving a fairly thick and sticky layer of brown liquid on the bottom of the cooking pot. The results rejected the hypothesis because the amount of sugar found in the can by boiling it is very similar (32 g in can vs. 31.3 g in pot)

The liquid (soda) exposed to heat evaporated leaving a thick layer of brown liquid that was measured in grams on a scale. It is very simple to obtain the number of grams the sugar weigh. The firs measurement that is supposed to be taken is the pot itself which weighs 45 grams.

At the very end of the process, after the cooking pot cools down a measurement of weight has to be taken with the liquid inside the pot. Afterwards, simple math is applied and the initial measurement of only the pot is subtracted from the full weight of the pot with the sugars inside.

The hypothesis was rejected because the amount of sugars obtained was incredibly close to what the Nutritional Value table says on the back of the soda can.

Weight of the cooking pot with sugar in it

Problems:
It is very hard to determine when is it only sugar left in the bottom of the pan. Maybe I burned more sugar than what I was supposed to or less. Also, since it is a sticky liquid it attaches to the pot somehow so not all of it will be measured.
It would be interesting to test it with other types of soda like Coke or Sprite.

Pictures of the experiment:

Pouring soda in the pot

Sugar left in cooking pot

Group - Mini experiment #1

Group - Mini Experiment #1

Hypothesis: The avocado half without salt will brown first.

Null hypothesis: There is no difference in brownness of the avocado halves, whether or not they have salt on them.

Independent variable: Salt (amount of salt) (1 teaspoon)

Dependent variable: Time it takes the avocado to get brown. Approximate percentage of area turned brown.

Standardized variables:
- Fridge temperature (40 degrees F approx.)
- Same avocado cut in half
- Size of both halves
- Weight of the avocado halves
- Thickness and depth of the halves

Ingredients:
- Hyvee Hass Avocado (year round growth)
- 1 tablespoon of salt

Experiment:
1. Slice the avocado in two perfect halves and remove the seed.
2. Utilize a teaspoon of salt (approximately 5.69 g)
3. Rub gently 1 teaspoon of salt on one half of the avocado.
4. Place both halves in the fridge (fridge temperature of 39.6° F)
5. Check the avocado after 6 hours and see which one got brown first or covered most of the area.

Results:
Both avocados halves went through the same process of refrigeration at 39.6° F exposed for 6 hours.
One avocado half was rubbed with 1 teaspoon of salt and it resulted to be the first one to brown and the brownness covered most of the avocado half.

Avocado halves after being exposed
to variables.

Avocado halves just cut

The avocado without salt surprisingly did not brown at all or at least in the experimentation area. The avocado half that had salt developed a thin liquid layer or crystalline water and looked like sweaty. This was salty water that formed with the salt crystals and the avocado half. 

The hypothesis was rejected because salt indeed helped to accelerate the process of the avocado half to get brown. Personally I will be careful for the preparation of guacamole in the group experiment because this could really accelerate the process of the avocado to get brown.

Problems:
If possible it could be useful to see if any other component such as key lime juice would decelerate the process and put salt at the same time. This would let us see if there is like a clash of one component that accelerates the process and one that decelerates. Like this we could tell which one has a predominance over the other.
Also both avocados were left on the bottom of the fridge and it would be nice to test it in a perfect world where your roommates don't open the door of the fridge every hour.