culinary-technique

name	culinary-technique
description	Use when selecting a cooking method for a protein or cut, diagnosing a broken or under-developed sauce, calculating reduction targets, choosing temperature and time for braising / searing / sous-vide / pressure-cooking, or explaining what heat and time do chemically (Maillard, caramelization, collagen breakdown, emulsion formation).

Culinary Technique

Reasoning about transformations: what heat, time, and pressure do to ingredients.

When the chef agent calls this skill

Invoked in the GROUNDING, SYNTHESIZE, and GUIDE phases. Match the question to one of the procedures below.

"What technique should I use for this protein or cut?"

1. Open reference.md → Section 2: State Changes & Structural Breakdown
2. Identify the cut by collagen content + fat content
3. Return: braise vs. pressure-cook vs. sous-vide vs. dry-heat with target temps and times
   • Collagen-rich, tough → braise (70–80°C / 160–180°F, 3–6 hr) or pressure (115–120°C / 240–250°F, ~3× faster)
   • Lean, tender → dry-heat (sear, roast) or precise sous-vide
   • High fat, intermediate → sous-vide for control + finishing sear

"How do I get the right browning?"

1. Open reference.md → Section 1: Maillard Reaction & Caramelization
2. Identify the desired flavor outcome (sweet caramel, savory crust, bitter complex char)
3. Return: target temperature + time + visual cues + the chemistry
   • Maillard (140–165°C / 285–330°F): amino acid + reducing sugar → pyrazines, thiazoles, melanoidins
   • Caramelization (160–190°C / 320–375°F): pure sugar pyrolysis
   • Strecker degradation at higher temps: bitter, complex notes

"My sauce is broken / too thin / too thick"

1. Open reference.md → Section 4: Troubleshooting & Decision Trees FIRST
2. If emulsion-related, also consult Section 3: Emulsification & Reduction
3. Return: diagnosis + rescue procedure (yolk re-emulsion, lecithin add, water drizzle, additional reduction, starch slurry, butter mount)

"What is this technique doing chemically?"

1. Open reference.md for the relevant section
2. Return: the mechanism in plain language + the temperature / time thresholds where the chemistry shifts (so the user knows what to watch for)

Worked example

Pinto beans slow-simmered with pork shoulder:

• Pork shoulder = high collagen, high fat → braise at 70–80°C / 160–180°F for 3–4 hr so collagen → gelatin
• Beans cook in the same liquid → starch gelatinization + slow flavor diffusion from the pork's rendered fat and gelatin
• Final reduction concentrates glutamates and raises gelatin viscosity → glossy, body-rich pot liquor

Reference

The full chemistry, temperatures, decision trees, and worked examples live in reference.md. When you read a section, cite the H2 heading so the user can verify and trace the source.