What is the difference between having some “char” and something being burnt? Why is one something often preferred and the other pretty much universally hated?

Question

Say you’re having steaks for instance; Why is it that a bit of char tastes good (to a lot of people), but it’s different than being burnt? Isn’t charring just some level of burning? And what makes the difference between when something will taste charred or burnt?

In: 3

Answer 1

When you char a steak your burning off some of the grease and oils from the meat and other products you added. This performs two tasks, it seals in the moisture by creating a crust on the surface of the meat. This gives you juicier meat, and holds the flavors in. As well the slight charing concentrates the flavors of the meat, seasonings or sauces supplied. Over all giving you a more flavorful meal.

Burning however you lose moisture because as it burns it opens up the fibers in the meat and boils it off. As well burning releases acids into the meat, causing the sour flavors you get (charring does as well, but the amount released is very small). The loss of moisture and acids also toughens the meat making it unpalatable.