The idea that when you cook a dish that uses wine, the heat of the cooking will eventually burn off all of the alcohol, turns out to be a myth.

There are some cooks who like the taste that wine imparts to cooked food, but they don’t like the thought of their dish being alcoholic, even if it’s very slightly so.  So they proceed, assuring themselves that the alcohol is being evaporated or otherwise destroyed by the cooking process.

Sorry, but the truth is that it’s impossible to cook all of the alcohol out of any food to which is has been added.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture tested a half-dozen recipes containing alcohol.  The department’s researchers found in this study that alcohol has incredible staying power.

As the Mayo clinic puts it: When your Cherries Jubiliee or your Baked Alaska is ignited at your tableside, approximately 75% of the alcohol still remains when the dish is served. If the alcohol is stirred into a dish that is then baked for an hour, about 25% still remains. It has been found that 45% of the dry sherry lingers after 25 minutes of cooking scalloped oysters after 25 minutes of cooking.  Further, a trace of burgundy wine is still present after simmering a pot roast for more than two hours!

The same thing goes for alcohol in other products besides wine.  If you;ve been advised  not to consumer alcohol at all, it’s a good idea to avoid recipes calling for it, or to substitute something else, such as lemon juice or vinegar.