Cuttlefish

Thicker and denser than squid, cuttlefish body meat possesses ultra-resistant crossed muscle fibers. To thwart this toughness, culinary science employs the "checkered scoring" technique. Superficial incisions crosshatch the surface of the mantle. Upon contact with the blazing hot plancha, the thermal shock forces the flesh to curl up like a pinecone. This technique breaks the tension of the fibers and multiplies the contact surface area for the Maillard reaction tenfold.