Al hervir demasiado la carne, pasa de estar cruda a quedar muy cocida en poco tiempo, así que debemos agarrar con cuidado la olla.

Al + infinitive is a very common Spanish structure. It often means when, upon, or by doing something.

So al hervir demasiado la carne means something like:

• when boiling the meat too much
• if the meat is boiled too long
• by overboiling the meat

In this sentence, it introduces the situation that causes what happens next.

Spanish often leaves out subject pronouns when they are understood from context.

Here, the subject is generic: it means you, we, or someone in general. English often does the same with you:

• If you boil the meat too much...

So the sentence is not talking about one specific person; it is making a general statement.

Here demasiado means too much or more naturally in English too long / excessively.

In hervir demasiado la carne, it does not mean there is too much meat. It means the action of boiling is excessive.

So the idea is:

• to boil the meat too much
• to overboil the meat

The subject of pasa is la carne, even though it is not repeated.

Spanish often avoids repeating nouns when the subject is already clear. So this part means:

• the meat goes from being raw to becoming very cooked

A more explicit version would be:

• La carne pasa de estar cruda a quedar muy cocida...

Pasar de ... a ... means to go from ... to ... or to change from ... to ....

In this sentence:

• pasa de estar cruda = it goes from being raw
• a quedar muy cocida = to ending up very cooked

It is a very useful pattern for talking about change:

• Pasó de ser tímido a ser muy sociable.
• La situación pasó de mala a peor.

This is about nuance.

• estar cruda describes the meat’s state at the beginning: it is raw
• quedar muy cocida emphasizes the result after the process: it ends up very cooked

Quedar often means to end up, to turn out, or to be left in a certain state.

So:

• estar cruda = to be raw
• quedar muy cocida = to end up very cooked / overcooked

You could also say pasar de estar cruda a estar muy cocida, but quedar highlights the resulting state more clearly.

Because they agree with la carne, which is a feminine singular noun.

In Spanish, adjectives usually agree in gender and number with the noun they describe:

• la carne cruda
• la carne cocida

If the noun were masculine, the forms would change:

• el pescado crudo
• el pescado cocido

Because muy is used before adjectives and adverbs, while mucho is used with nouns or as a pronoun/adjective.

Here cocida is an adjective, so you need muy:

• muy cocida = very cooked

Compare:

• mucha carne = a lot of meat
• muy cocida = very cooked

En poco tiempo means in a short time.

It tells you how quickly the change happens:

• the meat goes from raw to very cooked in a short time

So it modifies the whole idea of the transition, not just cocida.

Así que means so, therefore, or so then.

It connects the first idea to the consequence:

• the meat changes very quickly,
• so we must handle the pot carefully.

It is a very common way to introduce a result or conclusion.

Debemos + infinitive means we should, we must, or we ought to.

So:

• debemos agarrar = we should/must hold

It expresses obligation or advice.

Spanish often uses deber this way:

• Debemos salir temprano.
• Debes estudiar más.

Yes, agarrar is understood in Spain, but in everyday Spain Spanish, coger is often more common for to take/hold/pick up.

So a Spaniard might also say:

• debemos coger con cuidado la olla
• debemos coger la olla con cuidado

That said, agarrar is perfectly understandable. It can sound a bit more like grip or grab firmly.

Con cuidado means carefully or more literally with care.

In the sentence it appears as:

• debemos agarrar con cuidado la olla

That is grammatical, but Spanish also very naturally allows:

• debemos agarrar la olla con cuidado

Both mean the same thing. The second version may sound a little more natural to many speakers, but both are correct.

Spanish uses definite articles much more often than English.

Here:

• la carne = the meat
• la olla = the pot

Even when English might say just meat or pot, Spanish often prefers the article, especially when talking about something specific or something understood from context.

Yes. A learner-friendly version would be:

• Si hierves demasiado la carne, pasa de estar cruda a quedar muy cocida en poco tiempo...

That means if you boil the meat too much...

The original al + infinitive is a little more compact and slightly more formal or written in tone, but both are valid.