| " What is the exact difference between tough and tender meat? " Hi there, I just discovered your site and I very much like it! As a biologist and amateur cook I am always interested in the place where science and enjoyment meet! My question is about tenderness: what is the exact difference between tough and tender meat? Thanks in advance and keep up your nice cooking site! Dr. Klaus Bendrat | | | | Dear Klaus, Thanks for the good question about the tenderness and toughness in meat. Tenderness starts with the age of the animal, and the amount of exercise it receives. As an animal gets older, and if it's allowed to graze, it receives more exercise. Therefore, its muscles are more developed (and tougher). Working muscles however, also accumulate flavor extractives in the muscle fibers. So less tender cuts cooked with care are also very tasty. | | Your question also provides the opportunity to mention to readers the special " Meat " section also on this site. There's lots to learn from the information posted there. With reference to a close-up look on tenderness, all meat is composed of muscle fibers, connective tissue, fat, and bone. One of the major influences on tenderness is connective tissue. The two types of connective tissue we hear about most often are collagen and elastin . Collagen surrounds individual muscle fibers, as well as uniting bundles of muscle fibers that make up the muscles themselves. Collagenous connective tissue is also found in the tendons that attach muscle to bone, as well as the skin and the bones. So, collagen predominates over elastin in most cuts of meat, except for some muscles in the round, the chuck (or shoulder area), and some cuts from the legs. You can usually distinguish the type of tissue by color. Collagenous connective tissue appears pearly white, while connective tissue in which elastin predominates is yellowish and is usually removed by the butcher. The relevance of connective tissue to cooking is that collagen dissolves in hot water, so less tender cuts where connective tissue is well developed benefit from cooking with moisture. In contrast, fibers of elastin are not tenderized by moist heat, and therefore remain tough. In mature, well-exercised animals, connective tissue is considered a major contributor to toughness. Therefore, the quality of meat, where the cut comes from on the carcass, and the cooking method all influence tenderness. In meat from younger animals with little-exercised muscles, tenderness is strongly affected by how the carcass is handled before being purchased by the consumer. About 24 hours after slaughter, the muscles become rigid and stretch less easily in a process called rigor. Cross-links form between components in the filaments of the muscle fibers and become locked in place. This is why aging is important, for given sufficient time muscles regain their pliability. Aging is accomplished in various ways. It's also a complex process in terms of the changes that occur, and how quickly they take place. However, it does improve tenderness. We hope you'll continue to visit this site and check out the discussion forum . As you're both an amateur cook and a biologist, you can likely add information from a different perspective. That's what makes a lively discussion! Cheers,
Anne and Sue |
FAQs
Conduction: direct contact with a heat source, such as in a cooking pan. This is generally directional, and it helps you sauté scallops or sear steak, for example. Convection: heat transfer via air or water. This happens in an oven and is more even in nature, meaning your roast beef gets warmed all the way around.
What is the scientific approach to cooking? ›
Molecular gastronomy includes the study of how different cooking temperatures affect eggs, their viscosity, surface tension, and different ways of introducing air into them. Spherification of juices and other liquids is a technique of molecular gastronomy.
What are the scientific principles of cooking? ›
Let's take a closer look at a few reactions between heat and food and discover the scientific principles behind some of our favorite dishes.
- Maillard Reaction: The Browning Magic. ...
- Protein Denaturation: Changing Structures. ...
- Gelatinization: The Science of Starch. ...
- Caramelization: Sugars at Work. ...
- Cooking Oil and Heat Transfer.
The relevance of connective tissue to cooking is that collagen dissolves in hot water, so less tender cuts where connective tissue is well developed benefit from cooking with moisture. In contrast, fibers of elastin are not tenderized by moist heat, and therefore remain tough.
What is the science behind food? ›
What is Food Science? Food science draws from many disciplines, including biology, chemical engineering, and biochemistry to better understand food processes and improve food products for the general public. As the stewards of the field, food scientists study the physical, microbial, and chemical makeup of food.
What is the science of cooking called? ›
molecular gastronomy, the scientific discipline concerned with the physical and chemical transformations that occur during cooking.
Is cooking an exact science? ›
All cooking is scientific in nature, but with baking there is a very specific scientific interplay between ingredients.
What are the physics of cooking? ›
The product of time, temperature and nature of medium used for cooking can decide the quality of food. Understanding the concept of thermal conductivity, specific heat and thermal diffusivity can lead to optimized time of cooking.
What is the chemistry of cooking? ›
Any cooking you do involves chemistry. The use of heat, cold, and cutting changes the composition of foods. Even simply slicing an apple sets off chemical reactions that change the color of the apple's flesh. If you heat up sugar to turn it into syrup, you're using a chemical reaction.
What cuts of meat are high in collagen? ›
Meat on bones, such as ribs, oxtail, wings, drumsticks and shanks, contains collagen-rich connective tissues and cartilage. These cuts require slow cooking methods like braising, stewing, or roasting to break down the collagen and create tender, flavorful meat.
Fats are crucial to meat texture. Waxy when cold, fats start to melt around 130°F to 140°F, lubricating muscle fibers just as they are getting tougher and drier from the heat. Fat does not evaporate like water when you are cooking.
What temperature breaks down collagen? ›
To keep track of a low and slow cook, you really need a thermometer, and you need a thermometer that you can leave in your food. Collagen dissolution really gets going starting at about 170°F (79°C). But as it takes a long time for those helixes of protein to unwind, it's better to get the temperature a little higher.
What is the chemistry behind food science? ›
Food chemistry is one of the fields involved in the multi-disciplinary field of food science. It is the study of food components, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and water. In addition, food chemistry assesses the reactions these components go through during food processing and preservation.
What is the cooking show about the science of cooking? ›
Chef Secrets: The Science of Cooking.
