interest in meat cookery, for both are found in the connective tissue
betw^een the muscle fibers, but heat and moisture affect the two differently.
Collagen. Table 24 shows that the white connective tissue contains
nearly 32 per cent of collagen and about 7 per cent of elastin. Collagen
in the presence of moisture and at high temperatures yields gelatin. Bogue
states that collagen is changed to gelatin more rapidly at the boiling
temperature of water, or at temperatures above boiling obtained by pres-
sure, and more slowly at temperatures below boiling. The gelatin is dis-
solved in the water or broth. If the meat is cooked long enough, the larger
part of the connective tissue is dissolved, so that the muscle fibers may fall
entirely apart. Sometimes in cooked meat only the outer portion of the
fibers is separated and the inner portion is still connected. The surface of
the meat reaches a high temperature before the interior of the meat, thus
the collagen of the connective tissue near the surface may be changed to
gelatin first.
Elastin. Vandergrift and Gies have reported the yellow connective
tissue as containing about 32 per cent of elastin and about 2 per cent of
collagen. The elastin is a very resistant, firm protein and is not changed
or affected by heat and moisture. In cooking, yellow connective tissue is
not softened. Consequently cuts of meat containing large amounts of
elastin in the connective tissue will be tough after cooking, whereas cuts
containing large amounts of collagen may have part or all of the collagen
changed to gelatin.
204
MEAT
TABLE 25
Connective Tissue Proteins in Meat {Mitchell, Zimmerman, and Hamilton)
Collagen
Total
Collagen
Elastin
and
nitrogen
nitrogen
elastin
No.
Description of sample
nitrogen
in sample,
in
in
nitrogen
per cent
percentage
percentage
in
of total N
of total N
percentage
of total N
1.
Beef rib
3.19
8.4
6.4
14.8
7.9
7.2
15.1
4.
Beef rib
3.35
4.2
4.2
8.1
8.2
12.9
12.4
5.
Beef shank
3.42
7.5
6.2
14.4
12.0
21.9
18.2
6.
Pork tenderloin
3.68
3.0
1.7
4.7
2.3
1.8
4.2
7.
Chicken,compositebone-
less meat from 2-lb.
cockerels
3.63
19.6
5.2
24.8
8.
Chicken, composite bone-
less meat from 2-lb.
pullets
3.48
17.8
18.0
3.7
4.1
21.5
22.1
11.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 3-lb. cockerel . . .
3.24
2.1
0.8
2.9
1.1
0.6
1.7
12.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 3-lb. cockerel
3.21
2.4
3.7
6.1
2.0
6.5
8.5
13.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 3-lb. pullet
4.06
3.4
0.3
3.7
14.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 3-lb. pullet
3.23
12.2
1.7
13.9
12.4
1.7
14.2
15.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 4-lb. cockerel
4.14
6.5
1.6
8.1
6.8
1.6
8.4
16.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 4-lb. cockerel ....
3.69
11.9
1.8
13.8
13.5
2.4
13.9
LESS TENDER CUTS HAVE MORE CONNECTIVE TISSUE 205
Less tender cuts have more connective tissue. Data given in Table
25 are from the earlier work of Mitchell et al., so that the percentage of
elastin given is too high, but the comparative amounts in different cuts are
shown.
In later work Mitchell and co-workers found that the percentage of
elastin in muscle is small, but in general the less tender contain a larger
proportion than the tender cuts.
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interest in meat cookery, for both are found in the connective tissue
betw^een the muscle fibers, but heat and moisture affect the two differently.
Collagen. Table 24 shows that the white connective tissue contains
nearly 32 per cent of collagen and about 7 per cent of elastin. Collagen
in the presence of moisture and at high temperatures yields gelatin. Bogue
states that collagen is changed to gelatin more rapidly at the boiling
temperature of water, or at temperatures above boiling obtained by pres-
sure, and more slowly at temperatures below boiling. The gelatin is dis-
solved in the water or broth. If the meat is cooked long enough, the larger
part of the connective tissue is dissolved, so that the muscle fibers may fall
entirely apart. Sometimes in cooked meat only the outer portion of the
fibers is separated and the inner portion is still connected. The surface of
the meat reaches a high temperature before the interior of the meat, thus
the collagen of the connective tissue near the surface may be changed to
gelatin first.
Elastin. Vandergrift and Gies have reported the yellow connective
tissue as containing about 32 per cent of elastin and about 2 per cent of
collagen. The elastin is a very resistant, firm protein and is not changed
or affected by heat and moisture. In cooking, yellow connective tissue is
not softened. Consequently cuts of meat containing large amounts of
elastin in the connective tissue will be tough after cooking, whereas cuts
containing large amounts of collagen may have part or all of the collagen
changed to gelatin.
204
MEAT
TABLE 25
Connective Tissue Proteins in Meat {Mitchell, Zimmerman, and Hamilton)
Collagen
Total
Collagen
Elastin
and
nitrogen
nitrogen
elastin
No.
Description of sample
nitrogen
in sample,
in
in
nitrogen
per cent
percentage
percentage
in
of total N
of total N
percentage
of total N
1.
Beef rib
3.19
8.4
6.4
14.8
7.9
7.2
15.1
4.
Beef rib
3.35
4.2
4.2
8.1
8.2
12.9
12.4
5.
Beef shank
3.42
7.5
6.2
14.4
12.0
21.9
18.2
6.
Pork tenderloin
3.68
3.0
1.7
4.7
2.3
1.8
4.2
7.
Chicken,compositebone-
less meat from 2-lb.
cockerels
3.63
19.6
5.2
24.8
8.
Chicken, composite bone-
less meat from 2-lb.
pullets
3.48
17.8
18.0
3.7
4.1
21.5
22.1
11.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 3-lb. cockerel . . .
3.24
2.1
0.8
2.9
1.1
0.6
1.7
12.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 3-lb. cockerel
3.21
2.4
3.7
6.1
2.0
6.5
8.5
13.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 3-lb. pullet
4.06
3.4
0.3
3.7
14.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 3-lb. pullet
3.23
12.2
1.7
13.9
12.4
1.7
14.2
15.
Chicken, breast muscle
from 4-lb. cockerel
4.14
6.5
1.6
8.1
6.8
1.6
8.4
16.
Chicken, thigh muscle
from 4-lb. cockerel ....
3.69
11.9
1.8
13.8
13.5
2.4
13.9
LESS TENDER CUTS HAVE MORE CONNECTIVE TISSUE 205
Less tender cuts have more connective tissue. Data given in Table
25 are from the earlier work of Mitchell et al., so that the percentage of
elastin given is too high, but the comparative amounts in different cuts are
shown.
In later work Mitchell and co-workers found that the percentage of
elastin in muscle is small, but in general the less tender contain a larger
proportion than the tender cuts.