about by use and activity; and possibly upon age, for it is common knowl-
edge that meat from old animals and fowls, whether domestic or wild,
is tougher than that from young animals. Toughness of the muscle fiber
depends upon the development and the density of the fiber due to activity,
and possibly to changes brought about by age.
The deposition of fat, either intramuscularly, intrafascicularly, or
intracelluiarly, tends to lessen the toughness. This is shown by the results
of mechanical tests with the dynamometer, which are given in Table 27.
The muscle used for thsse tests was the "eye" of beef or the longissimus
dorsi. The judges, as shown by scores, agreed with the mechanical tests, the
roasts from the fattened animals being judged more tender than the roasts
from the lean animals. The possibility of toughness due to power to bind
water, v/hich may be influenced by the reaction and salt content of the
fibers, thereby affecting the turgidity of the fibers, and the possibility of
toughening the fibers by heat coagulation are still to be considered.
TABLE 27
Results of Tenderness Test with Dynamometer on Fresh Beef
{Helser, Nelson^ Lowe^ and Reiser)
Calves
Yearlings
Two-year-olds
Per-
Per-
Per-
cent-
age de-
crease
cent-
age de-
crease
cent-
age de-
crease
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Pounds pull
required to
shear the
meat
39.50
32.37
18.05
35.41
24.75
30.10
36.78
28.62
22.19
Constituents o£ the Muscle Fibers
The muscle fibers contain several constituents, and these are grouped
as follows by Howell :"( 1 ) Inorganic salts. (2) Ferments. (3) Pigments.
(4) Non-nitrogenous extractives (lactic acid, etc.). (5) Nitrogenous
PIGMENTS AND HEMOGLOBIN 209
extractives (creatine, urea, etc.). (6) Carbohydrates and fats. (7)
Proteins."
Inorganic salts. In meat cookery the inorganic salt most noticeable
from the standpoint of flavor is sodium chloride or common salt. The
juice from meat that has had no salt added before or during cooking
tastes salty. This is due to the sodium chloride of the body fluids, which
contain about 0.85 per cent. Care should be taken in adding salt to meat,
or the salt added in cooking plus that of the juices will result in an excess
of salt in the drippings and in gravy made from them. The muscle fibers do
not taste as salty as the juices, particularly if a large portion of the fluid
has been lost in cooking. The tissues do not contain as high a percentage
of sodium chloride as the fluids of the body.
The inorganic salts are found in a complex salt equilibrium in meat.
The ferments. Several different kinds of enzymes are found in muscle
tissue. The proteolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic enzymes act on proteins,
carbohydrates, and fats, respectively.
Pigments and hemoglobin. When animals are slaughtered for food
the blood is drained from the body. However, some blood clings to walls
of the capillaries in the tissues. This blood together with the muscle pig-
ments gives to meat its pink or red color.
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about by use and activity; and possibly upon age, for it is common knowl-
edge that meat from old animals and fowls, whether domestic or wild,
is tougher than that from young animals. Toughness of the muscle fiber
depends upon the development and the density of the fiber due to activity,
and possibly to changes brought about by age.
The deposition of fat, either intramuscularly, intrafascicularly, or
intracelluiarly, tends to lessen the toughness. This is shown by the results
of mechanical tests with the dynamometer, which are given in Table 27.
The muscle used for thsse tests was the "eye" of beef or the longissimus
dorsi. The judges, as shown by scores, agreed with the mechanical tests, the
roasts from the fattened animals being judged more tender than the roasts
from the lean animals. The possibility of toughness due to power to bind
water, v/hich may be influenced by the reaction and salt content of the
fibers, thereby affecting the turgidity of the fibers, and the possibility of
toughening the fibers by heat coagulation are still to be considered.
TABLE 27
Results of Tenderness Test with Dynamometer on Fresh Beef
{Helser, Nelson^ Lowe^ and Reiser)
Calves
Yearlings
Two-year-olds
Per-
Per-
Per-
cent-
age de-
crease
cent-
age de-
crease
cent-
age de-
crease
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Feed-
ers
Fat-
tened
m
pounds
re-
quired
to
shear
meat
Pounds pull
required to
shear the
meat
39.50
32.37
18.05
35.41
24.75
30.10
36.78
28.62
22.19
Constituents o£ the Muscle Fibers
The muscle fibers contain several constituents, and these are grouped
as follows by Howell :"( 1 ) Inorganic salts. (2) Ferments. (3) Pigments.
(4) Non-nitrogenous extractives (lactic acid, etc.). (5) Nitrogenous
PIGMENTS AND HEMOGLOBIN 209
extractives (creatine, urea, etc.). (6) Carbohydrates and fats. (7)
Proteins."
Inorganic salts. In meat cookery the inorganic salt most noticeable
from the standpoint of flavor is sodium chloride or common salt. The
juice from meat that has had no salt added before or during cooking
tastes salty. This is due to the sodium chloride of the body fluids, which
contain about 0.85 per cent. Care should be taken in adding salt to meat,
or the salt added in cooking plus that of the juices will result in an excess
of salt in the drippings and in gravy made from them. The muscle fibers do
not taste as salty as the juices, particularly if a large portion of the fluid
has been lost in cooking. The tissues do not contain as high a percentage
of sodium chloride as the fluids of the body.
The inorganic salts are found in a complex salt equilibrium in meat.
The ferments. Several different kinds of enzymes are found in muscle
tissue. The proteolytic, amylolytic, and lipolytic enzymes act on proteins,
carbohydrates, and fats, respectively.
Pigments and hemoglobin. When animals are slaughtered for food
the blood is drained from the body. However, some blood clings to walls
of the capillaries in the tissues. This blood together with the muscle pig-
ments gives to meat its pink or red color.