Experimental cookery

None of the correlations between penetration and shearing tests were significant, from which it was concluded that shearing was the better method for measuring the tenderness of meat. Means of increasing tenderness. The possible ways of increasing the tenderness of meat may be classed as follows: (1) mechanical, (2) enzyme action, and (3) by peptization and increased solubility of the proteins. The first Is a physical, the last two would bring about chemical changes. Meat is ground to break the fibers and connective tissue, which, because it lessens the need for chewing, increases the tenderness. For very tough cuts this is probably the most satisfactory procedure. In tests that have been made, It was found that meat, ground fine and several times as for Swedish Meat Balls, is more juicy and palatable than meat ground medium or coarse and only once. Investigators have sought for suitable enzymatic and chemical means of Increasing tenderness of meat for years. The proteolytic enzymes found in the meat increase the tenderness but considerable time at low storage temperatures is required. Hence, if a proteolytic enzyme that would speed up the breakdown of the proteins and which would give satisfactory results were found the tenderness of meat could be increased in a shorter storage period. Papain has been tried. The author's results to date with this enzyme have not been satisfactory. When it was applied to the surface of the meat some time was required for the enzyme to act and then only a thin, powdery surface layer vv^as formed. When It was applied just prior to cook- ing the heat destroyed the enzyme, so that its application was of little or no value. No satisfactory methods of Injecting this enzyme have been reported. Investigations that have been reported in connection with flour proteins suggest that It Is possible that meat may contain substances that tend to inhibit the action of the proteinases of the meat and if some salt that would counteract this Inhibition through oxidation or other means could be In- jected that the meat would become tender more rapidly. TENDERNESS 223 The changing of collagen of the connective tissues or structural proteins to gelatin during cooking is one means of increasing the tenderness of these proteins, but the solubility of the protoplasmic proteins decreases when they are coagulated by heat. Another method of increasing the tenderness of meat would be through the use of substances that would peptize both or either the connective or protoplasmic meat proteins, thus increasing their solubility and the tender- ness of the meat. Means of bringing about peptization have been discussed in Chapter I. Sugar peptizes some proteins. Many electrolytes also bring about peptization, particularly if mixed Intimately with the substance to be peptized. Anions of acids such as tartrate, citrate, and acetate may bring about a greater or lesser degree of peptization. A practical peptizer, if such could be found and used, would be a salt that could be injected and have slight effect at low temperatures but bring about peptization fairly rapidly when heated during cooking of the meat.