That means that in the case of a steer, the big muscles around the legs and shoulders, which are used for locomotion and supporting the animal's weight, yield tougher cuts such as the chuck, the flank, and the round. Muscles high up along the back and ribs get less exercise, so they produce the more tenderloin cuts. This is where the expression "high on the hog" comes from, but it applies equally to beef. Muscles also toughen with age, so a younger animal yields more tender meat.
Additionally, overcooking meat , even meat that comes from the more tender muscles, can make it tough. That's because heat causes the proteins in the meat to firm up. Overcooking also basically squeezes the moisture out of the meat, making it dry as well as tough.
Tough meat can certainly be chewy. But toughness and chewiness are not really synonymous. Chewiness is related to connective tissue and the length of the muscle fibers. Connective tissue can mean thick pieces of gristle in between muscles, or it can mean the sheets of fibrous collagen that surround muscle fibers.
Either way, connective tissue is chewy. And it only gets chewier when it's cooked improperly. Finally, not all muscles have the same structure. Muscles are composed of fibers, basically long strands of protein grouped together in bundles, that are in turn wrapped in sheaths of collagen.
Some bundles have more fibers in them than others, making the grain of the meat coarser, such as with a brisket. Long, thick muscle fibers will be tougher to chew. Meat with a lot of connective tissue can be tenderized by cooking it until the collagen melts away, which starts to happen between and F.
When the connective tissue melts, it turns into gelatin, which is soft and jiggly rather than tough and chewy. This doesn't happen right away; it can take hours. Tenderizing in this manner requires patience, but your patience will be rewarded. Liquefied gelatin coats and surrounds the muscle fibers, giving the meat a moist, succulent texture—even though it's been cooked to well-done. One of the main techniques for accomplishing this is braising. This is a moist-heat cooking technique by which meat is immersed at least partially in some sort of liquid that is then maintained at a gentle simmer for a period of time sufficient to break down the collagen.
Another method is a traditional barbecue : Air around the meat is heated to about F it's cooked for a long time, sometimes eight hours or more. Either way, melting the collagen in meat tenderizes it and adds to the flavor. You can also break down the collagen in meat with a mallet. Animals that experience too much physical activity tend to end up with a more tough texture that is not easy to break down.
This one is a no-brainer. The meat from the younger animal is more tender and less chewy. The age of the animal has a profound impact on the characteristics of meat. As animals grow older, they build more and more muscle fiber.
Dense muscle fibers make the meat less tender and difficult to chew. This is why premium cuts of beef, such as Wagyu or Kobe beef , often come from a steer or a virgin cow, ensuring that the meat is always of high quality and has plenty of marbling that preserves tenderness and juiciness.
The steak cut plays an important role in the characteristics of the meat. For example, a nice ribeye steak is rich in fats and full of marbling, meaning that the meat will most likely be tender and juicy. The same goes for most tender cuts such as ribeye or sirloin. Some cuts might include dense muscle fiber. Such cuts need extensive preparation in terms of marinating and tenderizing. By far, the most popular way to tenderize steak is to marinate it in a refrigerator overnight. The marinade will help break down a tough piece of meat and make it easier to chew.
Alternative methods exist, including poking holes in the meat or tenderizing it with a meat hammer. These methods produce results in terms of tenderization, but the texture and the flavor of the steak might suffer.
A muscle that's used more frequently will also be tougher. That said, this tenderization method may impose some health risks as it may introduce pathogens to the inside of the steak. To avoid health issues , thoroughly cook your steak. A different type of meat tenderizer that you can do at home prior to cooking your steak is to use a steak tenderizer recipe for a marinade.
Utah State University Cooperative Extension explains that the purpose of marinades is to tenderize and flavor meat. According to the article, high-quality cuts of meat don't need to be marinated for tenderness.
Budget meat or lean meat , on the other hand, could use a steak tenderizer marinade such as our Fresh Mango Marinade. If cooked properly, a steak is less likely to be chewy. To cook your rib eye, you'll need kosher salt, cracked pepper and olive oil or another type of cooking fat. In addition, be sure to have paper towels, a cast-iron skillet or another type of oven-safe skillet and a food thermometer handy. Before preparing steak, it's important to review a few critical food safety guidelines.
According to the Food and Drug Administration , cuts of beef, including steak, should always be cooked to a minimum internal temperature of F with at least a three-minute rest time prior to serving. It can then be stored in the refrigerator for no more than five days or in the freezer for up to 12 months. Avoid defrosting steak on the counter at room temperature as this allows bacteria to multiply and may cause a foodborne illness.
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