Experiment 44. - Pick apart with needles some of the fibers of uncooked meat. Examine fibers under a microscope. Make drawings, noting the stripes (striae) on fibers. Describe fibers of meat.

The fibers or tubes are held together in bundles by means of connective tissues; these connective tissues consist of collagen, which is converted into gelatine by boiling in water. Thus, in cooking, the connective tissues are changed and the meat becomes more tender. The harder and tougher the connective tissues of the meat, the longer the time which will be required in cooking to change them to gelatine. In tender meats the collagen is changed by the steam formed from the juices of the meat in the processes of boiling and baking, but a large amount of water must be added to very tough meats to bring about this conversion. Hence tough meats must be cooked for a long time in a liberal amount of water and the temperature be kept just below the boiling point, in order that the protein may not be toughened.

Tender Meat

Muscles which are least used by the animal are the most tender, as those of the tenderloin, loin, and ribs. These command the highest market prices. The tube walls of the muscles are thin and delicate and there is little connective tissue. The tougher cuts of meat are equally nutritious and are much cheaper, and may be made into very palatable dishes.