How does aging affect meat tenderness?

Meat tenderness is influenced by the biochemical properties of muscle fibers as well as connective tissue matrix and is improved by aging – primarily due to degradation of cytoskeletal proteins. Read more

How does aging tenderize meat?

Meat stored for ageing purposes must be subjected to a controlled, documented and approved ageing procedure. Ageing is the process during which microbes and enzymes act upon the meat to help breakdown the connective tissue to tenderise the meat. Read more

How the age of the animal is a factor in the tenderness of the meat?

The decrease in tenderness with increasing age is due to the changing nature of collagen (gristle), the connective tissue protein found in meat. Collagen becomes more complex and stronger with advancing age and thus is more resistant to tenderization from moist-heat cooking. Read more

What are the effects of aging on meat and how it affects the cooking process?

During aging there are important changes to the distribution of water that can play a subsequent role in texture development during cooking. Initially proteolysis increases water-holding capacity but under extended aging, water-holding capacity decreases and drip losses increase. Read more