Title: How to Tenderize Steaks and Tough Cuts of Meat
Headings: How to Tenderize Steaks and Tough Cuts of Meat
How to Tenderize Steaks and Tough Cuts of Meat
Use one or a combination of three preparation techniques
Consider the Source
Distinguish Tough From Chewy
Tenderize Meat With Heat
Tenderize Meat With Brawn
Tenderize Meat With Finesse
What About Marinating?

Content: Distinguish Tough From Chewy
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.