Originally posted by Gil
Boom, I thought if you cook the meat too fast that made it tough?
Hey Gil, the toughness of meat first and foremost depends on the cut of meat.
What makes meat tough, no matter what kind of meat it is, is wether that muscle of the cow was used frequently. Example, shank or leg meat. These cut's of meat are very tough and require long cooking times for them to become tender. They are tough cuts because the animal uses those muscles quite frequently. That's why veal is usually suspended off the ground so that even it's leg meat will be tender.
Cut's of meat that are usually found in the back or the hind quarters are usually the most tender cuts of meat. These cut's are most commonly the N.Y. Strip, Ribeye (or Prime Rib), Sirloin and Tenderloin.
The tenderloin, or more commonly and incorrectly refered to as Filet Mignon, is one of the more tender cuts of meat as it runs along the spine, underneath the rib cage and attaches at the hip. Not a muscle that is used by the animal frequently at all.
There are some other cuts that are more tender such as hanger steaks and spider steaks, but these cut's are not commonly found at your local grocer or restaraunt due to there small size.
Cooking processes that make cuts of meat tougher are those that are longer. If someone likes there meat cooked medium well to well done will have a tougher steak. More so than something that has undergone a shorter cooking process. During cooking heat coagulates protines and makes them shorter and hence tougher.
And actually Gil, if you cook a steak very quickly under high heat, it will actually retain more of it's juices as it's had less time to lose them due to evaporation and leakage and it will still retain it's tender texture.
So cook fast and hot! 👍
You guys are giving me a craving for some cow.
