The effect of cooking temperature on mechanical properties of whole meat, single muscle fibres and perimysial connective tissue.

The structural changes in beef semitendinosus caused by cooking were studied by performing tensile tests of the isolated meat components (i.e. single muscle fibres and perimysial connective tissue) and related to the toughness of the whole meat. Whole meat toughness was found to increase in two separate phases upon cooking from 40-50°C, and again from 60 to 80°C with a decrease in meat toughness between 50 and 60°C, in agreement with previous studies. The changes in whole meat toughness at temperatures below 60°C were found to correspond to changes in the mechanical properties of the perimysial connective tissue, whereas changes of whole meat toughness at temperatures above 60°C were found to correspond to increased breaking strength of single muscle fibres. The myofibrillar component explained approximately 47% of the variation in whole meat toughness upon cooking whereas inclusion of the connective tissue component increased the goodness of fit.