Theory 130/Meat tenderising/Rate lens
Tenderness Follows Proteolysis
The claim
Meat tenderisation rate is set by the rate of proteolysis of myofibrils rather than by temperature alone.
01Mechanism
Tenderness requires structural proteins to be cleaved; the rate of cleavage, which rises with temperature and ageing, sets the outcome.
02Prediction
Tenderness should track proteolysis.
03Refutation
Tenderness tracking cooking time would remove the enzyme rate.