Tenderness And Marbling

Marbling helps to insure acceptable tenderness at higher levels of doneness.

Tenderness and marbling.

Some fats are undeniably bad for you but the intramuscular fat that creates marbling can be good for you. Although marbling or the intermingling of fat with lean has been equated with palatability and tenderness for years increasing concerns regarding animal fat in the diet has caused the perceived health benefit from fat reduction to receive greater importance than assurances of tenderness or palatability. In addition because the relationship between marbling and tenderness is known to be positive though weak any tenderness gains should not be at the expense of increased marbling. Review of material what the student should know.

Yet marbling accounts for a mere 10 of the variation in tenderness. There is also a genetic marker for potential tenderness which is an inherited trait. In the usa where cattle are fed grains and other supplements to lay down extra fat within the muscle marbling consumers often choose the most marbled cuts as an indication of tenderness. As a result marbling adds tenderness which is a preferable mouthfeel.

There are markers for other traits such as the color black which is important in certain breeds and the amount of marbling expected from the meat for usda grading. This study evaluated the potential of a panel of 20 protein biomarkers quantified by reverse phase protein array rppa to explain and predict two important meat quality traits these being beef tenderness assessed by warner bratzler shear force wbsf and the intramuscular fat imf content also termed marbling in a large database of 188 protected designation of origin pdo maine anjou cows. We have been taught to think that beef tenderness is caused by marbling the visible fat streaks in beef. 1 the fundamental factors related to differences in meat tenderness.

Two enzymes play a part one inhibiting and one encouraging cell breakdown. Many lean carcasses that testing has shown were tender have received lower grades because they don t have enough visible fat marbling to be classified as usda choice or higher.