Taking a bite of steak only to get a chewy, rubbery chunk of gristle is an unpleasant experience for any meat lover. But what exactly causes this unwelcome texture in certain cuts of beef? Here, we’ll explore the science behind gristle formation, including the role of connective tissues, how animal age impacts gristle content, cattle stress levels, tips for identifying and removing gristle, and best cooking methods to avoid a mouthful of chewiness.
Collagen and Elastin – The Origins of Beef Gristle
Gristle in beef steak comes primarily from two connective tissues known as collagen and elastin. Collagen forms sheaths around individual muscle fibers while elastin comprises the ligaments and silverskin surrounding muscles.
Elastin is the main culprit when it comes to beef gristle. No matter the cooking method elastin remains stubbornly chewy and never breaks down. This tough connective tissue should be trimmed off cuts of steak whenever possible to avoid excessive chewiness.
Collagen, on the other hand, transforms into succulent, mouthwatering gelatin when exposed to moist heat over time. It’s the key component in slow-cooked stews and braised dishes that result in fall-apart tenderness. While collagen makes meat tough and chewy when raw, proper low and slow cooking melts it away into ideal tenderness.
Older Cattle Have More Gristle-Forming Tissue
As cattle age, their bodies naturally produce higher levels of connective tissue like collagen and elastin. Veal and steaks from younger cattle under 12 months contain the most tender meat with the least amount of gristle.
Beef from older cattle over 24 months develops more cross-linkages between collagen and elastin fibers. These sturdy bindings result in meat that is tougher and more prone to gristliness, especially in heavily exercised areas like the shoulders and hips. Choosing veal or steak cuts from younger animals is a good strategy to avoid excessive chewy connective tissue.
High Stress Levels Can Reduce Beef Quality
When cattle experience significant stress whether right before slaughter or over long periods of time their muscles tense up. This causes chemical changes in the meat that make it tougher, drier, and higher in pH.
Short-term stresses in the last 24 hours of an animal’s life tend to have the biggest detrimental impact on meat quality. But chronic stresses like overcrowding, temperature extremes, uncomfortable transport conditions, and frequent relocation can also result in degraded meat with more gristle.
Minimizing fear, discomfort, and distress in cattle throughout their lives produces more tender, juicier beef with less gristle. Humanely raised cattle kept comfortable and calm almost always provide highest quality meat.
Identifying and Removing Gristle
Gristle often appears around the bones or as silvery collagen tissue on the surface of cuts of steak. To remove gristle before cooking:
- Carefully trim off any visible clumps of gristle using a sharp knife
- Select uniform, boneless cuts of meat which lack obvious connective tissue
- Slowly slice away any opaque silverskin or translucent filmy material
- Allow plenty of time to thoroughly trim steak before throwing on the grill or pan
Cooking Methods that Minimize Gristle
Choosing the right cooking technique can help melt away pesky collagen while elastin remains chewy and tough. To reduce gristliness in cooked steak:
- Braise tougher cuts like brisket or chuck roast to slowly break down collagen
- Slow cook stews, pot roasts, and other wet dishes to render collagen into luscious tenderness
- Opt for quick, high heat grilling or pan searing when cooking naturally tender cuts
- Allow meat to rest after cooking for juices to redistribute and collagen to relax
Understanding the science behind connective tissues like collagen and elastin allows you to select and prepare beef to avoid those unpleasant chewy, gristly bites. With care in cut selection, meticulous trimming, and the ideal cooking method, you can enjoy supremely tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef minus the gristle.
Collagen vs. Elastin
Not only do different connective tissues do different things, they are also made of different substances that change how they cook.
Theres elastin, the protein that makes up silverskin and ligaments. This is the stuff you think of as gristle. No matter how its cooked, elastin will be chewy and rubbery. The best thing you can do is to remove as much of it as possible before cooking.
Then theres a protein called collagen. We need to get very close to the protein cells that make up the meat to find it.
Animal meat is made up of long cells called fibers. Each muscle fiber has a collagen sheath around it. As the fibers are grouped together, they form bundles. Each bundle is then wrapped in a collagen sheath. The individual muscle cells (fibers) are too small to see, but we can tell the grain of the meat from these groups.
If you’ve ever seen a recipe say to cut meat against the grain, these bundles are the grain you should be cutting against.
These tissues need to be strong because their job is to pull the bones together when the muscles contract. And the sheaths need to be stronger for muscles that do a lot of work, like those in the legs and shoulders. Since the muscles in the back and ribs don’t get as much use, they have less of this type of connective tissue. This makes them naturally more sore.
Like elastin, collagen is tough. This is because the collagen sheaths around the muscle fibers would still be in place if you tried to eat raw beef. But unlike elastin, collagen can be softened and melted away if it’s cooked the right way.
Slow Cooking: The Key to Breaking Down Collagen
When heated to between 160 F to 205 F, collagen will start to melt away. What happens is that the collagen breaks down and turns into gelatin, which is soft and jiggly.
This doesnt happen right away — in fact, it can take several hours. The important thing is to keep it between 160 F and 205 F. The best way to do this is to cook it in liquid, which is called braising.
You can also smoke or grill this, but it requires a lot more care and skill. By comparison, braising is pretty foolproof.
Cooking meat to 160 F or higher causes the muscle fibers themselves to become tough and dry. You know this if youve ever had a steak that was cooked well done. Our steaks are made from cuts of meat that don’t have as much collagen. This means they can be cooked very quickly, to less than 140 F, and are still tender.
Beef Grades Explained – Select vs Choice vs Prime Steaks
FAQ
What cut of steak has the least gristle?
Is it bad to eat gristle?
Why does ribeye have so much gristle?
Why is my beef tough and chewy?
What causes Gristle in beef?
Gristle in beef comes from connective tissues known as collagen and elastin Collagen sheaths individual muscle fibers while elastin forms ligaments and silverskin Elastin is the main culprit behind beef gristle. No matter the cooking method, elastin stays stubbornly chewy.
Why do braised steaks have more Gristle?
Collagen is responsible for the flaky texture and succulence that’s so iconic and appealing in braised meat. The amount of gristle in a cut of meat can also be affected by the location of the muscle. Cuts of steak with more gristle, such as top round and chuck, come from the shoulders, legs, and haunches of an animal.
What is Gristle on meat?
**Gristle on meat refers to the tough, fibrous connective tissue found in certain cuts of meat. It is composed mainly of collagen, a protein that provides structure and support to the animal’s body. Gristle is typically found in areas where muscles and tendons meet, such as joints, and can be quite chewy and tough to eat.**
Why is beef Gristle so chewy?
Elastin is the main culprit behind beef gristle. No matter the cooking method, elastin stays stubbornly chewy. This tough connective tissue should be trimmed off before cooking whenever possible. Collagen, on the other hand, breaks down into succulent gelatin when exposed to moist heat over time. It’s the key component in stews and braised dishes.