Tenderness of Beef.

SUMMARY With increase in temperature (61, 80, and 100°C), scores for ease of fragmentation and lack of adhesion between muscle fibers trended toward greater toughness in longissimus dorsi (LD) and toward greater tenderness in biceps femoris (BF). Of the two muscles, RF was the more easily fragmented and had less adhesion between muscle fibers at 80 and 100°C. Mealiness was not present at 61°C, but tended to be greater at 100 than at 80°C. BF was considerably more mealy than LD. These changes in tenderness are considered in relation to chemical and histological changes during aging reported by others.