Tender
Also searched as: soft, not tough, more tender, melt-in-the-mouth
In short: Tender means: the fibres separate easily. There are two ways to get there, depending on the cut.
Two kinds of lock: some open with a light turn (cook a tender cut briefly), others only open with patience (braise the connective tissue).
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What Tender means
Two things make meat tough: tightly contracted muscle fibres and undissolved connective tissue. Tender cuts have little connective tissue and stay tender if you do not overcook them. Cuts with lots of connective tissue only turn tender once it dissolves into gelatine over hours.
What happens
Frying a braising cut quickly or braising a fillet is taking the wrong path. Cutting across the grain makes the fibres short and every bite more tender.
Rules of thumb
- Quick frying only for tender cuts.
- Cook braising cuts long and low.
- Always slice across the grain.
In practice
Meat
Fillet quick and pink; shoulder or shin braised for hours.
Cakes and baking
In baking, tender means little . Mix briefly; fat helps.