| 摘要 |
A process for mechanically tenderizing meat for human consumption after the carcass has been separated into primal cuts which have muscle fibers arranged substantially in the same direction, by applying pressure within the range of 50 to 100 pounds per square inch against two opposing surfaces of the meat cut perpendicularly to the direction of the muscle fibers, and preventing expansion of the cut in a direction across the fibers while permitting deformation in the direction of the muscle fibers. This invention provides apparatus for accomplishing the above process which includes a container having a width substantially the same as that of the meat cut measured across the grain and a length greater than the length of the cut measured in the direction of the fibers. A compressing plug presses the meat in the container causing the meat to deform in the direction of the fibers but not across the grain thereby disrupting and separating the connective tissue from the muscle fibers and rendering the meat more tender for human consumption. A pair of compressing rolls forming a nip is advantageously used on cuts having a thickness less than 2 inches.
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