Slowcooker Question: Have You Ever Noticed....

[BlooInBloo]

That when you slowcook a large hunk of tough meat (big ol chuck roast, in this case), that it appears to remain tough as nails for like 7/8 of the cooking time, and only in the last hour or so does it start to get tender.

Any explanation of that? Or am I just mis-perceiving reality?

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. That's the way tough pieces of meat roll - lots of stuff to break down

to make it tender.

That's the reason for the long cooking times for tough cuts.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/meat/INT-what-makes-juicy.html

http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/science_of_cooking/slow_cooking.htm

[Symarip]

2. Read up on BBQ

Even though the heating method is different, the concept is the same. At a certain temperature, hard, connective tissue begins to break down and gel, which tenderizes the meat and adds flavor.