Meat tenderization

Abstract

The present invention relates to methods for tenderizing meat. The methods comprise contacting meat with a tenderizing-effective amount of a thermolabile protease having limited substrate specificity.

1 . A method for tenderizing meat, said method comprising contacting meat with a tenderizing-effective amount of a thermolabile protease.  
     
     
         2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said protease has a limited substrate specificity.  
     
     
         3 . A method as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said protease is derived from a mammal.  
     
     
         4 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said mammal is bovine.  
     
     
         5 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said protease is chymosin.  
     
     
         6 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said protease is obtained from a recombinant host cell transformed with a nucleic acid encoding said protease.  
     
     
         7 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said meat after tenderization exhibits a relative shear force of between about 50% and about 90% of said meat prior to tenderization.  
     
     
         8 . A method as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said meat after tenderization exhibits a relative shear force of between about 60% and about 80% of said meat prior to tenderization.  
     
     
         9 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said contacting comprises injection or marination.  
     
     
         10 . A method as defined in  claim 10 , further comprising tumbling said meat.  
     
     
         11 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said meat is contacted with said protease at a ratio of between about 0.001 and about 0.05 AU/g meat.  
     
     
         12 . A method as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said meat is selected from the group consisting of fresh meat, frozen meat, freeze-dried meat, and restructured meat.  
     
     
         13 . A tenderized meat product obtained using a method as defined in  claim 1 .  
     
     
         14 . A tenderized meat product obtained using a method as defined in  claim 5 .  
     
     
         15 . A tenderizing meat composition comprising a tenderizing-effective amount of (i) a thermolabile protease, wherein said protease is derived from a mammal; and (ii) one more flavoring agents.  
     
     
         16 . A composition as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said protease has a limited substrate specificity.  
     
     
         17 . A composition as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said protease is bovine chymosin.  
     
     
         18 . A composition as defined in  claim 15 , further comprising brine and/or a curing agent.  
     
     
         19 . A composition as defined in  claim 15 , wherein said flavoring agent is selected from the group consisting of herbs, spices, liquid smoke, and combinations of any of the foregoing.  
     
     
         20 . A tenderizing meat composition comprising (i) a tenderizing-effective amount of bovine chymosin and (ii) a nitrite.