What are the chunks of connective tissue on soup bones? (And can I use them?)
I just finished making a beef broth stew with a big ol' soup bone. I left the random scraps of muscle and stuff attached to the bone while it cooked, and now I've fished out the non-muscle bits. They were white (or pale) and stretchy, and now that they're stewed they're more grey and gloppy.
So, what are they? I assume they're not fat (they would have melted) so they must be... tendons? Ligaments?
Are they edible? Palatable? Useful in some other cooking project?
Edit: Adding an "after" photo.
Best Answer
What ever it is, sounds like sinew or other hard tissue, it's done it's purpose now the flavour, sugars, geletine etc is now in your broth and you should probably discard them. I don't imagine they will taste of anything now and the texture is likely to be vile.
By all means taste a bit to see what I mean. It won't make you ill though you may possibly gag...
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What are the chunks in bone broth?
That's the gelatin\u2014when cool, it makes your broth look a little like meat Jell-O. No worries\u2014just heat it gently on the stovetop and it will return to a liquid state. My broth doesn't look jiggly!Can you eat connective tissue?
Like elastin, collagen is tough. If you tried to eat a piece of raw beef, it would be extremely chewy, because those collagen sheaths around the muscle fibers would all be intact, but unlike elastin, collagen can be softened and melted away if it's cooked in the right way.What is white stuff on beef bones?
After being cooked, collagen turns into gelatin, which is the jiggling, translucent substance you see on a prepared cut of meat. Although it doesn't look appealing, the gelatin coats the muscle fibers, giving meat a moist and succulent texture.Can you use the meat from soup bones?
Soup bone, also known as stock bones, are the remaining pieces left over after the butchering process. While there is not enough meat on them for a full meal, these work wonderfully for adding more flavor to your soup.Bone tissue: structure, histology and anatomy (preview) | Kenhub
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