Why is the meat closer to the bones tastes better?

I like to bake (roast?) whole chicken and whole ducks. I noticed that the best meat is always the meat the is closest to the bone (whether or not this meat is close or far away from the skin). The meat closer to the bone is more juicy and more tasty. Why is that?

Is it because those muscles have a different physiology? Is it because the bones release delicious fats (or something else) that accumulate in the nearby meat?

Is it a general observation that also apply to red meat?

Best Answer

This contains a nice explanation of why meat is juicy and tasty, and it is due to the presence of fat and conjunctive tissue in the muscles, as well as brining and marinating.

If you take a look at bird anatomy, the chest and other major muscle masses have less fat and conjunctive tissue as they evolved to be, well, muscle masses for propelling the bird around.

The muscles "closer to the bone" have the conjunctive tissue that connects them to the correlated bone, and in certain parts, the muscles are smaller due to the need for fine movements (like the wings).

I explained in another answer the mechanics of maximizing marinade power, and one of the factors involved is the surface-to-volume ratio of the part you're trying to marinade, which is also better closer to the bone (including cavities)

Pictures about "Why is the meat closer to the bones tastes better?"

Why is the meat closer to the bones tastes better? - Man in Blue T-shirt Holding a Grilled Meat

Why is the meat closer to the bones tastes better? - A Dish of Beef and Vegetables over a Pita Bread

Why is the meat closer to the bones tastes better? - Free stock photo of beef, bones, bread

Does bone make food taste better?

It doesn't work. You get a few dissolved minerals but not much aroma. To get flavor and body, you have to break the bones down and make sure that they host some connective tissue on their surfaces. Finally, there's the connective tissue and surface fat.

Is meat better closer to the bone?

Talk to the majority of chefs, grillers, and meat-lovers and they'll all tell you the same thing: of course your steak tastes better with the bone. The reason for this, they claim, is that flavors within the bone gets transferred to the steak and soaks into the beef during cooking.

Tasting the World’s First Test-Tube Steak

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Los Muertos Crew, Felipe Balduino, Ruslan Khmelevsky, Ruslan Khmelevsky