Pigments, Extracts, and Water

The color of meat depends upon the animal's age at slaughter. The older an animal is the more of the red pigment (myoglobin) that is found in the meat. The range of color varies with the type of animal as well as the use of the particular muscles. Heavily exercised muscles, such as the muscles of the legs, and the involuntary muscles tend to be darker.

The connective tissue of meat contains extracts which contribute to the flavor of the meat. These extracts are water soluble; thus the meat which is cooked by the moist-heat method is less flavorful than meat cooked by dry-heat methods. The stock made of boiled meats is especially flavorful because it contains so much of these extracts which produce a gelatinous texture in the stock

The amount of water in meat increases as the percentage of fat decreases. Because meat may contain more than 60 percent water, the longer meat is cooked and the higher the temperature at which it is cooked, the greater the water loss and, therefore, the more "shrinkage" or loss of weight that occurs. Since fat is desirable, meat which is firm, as opposed to soft, is of preferred quality.