The so-called "nervous" meats


The so-called "nervous" meats
You've probably heard this before, we're talking about "nervous" meat, or meat with nerves, to describe what is indicated by the blue arrow on the left.

This is a piece of beef, and what we call a nerve is not a nerve, it is in fact collagen (chemists sometimes call it a "collagen sink"), a protein that is found in varying amounts in some of the meats we eat.

But we'll continue to call them "nerves" for the rest of this post, it will be simpler.
31 K 4.5/5 (23 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:MeatNervesCollagenCookingGelatin
Last modified on: April 16th 2021
For this post: Comment Follow Send to a friend
The so-called "nervous" meats
Let's say it straight, even if it's not nerves, it's not pleasant to eat, it's both hard and elastic in the mouth, in short if you find it while chewing a piece of meat, steak for example, you'll feel the difference in texture and taste (it doesn't have any taste in fact)

So naturally, if you prepare a meat before cooking, you try to eliminate as much as possible these nerves to see a certain harmony of texture. A lot of cutting to be done, it's a lot of work, I must admit.

Okay, but where is the trick?



Well, it's not as binary as that, it turns out that this collagen under the action of heat, cooking, long, we are talking about at least 2 hours, this collagen is naturally transformed into gelatin, and therefore on the one hand it loses completely its hardness, it melts in fact, but in addition it brings a natural binder to your preparation.

This is one of the secrets of meat dishes that are cooked for a long time, I am thinking in particular of beef bourguignon, blanquette de veau or carbonnade, it is not obvious but it is not at all necessary to choose a first choice meat, on the contrary a cheap and slightly nervous meat will be fine, no need to make a thousand cuts to eliminate the nerves, better it will even participate in the holding of your sauce, thanks to its natural gelatin contribution.

boeuf bourguignon



That's why if you ask your butcher for a bourguignon meat, for example, he might offer you less noble, more economical cuts (e.g. skirt steak, chuck) and a bit nervous, no worries, on the contrary.

This is the advantage of these dishes which must cook for at least 2 hours, but which can very well do it twice or three times or even more, under cover, over a low heat, where the meat gently confit and the tastes reveal themselves more and more, for our greatest gustatory pleasure.

In summary: The presence of nerves (in fact collagen) is not a problem for long-cooked meats, it can even be an asset, thanks to the slow transformation of collagen into gelatin.

Lasts posts
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Should potatoes be washed twice?
Let's say you have to make a recipe that includes potatoes, let's say sliced, you'll most likely proceed as follows: Peel the potatoes, wash them, slice them, wash them again, pat them dry and add them to your recipe. But there's a "but": depending on the recipe, the second washing may be a bad...
May 19th 20252,061 15
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Grilled bacon is much better in the oven
Some recipes call for thin slices of bacon to be cooked and added to the recipe, or to prepare one of those delicious breakfasts known as "à l'Anglaise".
April 25th 20251,9235
The thermometer is your friend
The thermometer is your friend
There are many recipes or foods that require a (very) precise cooking temperature: foie gras, sugar for caramel, meats and fish, and not forgetting pastries. For these few examples, getting the cooking temperature wrong can spoil the whole recipe or dish: undercooked, it's no good or misses the...
April 10th 20252,2625
Travel cakes
Travel cakes
You may have come across the term "travel cakes" ("gateaux de voyage" in french) for certain pastries, so let's take a look at what they're all about.
January 27th 20253,719
The aromatic power of sugar
The aromatic power of sugar
In the kitchen, sugar doesn't just sweeten, it also has an exceptional ability to capture flavors. Combined with aromatic ingredients, such as citrus zest, it acts as a veritable sponge for aromas. By taking the time to let the sugar soak up the flavors, you can transform your desserts, making...
December 25th 20244,1625

Other pages you may also like
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7th 2017129 K 14.1
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
When preparing a sauce or a cream, there's always a (small) risk that the creamy preparation you're working on will suddenly separate into two parts of different textures: a liquid part, for example, and a more or less solid part, or even become lumpy. It's terribly frustrating, but we'll see...
June 19th 20239,1185
Sausage broth
Sausage broth
I've already talked to you about vegetable cooking water, which becomes a precious broth after cooking that would be a shame to throw away. Now let's look at the special case of meat cooking broth, and in particular sausages, which are often poached.
June 28th 20238,5385
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
Fruits which can ruin your jelly
There are many ways of making a fruit mousse, but one of the simplest is to prepare a fruit jelly (basically a fresh fruit coulis with gelatine) and then mix this jelly before it sets completely with whipped cream. The result is perfect for filling a charlotte, for example. But do beware;...
March 6th 201374 K4.0
Steam for baking bread
Steam for baking bread
What does steam have to do with bread-making? This is not only a bakers' secret, it is something you might not think of at all: if you make bread and bake it like a cake, you will end up with bread, but pale and with a thick, hard crust – a long way from the golden-brown crusty loaf you had in...
June 16th 2021141 K4.5
Post a comment or question
Posted by:
I am not a leaving thing

Follow this page
If you are interested in this page, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the page is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
I am not a leaving thing
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.

Back to top of page