On 23-Dec-2007, Mike Avery wrote:

Brick wrote:

Joy of Cooking mentions papaya as a tenderizer, but does not explain
why it works as a tenderizer as opposed to other ingredients.


That one I can take a stab at. Papaya has an enzyme it called Papain,
that is the active ingredient of a number of commercial meat tenderizers.

I avoid it, as it can change the texture of the meat more than I like.
If the meat is tough, it shoulda been barbecued low and slow.

Mike


--
Mike Avery

The point I was trying so unsuccessfully to make was that "The Joy
of Cooking" book didn't explain anything that would help one to
understand the principles of tenderizing or any of the physical principals
involved. (It didn't provide an Alton Brown type of explanation).

Alas, my library skills suck and all past references I read are now lost
in the limbo of time.

--
Brick(Youth is wasted on young people)