How does a protease tenderize meat?
As the person before me has answered, protease is actually an enzyme for meat. Or, more specifically it breaks down protein in the meat. One molecule of a protein consists of many, many amino acids linked together in a specific shape. Protease hydrolyses the peptide bonds between the amino acids in the polypeptide chain. I suppose, in tenderising meat, protease is used to break some of the bonds, thus making the meat less ‘tough’ and with a less rubbery texture. Raw meat is tough because of a variety of proteins it contains, including actin, myosin and collagen. With the help of the protease enzyme, the protein in meat will be broken down into other substances that do not make the meat tough.
