Effect of Tumbling Conditions on the Tendinous and Tenderness Index of Chicken Leg Meat

This article presents the results of the effect of chicken leg meat tumbling parameters on its texture, as assessed by the tendinous-tenderness index K Z-S , where the value of K Z-S = 1 index means maximum tendinous—no tenderness and the value of K Z-S = 0 means no tendinous—maximum tenderness. The tumbling of the meat was performed in an agitator-tilt tumbler. The variable factors of the tumbling process were temperature (T), time (τ), rotational speed (ω) and angle of the tumbler drum inclination (α). The meat texture was tested using the universal testing machine TMS-Pro with a Warner–Bratzler knife. The results of the study were described using second-degree polynomial correlation functions with couplings and presented in the form of diagrams. The effect of the favorable reduction of the tendinous in favor of the tenderness of meat is most significantly influenced by the angle of the inclination of the drum of the tumbler and the time of massage. The optimal results for the tendinous-tenderness index K Z-S were obtained for the angle of the inclination of the drum of the tumbler α = 45° and tumbling duration τ = 50 min. For such tumbling parameters, the index K Z-S = 0.25 (reduced meat tendons). It is unfavorable, whereas massage tumbling at T = 0 °C, compared to higher and lower temperatures of massaging. The effect of the agitator speed ω depends on the time and temperature. The research results showed that the most favorable effects of the tendinous loss in favor of the tenderness, determined by the tendinous-tenderness index K Z-S , are obtained by the tumbling condition with high a high angle of inclination of the tank (α > 45°), a low value of the rotational speed (ω < 12 [1/min]), a longer time (τ > 50 min) and a temperature different from 0 °C.