water and the protein fibers that do the work of contraction, which are not dispersable in water The soluble and dispersable materials in muscle include about 1% by weight of collagen, 5% other cell proteins, 2% amino acids and other savory molecules, 1% sugars and other carbohydrates, and 1% minerals, mainly phosphorus and potassium Bones are around 20% collagen, pig skin around 30%, and cartilaginous veal knuckles up to 40% Bones and skin are thus much better sources of gelatin and thickening power than meat However, they carry only a small fraction of the other soluble molecules that provide flavor To make sauces with good meat flavor, it’s meat that must be extracted, not bones or skin When meat is thoroughly cooked, it releases about 40% of its weight in juice, and the flow of juice pretty much ends when the tissue reaches 160ºF/70ºC Most of the juice is water, and the rest the soluble molecules carried in the water If meat is cooked in water, then gelatin can be freed from the connective tissue and extracted over a long period of time When cooks make stocks, extraction times range from less than an hour for fish, to a few hours for chicken or veal stocks, to a day for beef Optimum extraction times depend on the size of the bones and meat pieces, and on the age of the animal; the more cross-linked collagen of a steer takes longer to free than the collagen from a veal calf At long extraction times, the gelatin molecules that have already been dissolved are gradually broken down into smaller pieces that are less efficient thickeners Meat Stocks and Sauces There are several general strategies for making meat and fish sauces The simplest of them center on the juices produced when the meat for the final dish is cooked, which can be ... Optimum extraction times depend on the size of the bones and meat pieces, and on the age of the animal; the more cross-linked collagen of a steer takes longer to free than the collagen from a veal calf At long extraction times, the gelatin...carried in the water If meat is cooked in water, then gelatin can be freed from the connective tissue and extracted over a long period of time When cooks make stocks, extraction times range from less than an hour... There are several general strategies for making meat and fish sauces The simplest of them center on the juices produced when the meat for the final dish is cooked, which can be