Cow hybrid Ongole was cattle crossing
between Ongole cow with local cow. This
cow was adaptable, good cow type of work
and superior beef cattle beside Grati cow,
Bali cow and Madura cow. Therefore,
farmers sold when it is no longer productive.
The cow which was hired and cut on the old
age would produce low quality of tenderness
because of least marbling and number of
connective tissue in the muscle. The number of
connective tissue was effected by activity of the
meat. Meat with lower activity had little woven
tie and number of fat between the muscle tissue
so that the meat more tender6
.
Tenderness that occurred after slaughtering
caused by changes in micro-cell structure, from
a closed structure into an open structure. Speed
of these changes were influenced by the pH of
meat1
. The closed structure had relatively thick
muscle fibers, minimum space amount and
volume between the fibers, and high pH. In a
high pH, meat had hard texture, solid, sticky,
dark color, and difficult to suppress the water
out. In the open structure, muscle protein
would be shortened, the bond between the
muscle fibers broke down, and volume of the
space between the fibers expanded, low pH
meat and high tenderness.