Restructured, pre-cooked roasts were prepared from four hot-boned USDA
Utility grade cow carcasses. Before forming the roasts, meat was either blade
tenderized, manually trimmed of large connective tissue deposits, or both blade
tenderized and trimmed. Control roasts received neither treatment. Although
trimming minimized the negative effects of connective tissue, blade tenderization
was frequently as effective, and sometimes superior, and minimized the high labor
costs and shrink losses associated with manual trimming.