The collegen breaks down slooooowly because the chemical bonds need to be broken. If you've ever had any meat cool down in the fridge after cooking, you will notice a meat "jelly" that forms around it in the container it's stored in. That is the rendered collagen. It doesn't go back to being tough collagen because the chemical bonds have been broken. So, if you imagine that jelly, but even runnier, coursing throughout the meat, that is what makes the meat tender and juicy after a low and slow cook.
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