Connective tissue, in this context, refers to the sheets of collaginous tissue that supports and links muscle to muscle and allows movement relative to each other - this can be seen to best effect in shin beef, as the silvery lines around the segments of meat and around the outside (You can see it when you skin a rabbit, too, as the silvery membrane just under the skin). It’s this connective tissue that, in long, slow cooking, breaks down and creates a silky-smooth sauce in a stew or braise, and what little remains in the meat becomes meltingly tender.

In theory, ligaments and tendons will also cook down but, being very fibrous, will take an awfully long time - so long that your meat will be soup! Always remove them if possible.

I love your photographs, btw!