Crossword Genius

Corn — leave the outer part, it’s tough to chew (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

gristle

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'part it's tough to chew' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.

'corn leave the outer' is the wordplay.
'corn' becomes 'grist' (I've seen this before).
'the outer' suggests removing the centre.
'leave' with its centre taken out is 'le'.
'grist'+'le'='GRISTLE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for gristle that I've seen before include "Chewy cartilage" , "Stir leg (anag.)" , "Cartilage in meat" , "Glister with animal tissue" , "Stir leg to get tough tissue in meat" .)

Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.