Assessment of lamb meat quality in two cooking methods: Water bath versus oven cooking

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This study investigated the influence of the cooking methods on lamb meat quality traits. Water bath (WB) vs. oven cooking (OC) was compared using commercial cuts known as T-bone and Leg steak (n = 20/treatment), sampled from feedlot-finished Corriedale lambs. All meat samples were analyzed for muscle area (MA) or cut size, final pH, color (L*, a*, b*), water-holding capacity (WHC), shear force (SF), cooking losses (evaporation (EL) and dripping (DL)), intramuscular lipid content (ILC), and myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI). The associations between meat quality variables and cooking methods were studied by correlations, principal components (PCs), as well as factor analysis. There was no interaction between the cooking methods and the cuts (p > 0.05). Variables MFI and WHC were similar (p > 0.05); however, MA, L* , a* , pH, and SF were higher in Leg steak, whereas b* and ILC were higher in the T-bone cut (p < 0.05). Cooking loss variables (EL and DL) differed (p < 0.01) according to the cooking method. The multivariate approach showed that the first two PCs (PC1 and PC2) explained about 44% of the variability in lamb meat. Variables related to cut size (MA), tenderness (SF and MFI), and chemical composition (ILC) defined PC1 (24%), while variables EL and DL contributed to define PC2 (20%). The sum of EL and DL (total cooking losses – CL) was lower in the WB method for both cuts studied. Besides, EL was greater in OC, while DL was greater in WB, which may affect water loss and juiciness of lamb meat. Leg steak had higher MA, but lower ILC, and showed higher SF regardless of the cooking method used.