Abstract
Volatile aroma compounds were evaluated in USDA Top Choice and Select beef top loin steaks cut 1.3 cm (THIN) or 3.8 cm (THICK) and cooked on a commercial flat top grill at 177°C (LOW) or 232°C (HIGH) grill surface temperature. Gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry was used to evaluate volatile aroma compounds. USDA Select steaks had more 2-octene and less trimethyl pyrazine in (P < 0.05) THIN steaks than THICK steaks, whereas Choice was unaffected by steak thickness (P > 0.05). Benzene acetaldehyde was higher and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was higher in Select LOW grill temperatures compared with Select HIGH grill temperatures, whereas 5-methyl-2-furan carboxaldehyde was only present in Choice HIGH grill temperatures (P < 0.05). Two acids, 3 alcohols, 1 aldehyde, 1 alkane, and 1 ketone volatile aroma compound were higher (P < 0.05) for LOW compared with HIGH. Conversely, 5 alcohols, 2 aldehydes, 2 alkanes, all 4 furans, 6 ketones, 4 pyrazines, along with 1H-indole, 2 pyrroles, 2 pyridines, and 1 benzene aroma compound were higher (P < 0.05) in HIGH compared with LOW. Additionally, 1 alcohol, 2 aldehydes, 1 ketone, 1 sulfur-containing, and 6 other volatile compounds were lower, whereas 1 acid, 1 alcohol, 1 aldehyde, 2 furans, 1 ketone, 3 pyrazines, 1 sulfur-containing, and 1 other volatile compound were higher in the THIN compared with THICK. Some aroma compounds such as 2-butanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, 1-methyl-1H-pyrrole, and 2-methyl-pyridine were only present in THICK cooked HIGH (P < 0.05). Steak thickness and grill temperature are important factors to consider in the development of positive Maillard reaction products. Key findings are that high grill temperatures and/or thick steaks with longer grilling times are required for the development of key Maillard reaction products and many Maillard reaction products were only found in the most severe high-temperature, long-time grilling scenarios.
Highlights
Taste and smell are contributors to our evaluation of the food we eat and the world around us; these senses have developed to enable our survival and determine our preferences
Cooking data and volatile aroma compound data were analyzed as a split-plot design with replicate as a random effect and the fixed effect USDA Quality Grade (USDA Select or Choice quality grade) in the whole plot with fixed effects steak thickness (THIN or THICK) and grill temperature (LOW or HIGH grill temperature) and all 2-way interactions in the split-plot
USDA Quality Grade and its interaction with steak thickness or grilling time were not affected by cooking temperature or time (P < 0.05)
Summary
Taste and smell are contributors to our evaluation of the food we eat and the world around us; these senses have developed to enable our survival and determine our preferences. Kerth (2016) reported on the volatile compounds from steaks of different thicknesses cooked at different grill temperatures, but USDA Quality Grade was not a part of that project Research that examines both thickness and grill temperature factors and their subsequent effect on volatile aroma compounds as they relate to both trained and consumer sensory traits has not been reported. The objective of this part of the project was to create varying levels of beef flavor by cutting Top Choice and Select top loin steaks 1.3 cm and 3.8 cm thick and cooking them at either 177°C or 232°C. We hypothesized that by using the different thicknesses and temperatures within Top Choice and Select quality grades, the resulting time and temperature combination during cooking would create differing levels of volatile aroma compounds in Top Choice and Select beef top loin steaks
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