Effect of postmortem treatments on the tenderness of meat from Hereford, Brahman and Brahman-cross beef cattle.

Abstract

The effect of postmortem aging (7, 14, 21 or 28 d), high-voltage electrical stimulation (stimulated or not stimulated) and blade tenderization (none or once; crossbreds only) on the sensory and cooking properties of meat from four beef breeds or breed-types (purebred Hereford, purebred Brahman, Hereford x Brahman and Brahman x Hereford) was determined. The meat from purebred Brahman cattle that was not electrically stimulated was less tender and more variable in tenderness than that from other breed-types but electrical stimulation reduced these differences in tenderness. The Brahman crossbred steers produced meat that was not different in tenderness or variability in tenderness from that of purebred Hereford steers, although all were only judged "slightly tender." Electrical stimulation reduced the length of postmortem aging needed to reach a given level of tenderness regardless of breed or breed-type. Meat from crossbred animals that was blade-tendernized was not different in tenderness from meat that was electrically stimulated. The results of this investigation indicate that purebred Brahman muscle was inherently less tender, but postmortem tenderization procedures produced meat that was similar tenderness to that of the other breed-types used in this study.