Improving deer meat palatability by treatment with ginger and fermented foods: A deer meat heating study

Abstract

This study characterized the physiological properties of sika deer meat heated at different temperatures and examined the effects of various marination treatments on deer meat's aroma, toughness, and palatability. The sliced meats packed in plastic bags were heated in a hot water bath at 65°C–100 °C for 10 min. For the marinade, the meats were soaked in different ingredients, including fruits and ginger, as well as Japanese fermented seasonings, such as shio-koji and miso, for 12 h at 4 °C prior to cooking. Cooking loss, rupture stress, and color parameters were measured, proteins extracted from the meats were analyzed using gel electrophoresis, and sensory evaluation was performed on the cooked meats. Low cooking loss and low toughness were observed for meat heated at low temperatures. The treatment with shio-koji and miso reduced the deer meat's cooking loss and rupture stress. In contrast, treatments with kiwi fruit and pineapple dramatically degraded the protein, resulting in high cooking losses. In the sensory evaluation, meats treated with shio-koji, miso, and ginger were tender and preferred when assessed for toughness, aroma, and taste. Principal component analysis revealed that satisfaction with the cooked deer meat was strongly related to its taste, juiciness, and tenderness. Furthermore, the total road scores of meat treated with shio-koji and miso were high. These our results thus demonstrate that marination with shio-koji and miso can improve the palatability of cooked deer meat. These findings can help to increase the consumption of game meat and optimize the use of waste resources for cooking.