PALATABILITY AND COOKING CHARACTERISTICS OF MECHANICALLY TENDERIZED BEEF

Abstract

This paper reports observations on the palatability and cooking properties of mechanically tenderized (“needled”) U.S. Good grade beef cuts. Top round roasts, chuck top blade boneless roasts, top round steaks and top loin boneless steaks were evaluated. Highly significant improvements in tenderness, measured by Warner-Bratzler shear, were found in round roasts and in round and loin steaks due to mechanical tenderization. Initial and residual sensory tenderness evaluations showed a decided tenderization effect of the treatment on round steaks only. The tenderization process reduced cooking time and juiciness of round roasts and increased drip cooking losses from both types of roasts, but did not affect any of these properties of steaks. Mechanical tenderization had no influence on any of the other observed properties of beef (total and evaporation cooking losses, cooked muscle fluid content and desirability of flavor). Tests for interactions showed that the method of cooking roasts (dry heat or moist heat) did not influence the tenderness and other observed properties of mechanically tenderized beef. Similarly, except for total moisture of round steaks, mechanical tenderization of beef cuts did not alter the effects induced by a meat temperature of 80°C compared to 70°C.