Precook Tumbling of Hot-Boned Broiler Breasts in Sodium Chloride and Acetic Acid

Abstract

Abstract Sodium chloride (NaCl) and acetic acid solutions were evaluated as media in precook tumbling of hot-boned broiler breasts. The tumbling media was either 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4% NaCl and either 0, 1.25, 5, or 10% acetic acid. Yield, Na content, pH, dry matter, density, and shear values were determined after the treated breasts were cooked in water. The breasts tumbled in NaCl solutions had more Na when compared to those tumbled in water with nothing added. The Na content increased as the concentration of NaCl in the tumbling solution increased in all six 3-mm slices of the breasts. The Na content tended to plateau as the depth of slice increased. This plateau was followed by an increase in Na content in breasts tumbled in 3 and 4% NaCl. This result was interpreted as Na penetrating from all sides of the sample and concentrating at a certain level in the sample. The combined effects of tumbling and cooking tended to equalize the Na content of the tissue. The breasts tumbled in NaCl had more water and a higher pH than those tumbled in water. The breasts tumbled in NaCl had less pick-up of the tumbling solution and smaller cooking losses than those tumbled in water. This lower cooking loss resulted in a larger yield for the samples tumbled in the salt solutions. No effects on sample density or shear values were found attributable to tumbling in the NaCl solutions. Tumbling in 5 and 10% acetic acid solutions resulted in increased Na being retained by the tissue after cooking. These larger Na values were attributed to less Na being removed from the breasts tumbled in acid when compared to those tumbled in water. The pH of slices from breasts tumbled in acid was lower than those tumbled in water. The decrease in pH indicated that the acid penetrated all six 3-mm slices of the breast. It was necessary to tumble in 10% acetic acid to get the pH sufficiently low to have an effect on water binding and to produce a difference after cooking. All of the acid levels produced tumbling solution gains that were larger than those tumbled in water. Cooking losses were larger in breasts tumbled in water when compared to the 5 and 10% acid treatments. Substantial yield improvement can be realized by adding acetic acid to the tumbling solution. Shear values were lower in breasts treated with 10% acetic acid when compared to those tumbled in water and 1.25% acetic acid.