The Effect of Cooking Method and Cooked Color on Consumer Acceptability of Boneless Pork Chops.

Lauren T Honegger,Hannah E Price,Erin E Bryan,Anna C Dilger,Dustin D Boler,Taylor K Ruth

doi:10.3390/foods11010106

Lauren T Honegger, Hannah E Price + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11010106

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Abstract

The objective was to determine the effects of sous-vide cooking and degree of doneness on consumer eating experience of pork chops when cooked color was expected to differ. The hypothesis was consumers would prefer a cooked brown color and would rate grilled chops more acceptable than sous-vide chops. Chops were cooked to 63 °C or 71 °C using either an open-hearth grill or a sous-vide device. Participants evaluated four samples for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall acceptability. Participants rated a greater percentage of chops cooked sous-vide at 63 °C as tender (82.82%), juicy (55.83%) and acceptable (60.34%) compared with all other cooking method and degree of doneness combinations. Participants rated a greater percentage of sous-vide chops as tender and acceptable compared to grilled chops. Participants rated a greater percentage of chops cooked to 63 °C as tender, juicy, flavorful, and acceptable when compared to 71 °C. Even when participants could visualize cooked color, they preferred chops cooked to 63 °C compared with chops cooked to 71 °C. Overall, participants preferred chops cooked to 63 °C compared to 71 °C regardless of the cooking method and preferred chops cooked to 63 °C using the sous-vide cooking method the most among all treatments.

Highlights

Academic Editor: Andrea GarmynSensory tenderness scores improve when pork is cooked to a lesser endpoint cooking temperature [1,2,3]
Sensory tenderness scores improved as internal cooking temperature decreased from 80 ◦ C to ◦ C [2], and 48% of consumers rated pork chops cooked to ◦ C as acceptable compared to only 14% of consumers when chops were cooked to 71 ◦ C [3]
A lower final internal cooking temperature of pork chops increased the percentage of participants rating chops as tender, juicy, flavorful, and overall acceptable

Summary

Introduction

Academic Editor: Andrea GarmynSensory tenderness scores improve when pork is cooked to a lesser endpoint cooking temperature [1,2,3]. Sensory tenderness scores improved as internal cooking temperature decreased from 80 ◦ C to ◦ C [2], and 48% of consumers rated pork chops cooked to ◦ C as acceptable compared to only 14% of consumers when chops were cooked to 71 ◦ C [3]. Consumers were presented chops prepared using an immersion heater sous-vide cooking device under red lighting to mask cooked color differences between different degrees of doneness [3]. It is well-documented that as internal temperature increases, pork will appear less pink internally [6]. There are limited data on the effect degree of doneness on consumer acceptability of pork chops when consumers are given the chance to visually appraise the chop and evaluate sensory characteristics

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