The effects of grade, gender, and postmortem treatment on beef. II. Cooking properties and palatability attributes

Abstract

A total of 196 beef carcasses of two genders (steers and heifers) and four carcass grades were evaluated for the effects of grade (carcass fatness (B1 = 2 to 4 mm subcutaneous fat; A1 = 4 to 10 mm subcutaneous fat; and A2 = 10 to 15 mm subcutaneous fat)) and meat quality (B2 = dark cutters) and gender. These carcasses also received two postmortem treatments (conventional or high voltage electrical stimulation and 3 or 6 d of postmortem aging) to evaluate the interactive effects of postmortem treatments with grade and gender. Cooking properties, palatability attributes, and consumer acceptance ratings were assessed on the longissimus muscle and flavor and texture profiles were obtained from the semitendinosus muscle. Differences attributable to carcass grade in palatability attributes were in agreement with expected differences, based upon differences in carcass fatness. Gender exerted little influence on either cooking or palatability attributes. Carcass grade or fatness appeared to influence the responses in palatability elicited from high voltage electrical stimulation and postmortem aging. Although the minimum fatness required to assure palatable beef could not be determined from the present results, lean B1 carcasses exhibited greater responses to the postmortem electrical stimulation treatment than fatter A2 carcasses. Key words: Beef, palatability, consumer acceptance, cooking properties, grade, gender, stimulation, aging