Dry versus wet aging of beef: Retail cutting yields and consumer sensory attribute evaluations of steaks from ribeyes, strip loins, and top sirloins from two quality grade groups

Top Choice (n=48) and Select (n=48) paired bone-in ribeye rolls, bone-in strip loins, and boneless top sirloin butts were assigned randomly to one of two aging treatments, dry or wet, and were aged for 14, 21, 28 or 35d. Cutting tests, performed to determine retail yields and processing times, showed dry-aged subprimals had lower total saleable yield percentages and increased processing times compared to wet-aged subprimals. Sensory and Warner-Bratzler shear evaluation was conducted to determine palatability characteristics. For the most part, aging treatment and aging period did not affect consumer sensory attributes. However, ribeye and top loin steaks from the Top Choice quality grade group received higher sensory ratings than their Select counterparts. For top sirloin steaks, no consumer sensory attributes were affected by aging treatment, aging period, or quality grade group.     

Interrelationships of breed type, USDA quality grade, cooking method, and degree of doneness on consumer evaluations of beef in Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, USA

The objective of this research was to evaluate the consumer controlled factors of cooking method and degree of doneness on top loin steaks from different USDA quality grades (Low Choice, High Select or Low Select) and breed-types (English, Continental European Cross or Brahman Cross). In addition, cities within the same region were evaluated for differences in consumer controlled factors and palatability responses. The in-home product test was conducted in Dallas and San Antonio, Texas, USA. Consumers (n=173) evaluated steaks for overall like (OSAT), tenderness (TEND), juiciness (JUIC), and flavor (FLAV) using 23-point hedonic scales. Respondents in Dallas cooked their steaks to higher degrees of doneness than did those in San Antonio. Outdoor grilling was the most frequently used method of cookery for steaks in both cities. Generally, consumers in San Antonio gave higher palatability ratings to Choice steaks and Dallas consumers gave higher ratings to Select steaks. The interactions of city×cooking method, breed-type×cooking method, and degree of doneness×cooking method were significant for all palatability attributes. In addition, the interaction of cooking method×quality grade was significant for TEND, JUIC, and FLAV. Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force was determined on a steak from each strip loin. Steaks from Continental European Cross cattle and Low Choice carcasses had the lowest WBS values. Differences in consumer preparation of beef top loin steaks present very unique challenges for the beef industry. Consumer information programs may serve a valuable role in connecting consumer perceptions with the preparation techniques needed to consistently achieve satisfaction.     

Dry versus wet aging of beef: Retail cutting yields and consumer palatability evaluations of steaks from US Choice and US Select short loins

Paired beef short loins from US Choice (n=48) and US Select (n=48) carcasses were assigned to be dry or wet aged for 14, 21, 28 or 35d. After aging, short loins were processed to determine retail yields and processing times. Upon completion of cutting tests, steaks were served to consumers to assess palatability characteristics. Retail cutting tests showed that dry-aged short loins had reduced yields and increased cutting times when compared to wet-aged short loins. Consumers were unable to determine differences between dry- and wet-aged steaks and for aging periods; however, USDA quality grade had a significant impact on consumer perception of palatability attributes.     

RELATIONSHIP OF USDA QUALITY GRADES TO PALATABILITY OF COOKED BEEF1

Prime carcasses produced loin and round steaks that were more palatable (P < 0.05) than were those from carcasses of Choice through Canner (7 grades) in 85.7% of comparisons and from carcasses of Choice through Standard (3 grades) in 69.0% of comparisons; comparable percentages were 71.4% (6 grades) and 42.9% (2 grades) for Choice and 74.3% (5 grades) and 35.7% (1 grade) for Good. Among Prime through Standard carcasses, grade predicted flavor, tenderness and overall palatability of loin steaks with 30 to 38% accuracy, but could explain no more than 8% of the variation in panel ratings/shear force values of round steaks.     

EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT AGING PROCEDURES ON THE PALATABILITY OF BEEF

Ten pairs of beef strip loins were obtained 48 h postmortem from ten good grade beef carcasses. Three steaks (2.5 cm thick) were cut from the loin end of each strip loin and the remaining portion retained as the subprimal. Steaks and subprimals were aged for 7 days at 2°C in the following treatments: polyvinyl chloride overwrapped steaks (PVC-ST), vacuum packaged steaks (VP-ST), vacuum packaged subprimals (VP-SP), and subprimals held in air (Air-SP). After aging of the subprimal, 3 additional steaks were cut for evaluation. The steaks from all treatments were evaluated for palatability and chemical characteristics. Palatability characteristics did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) between treatments with the exception of the off-flavor intensity of PVC-ST which was higher (P < 0.05) than other treatments. Warner-Bratzler shear values were similar for all treatments. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between treatments for percent moisture, percent lipid, pH or TBA number. The results of this study indicate that aging method (air or vacuum) or type of cut (steaks or subprimals) had little effect on the palatability attributes or chemical characteristics of the beef strip loins.     

CONSUMER EVALUATION OF THE PALATABILITY OF USDA SELECT,USDA CHOICE AND CERTIFIED ANGUS BEEF STRIP LOIN STEAKS FROM RETAIL MARKETS IN LUBBOCK,TEXAS, U.S.A.

ABSTRACT

Select, Choice and Certified Angus Beef (CAB) strip loin steaks were sold in Lubbock, TX to determine consumer acceptability. A home survey was attached to each package of steaks (return = 191 steak evaluations). Consumers did not detect differences in tenderness or flavor, but rated CAB steaks juicier (P < 0.05) than Select or Choice. However, 68% of CAB consumers rated steaks as extremely or very tender, but less than half rated Choice and Select steaks the same way. Consumer tenderness and flavor scores for Select steaks were more variable, but consumer satisfaction and tenderness acceptability did not differ (P > 0.05) between grades. Trained sensory panelists rated CAB steaks higher (P < 0.05) than Choice or Select for all palatability traits except flavor intensity. Shear force decreased (P < 0.05) by quality grade as CAB steaks sheared with the least resistance. These results showed marbling influenced objective palatability measures and decreased the variation in both objective and consumer measures of palatability.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Quality grades were established to predict beef palatability, but marbling can be an unreliable predictor of tenderness. Branded beef programs, such as Certified Angus Beef (CAB), have been developed to distinguish higher palatability products and provide more consistent products for consumers. Consumers can distinguish between levels beef tenderness and are willing to pay a premium for tender beef. Moreover, consumers find product consistency is moderately important when purchasing fresh beef. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine consumer acceptability based on in‐home evaluations of strip loin steaks from United States Department of Agriculture Select and Choice grades and CAB purchased from a retail supermarket environment.

     

Palatability of Chilled and Frozen Beef Steaks

The effects of a split, split plot design, with marbling degree within USDA Choice quality grade as the whole plot, and storage system (chilled with 13 or 20 days postmortem aging or frozen with 7 or 14 days postmortem aging) and blade tenderization (once or twice) as the split plots on palatability and cooking characteristics of beef top loin (TL) and center-cut, top sirloin (TS) steaks were determined. Marbling degree within the Choice quality grade had no effect on sensory or cooking characteristics of either steak. Storing TL steaks frozen rather than chilled adversely affected flavor intensity and cooking losses. Palatability of TS steaks was much lower than for TL steaks. These data will provide the foodservice industry with more specific guidelines for product processing specifications.     

Effects of biological source on cooking and palatability attributes of beef produced for the Japanese market

Boneless beef loin samples from five biological sources (Japanese Wagyu, American Wagyu (3 4 - 7 8 Wagyu), Angus, Longhorn and US Choice) were evaluated for cooking and palatability attributes as shabu-shabu, steaks and roasts. Japanese Wagyu beef was superior in palatability compared to Angus, Longhorn and US Choice beef when prepared as shabu-shabu or as steaks. Very palatable beef was produced for the Japanese market when the Wagyu breed and a controlled, extended feeding period were utilized. The results were more equivocal when the beef was prepared as roasts, but it is unlikely that a substantial demand for roasts will develop in Japan due to high retail costs and traditions in cookery.     

Microbiological and sensory characteristics of beef loin steaks: Role of intramuscular fat

Beef loin steaks of different grades (Prime, Choice and Good) were packaged and stored in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film for 0-6 days and in high-oxygen barrier (HOB) film for 0-28 days. Grade had no significant effect (P > 0·05) on the aerobic plate count and did not result in major differences in the distribution of types in the microflora of steaks. Of the sensory characteristics examined, mean surface discoloration and mean overall appearance scores of Prime and Choice steaks packaged and stored in HOB film often were higher (P < 0·05) than those of Good steaks. Differences in metmyoglobin formation among steaks from the three grades were attributed to differences in the inherent characteristics of the muscles; muscle fibers from Prime and Choice samples were probably more red (as evidenced by greater marbling ability), while muscle fibers of Good samples were probably more white (as evidenced by lesser marbling ability). Red muscles have greater cytochrome activity, which will help reduce metmyoglobin to myoglobin in the absence of oxygen.     

The Paradox of Toughening During the Aging of Tender Steaks

ABSTRACT:  Aging is the practice of holding meat at low temperatures to improve tenderness that is the most important sensory attribute affecting consumer acceptability of beef. Because of the inconsistencies in measured tenderness changes during aging, we attempted to look at the relationship between aging and initial tenderness irrespective of animal age, genetics, or nutritional status. Cattle were selected to represent a full range of quality grades from Utility to Prime. Steaks from these cattle were aged in vacuum bags for 0, 7, or 14 d and tenderness characteristics were assessed. Steaks were cut from the frozen loin sections, thawed, and cooked on open hearth grills to 70 °C. Sensory evaluation was completed by a 6-member trained sensory evaluation panel and Warner-Bratzler shear was determined. The average shear values decreased with aging time across most grade categories; however, improvement was not uniform. Steaks from Utility grade cattle improved the most while steaks of other grades improved less. Shear values overlapped a great deal across all grades and to gain a better understanding of changes with aging, steaks were grouped based on initial shear value differences of 1 kg. Shear value of the toughest steaks decreased the most during aging (−36%), while those with the lowest shear values increased (16%). The same pattern emerged when steaks were grouped by initial tenderness. These results suggest that initially tough steaks will benefit from aging while very tender steaks may be adversely affected.     

Evaluation of the Tenderness of Beef Top Sirloin Steaks

Top sirloin butts and strip loins were obtained from both sides of 20 U.S. Choice beef carcasses and cut into six steaks (2.54 cm thick). These steaks were assigned randomly to one of six aging treatments (0, 7, 14, 21, 28 or 35 days). Top sirloin steaks were less tender and more variable in tenderness than top loin steaks. This difference in tenderness appeared to be due to higher amounts of collagen in top sirloin steaks and a tendency toward lower collagen solubility, shorter sarcomere length and higher (less tender) fragmentation index.     

USDA QUALITY GRADES AND PALATABILITY OF LOIN STEAKS FROM CALF AND YOUNG BEEF CARCASSES 1

The net effect of increases in one palatability attribute (flavor) and decreases in other palatability attributes (amount of connective tissue; tenderness) as carcass maturity increased from “Calf” to “Beef” was that the composite measures of eating satisfaction (overall palatability ratings) were identical (4.8 and 4.8) for loin steaks from carcasses of the two age classes. Increases in maturity across the range from Ca⁰⁰ to A³³ had no effect (P > 0.05) on palatability of loin steaks; attempts to classify “Calf” vs. “Beef” or to assign relative maturity scores within the Calf class were not successful in identifying differences in palatability of loin steaks. Relative fatness (feathering; flank streaking; marbling; estimated or actual intramuscular fat content; subcutaneous fat thickness) was useful in accounting for the observed variability in palatability of meat from Calf and/or Beef carcasses and should be the basis for quality grade assessments. In no case did consideration of conformation or any relative maturity indicator improve significantly upon ability of relative fatness to explain variation in ratings for flavor, tenderness or overall palatability for loin steaks from either Calf or Beef carcasses. These data suggest that classification of certain bovine carcasses as “Calf” rather than “Beef” could be done more objectively than at present (perhaps for example, by using carcass weight) and that consideration of relative maturity should be eliminated in determining the USDA quality grades of Calf carcasses.     

Tenderizing, Ageing, and Thawing Effects on Sensory, Chemical, and Physical Properties of Beef Steaks

The effects of electrical stimulation, tender stretching, ageing, freezing and thawing on beef palatability were assessed by a trained sensory panel and by several objective methods. The overall palatability of both longissimus dorsi (strip loin) and semimembranosus (topside) steaks improved with ageing, irrespective of tenderizing method, but there appeared to be little advantage in extending ageing beyond 10 days. Tender stretched longissimus dorsi steaks were marginally preferred by the taste panel to electrically stimulated steaks subjected to the same ageing. Unfrozen steaks were preferable to frozen and thawed steaks with respect to juiciness, flavor and tenderness. Thawing method had little effect on steak palatability.     

RESTRUCTURED BEEF WITH FAT VARIATIONS

Prerigor beef samples from U.S. Choice Yield Grade 3 beef forequarters were excised within 1 h postmortem and converted to restructured beef steaks containing 10, 15 or 20% fat. The blended samples, regardless of fat level, were formulated with 1.0% NaCl and 0.25% sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) and stored at -20°C until evaluation at 0 and 56 days. Appearance and taste attributes were measured objectively and subjectively. Results suggested that fat content variation of restructured beef steaks with 20% fat or less had a minimal effect on color degradation and other appearance traits. These attributes were affected more by storage time than fat level. Fat content had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the objective and subjective measurements for palatability. These data suggest that low-fat steaks can be produced without anticipation of reduced palatability as fat content decreases below 20%.     

EFFECTS OF INHERENT MUSCLE QUALITY DIFFERENCES UPON THE PALATABILITY AND COOKING PROPERTIES OF VARIOUS FRESH, CURED AND PROCESSED PORK PRODUCTS

Ham steaks, loin chops, bacon slices, shoulder roasts and sausage patties fabricated from three muscle quality groups were utilized to evaluate the effects of muscle quality on palatability and cooking properties. Irrespective of muscle quality (pale, soft, exudative (PSE) versus normal versus dark, firm, dry (DFD)) all pork cuts evaluated were well within the acceptable range in palatability. In addition, results indicated that inherent muscle quality differences were of little relevance to the eating quality of pork. However, meaningful differences in cooking losses were observed from loin chops and bacon slices.     

Effect of Subprimal Fabrication and Packaging Methods on Palatability and Retail Caselife of Loin Steaks from Lean Beef

Eighty subprimals were fabricated from 20 pairs of beef strip loins from lean (fat thickness, 0.2-0.4 cm) US Standard and US Good carcasses. Three vacuum packaged (VP) and one dry aged treatments were randomly assigned to short loin sections of each carcass. Steaks from VP intact and VP not-reassembled subprimals were rated highest in overall appearance and eating quality. Dry aging reduced retail caselife, produced greater shrinkage and trim losses and lower overall satisfaction ratings by panelists. Precutting subprimals into steaks followed by VP aging tends to decrease retail caselife (especially if steaks are reassembled) and decrease juiciness and tenderness.     

Proximate composition and energy content of beef steaks as influenced by USDA quality grade and degree of doneness

This study evaluated the influence of various degrees of doneness on proximate composition and energy content of beef. Ten steaks were obtained from each of five USDA Prime, five USDA Choice, and five USDA Select strip loins and assigned to one of five degree of doneness treatments (two sets of treatments per strip loin): raw, medium rare (63 °C), medium (71 °C), well done (77 °C), and very well done (82 °C). After cooking, steaks were dissected into separable tissue components consisting of lean, fat, and refuse. Lean tissue was used to obtain proximate analyses of protein, moisture, fat, and ash. Degree of doneness did influence (P<0.05) the nutrient composition of beef steaks. As the degree of doneness increased, percent fat and protein increased, while percent moisture decreased. Cooking steaks to a higher degree of doneness resulted in a higher caloric value when reported per 100g basis.     

Determination of sensory, chemical and cooking characteristics of retail beef cuts differing in intramuscular and external fat

Top loin (TLS), top sirloin (TSS), and eye of round (EYS) steaks, and loin end (LRR) and blade end (BRR) rib, and eye of round (EYR) roasts were used to determine the effect of USDA quality grade, Choice or Select, external fat trim level, and internal temperature endpoint on sensory, chemical and cooking characteristics. Cuts cooked with external fat required slightly greater cooking times and had higher fat content in the lean than cuts cooked without external fat (p < 0.05). Regardless of quality grade or external fat trim, increasing internal temperature endpoint resulted in tougher, drier cuts with longer cooking times and greater cooking loss (p < 0.05). Choice TLS, TSS and LRR were higher (p < 0.05) in palatability than Select, but quality grade did not affect palatability of BRR, EYS or EYR.     

Consumer Assessment of Beef Tenderloin Steaks from Various USDA Quality Grades at 3 Degrees of Doneness

A consumer study was conducted to determine palatability ratings of beef tenderloin steaks from USDA Choice, USDA Select, and USDA Select with marbling scores from Slight 50 to 100 (USDA High Select) cooked to various degrees of doneness. Steaks were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 degree of doneness categories: very‐rare, medium‐rare, or well‐done. Consumers (N = 315) were screened for preference of degree of doneness and fed 4 samples of their preferred doneness (a warm‐up and one from each USDA quality grade treatment in a random order). Consumers evaluated steaks on an 8‐point verbally anchored hedonic scale for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall like as well as rated steaks as acceptable or unacceptable for all palatability traits. Quality grade had no effect (P > 0.05) on consumer ratings for tenderness, juiciness, flavor, and overall like scores, with all traits averaging above a 7 (“like very much”) on the 8‐point scale. In addition, no differences (P > 0.05) were found in the percentage of samples rated as acceptable for all palatability traits, with more than 94% of samples rated acceptable for each trait in all quality grades evaluated. Steaks cooked to well‐done had lower (P < 0.05) juiciness scores than steaks cooked to very‐rare or medium‐rare and were rated lower for tenderness (P < 0.05) than steaks cooked to a very‐rare degree of doneness. Results indicate consumers were not able to detect differences in tenderness, juiciness, flavor, or overall like among beef tenderloin steaks from USDA Choice and Select quality grades.     

Palatability of Meat from Mule Deer

To determine the palatability of meat from mule deer, a 10-member trained sensory panel evaluated meat from seven mule deer harvested in Texas. Beef rib roast and venison rib roast, loin steaks and semimembranosus steaks, and ground meat patties (beef, venison, venison/beef, and venison/pork) were evaluated. Venison contained much less fat than beef. Beef was more palatable than venison except for tenderness. The main difference in palatability was that venison was less juicy than beef. Mixing ground venison with beef or pork increased the palatability of venison to that of ground beef.