| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to investigate the use
of preblended, prerigor beef in reduced salt meat batters.
The functional properties of water-holding capacity, fat
binding and gel strength were evaluated. Proximate
analyses (protein, moisture and fat contents) of all
cooked samples were performed, in duplicate.
The sternomandibularis muscle (SM) was removed from
the right side of each of fifteen steers within 1 hr after
death. The control samples remained on the left side of
each carcass for 48 hr at 2°C before removal.
The muscles removed prerigor were preblended with
four different levels of salt: 1.5, 2.25, 2.5, and 3.0%.
The preblends and the postrigor SM were used to formulate batters with 1.5 or 2.5% salt. During preparation, the
batters were chopped until a temperature of 16.0 +/- 0.5°C
was reached, and the batter pH was adjusted to 5.8 with
NaOH.
Aliquots of batter were weighed into centrifuge tubes
and cooked in a 70 - 75°C water bath for 30 min. Water-holding
capacity was determined by weighing the amount of
fluid lost during cooking. After the cooked batters had
cooled, gel strength was evaluated with an Instron
Universal Testing Machine using the penetration method
with a cylindrical punch.
The mean pH of the prerigor muscles (6.70) was
significantly higher (p<0.01) than that of the control
muscles (5.66). The proximate analysis results indicated
no significant differences between treatments for the
moisture and fat contents. The mean protein content of
the 2.5% salt batter control treatment was significantly
lower (p<0.05) at 11.13%, than the four prerigor,
preblended treatments which ranged from 11.88 to 12.21%.
The 1.5% salt batter control treatment had a mean
cook loss of 9.75% and was significantly higher (p<0.05)
than the other treatments which ranged from 4.55 to 6.93%.
A red-colored cook loss fluid was observed in the
prerigor, preblended 1.5% salt final batter treatments.
This loss seemed to have no significant (p<0.05) effect on
the functional properties of the batters studied. Fat release was negligible amounting to only a few droplets
per treatment.
The four preblended treatments had significantly
stronger (p<0.05) gel strengths (0.88 - 0.97 lbs) than the
two postrigor control treatments (0.67, 0.69 lbs). Gel
strength seemed to be more dependent on the state of rigor
when salt was added than on the amount of salt added. The
evidence indicates that it is possible to make an
acceptable reduced salt product using prerigor, preblended
beef. === Graduation date: 1990
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