This study investigated the influence of microwave and broiling cooking methods on quality parameters of portion size cuts of beef semitendinosus muscle subjected to pre-rigor pressure treatment. The pre-rigor pressurized beef was compared to conventionally processed portion size cuts. Juiciness, tenderness, and flavor were evaluated by objective and subjective tests. Objective tests included water-holding capacity, total moisture, Warner-Bratzler shear, pH, and color of the raw and cooked beef portions. Total lipids and nitrogen content were measured to determined paired sample muscle uniformity. Cooking losses, temperature/time data and electron micrographs were collected as appropriate. Juiciness, tenderness, ease of fiber separation, and flavor of the microwaved and broiled beef portions were subjectively evaluated by a six member trained panel of judges. Pre-rigor pressure treated cooked beef portions showed significantly (P<0.05) greater total moisture, pH, exterior a+ color values and subjective tenderness and ease of fiber separation scores than the untreated portions. No significant differences in interior L, a+ and b+ color values were found between pressure treated and untreated samples. Subjective juiciness and flavor scores were not significantly different between treatments. Total moisture, expressible moisture index, Warner-Bratzler shear, pH, and exterior L and a+ color values were not significantly different between the raw pressure treated and untreated beef portions. Pressure treatment resulted in a significantly higher (P<0.01) exterior b+ color value for the raw treated meat. Total moisture, drip cooking loss, interior a+ (redness) color value, and exterior L (lightness) and b+ (yellowness) color values were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the microwaved beef portions as compared to the broiled portions. Total and evaporation cooking losses were significantly lower (P<0.01) with microwave cooking than broiling in the untreated and pressure treated portions. No significant differences in expressible moisture index, Warner-Bratzler shear, pH, exterior a+ color, and interior L and b+ color values were found between microwave and broiled portions. Panelists evaluation of juiciness, tenderness, ease of fiber separation, and flavor of the beef portions indicated no significant differences between cooking methods. Although total moisture, cooking losses, and color values were significantly different between microwaved and broiled beef portions, in general, microwave and broiling cooking methods gave comparable results for quality parameters in pre-rigor pressure treated cooked beef portions. The significantly higher total moisture and tenderness of pre-rigor pressure treated cooked beef portions indicates the feasibility of this process for use by the meat industry. / Graduation date: 1983

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas State University Libraries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

This item was digitized as part of the Million Books Project led by Carnegie Mellon University and supported by grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Cornell University coordinated the participation of land-grant and agricultural libraries in providing historical agricultural information for the digitization project; the University of Arizona Libraries, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and the Office of Arid Lands Studies collaborated in the selection and provision of material for the digitization project.

Thesis--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 295-300).

Thesis (M.S.)--Wisconsin. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 262-265).

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1959 G37