Tenderness of Beef.

Abstract

SUMMARY This paper reports work related to scores for juiciness and two components of tenderness: softness to tongue and cheek, and softness to tooth pressure. As steak temperature increased from 61 to 80°C the meat became drier and harder, hut more markedly in biceps femoris than longissimus dorsi. From 80 to 100°C, longissimus dorsi became still drier and harder; biceps femoris also became drier but did not change in softness to tongue and cheek and became softer to tooth pressure. These changes were studied in relation to cooking times and weight losses during cooking; to percent loss of water from raw meat; and to the size and possible hydration of muscle fibers. Correlations calculated on a lot‐muscle‐temperature basis indicated that juiciness was not closely associated with any of the six components of tenderness. The closest was softness to tongue and cheek, which accounted for about 35% of the variation in biceps femoris at 80°C. The results are discussed in relation to theories of tendering or toughening.