Influence of Post-cooking Holding Time on the Sensory Attributes of Traditional or Suspente(R) Enhanced Flat Iron Steaks

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the influence of post-cooking holding time on sensory attributes of flat iron steaks injected with one of two different enhancements or a control. Treatments consisted of a control (CONT), 10% traditional enhancement (E), or a 30% SuspenTec suspension (patented technology developed by Cozzini technologies, Chicago, IL) technology (SUSP). Flat iron steaks (n = 162) were equally allotted to each treatment, yielding 54 steaks to be used for each. Steaks were enhanced according to their respective treatments, individually vacuum packaged and frozen. Warner-Bratzler shear force, TBARS analysis, and sensory evaluation were determined. Shear force was highest for the CONT and the enhancement treatments were not different from each other (P < 0.05). The TBARS analysis displayed SUSP to have the least amount of lipid oxidization of the treatments due to the presence on an antioxidant, whereas CONT contained the highest amount of oxidation (P < 0.0010). The SUSP treatment was significantly higher in preferred cooked beef flavor at holding time 0 min and displayed highest numerical scores during the remaining holding times. The SUSP treatment was the preferred treatment for lowest incidence of livery/metallic off-flavor (P > 0.05) at holding times 0 and 30 min. No differences were observed for painty/fishy off-flavor at holding times 0 and 30 min for any treatment. At holding time 60 min, SUSP showed a tendency to have the least detection of painty/fishy off-flavor (P < 0.10). The SUSP treatment was the saltiest treatment evaluated (P < 0.0007). The SUSP was the most tender across holding times of 30 and 60 min (P < 0.05) and also showed a tendency to be most tender at time 0 (P < 0.10). The SUSP was also the juiciness treatment across all holding times (P < 0.05). In addition to being superior in overall tenderness and juiciness, the SUSP was the most effective treatment analyzed for sensory characteristics across holding times with the exception of 3 areas (painty/fishy at 30 min, livery/metallic at 60 min and cooked beef flavor at 30 min), in which the values were the same as at least one other treatment. Data showed that both enhancement treatments were superior to the CONT in terms of sensory characteristics across all holding times. Additionally, data suggests the tendency for SUSP to outperform E throughout the majority of sensory evaluations in cooked flat iron steaks.