Microwave combined with conduction heating effects on the tenderness, water distribution, and microstructure of pork belly

Abstract The study attempts to address the low tenderness problem of meat heated by microwave through modifying the heat transfer mode in the microwave oven. The effects of two heat transfer modes, microwave combined with conduction heating (MH + CH) and microwave heating (MH) on the texture properties of pork belly were investigated. The results showed that the shear force of meat heated by MH + CH was significantly lower than MH. The results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and surface hydrophobicity showed that the meat heated by MH + CH had a higher β-sheet proportion and stronger hydrophobic interaction. The inverted fluorescence microscope images showed that the meat heated by MH + CH had a more compact gel structure which led to less free water and better water retention capacity. The present study revealed that compared with conventional microwave heating, the meat heated by MH + CH could contributed to a more desirable tenderness level. Industrial relevance Great concerns on microwave cooking have arisen due to the increasing number of families with a microwave oven. However, the low tenderness of meat heated by microwave limited the application potential of microwave oven and the development of microwave industry. This research found that in the microwave oven, composite heated meat had a compact gelatin structure and higher water holding capacity, which significantly improved the tenderness and food quality of meat. Therefore, microwave combined with conduction heating mode could be used to solve the problem of low tenderness of meat products caused by microwave heating and expand the application and development scope of the microwave oven.