EFFECT OF VARYING FINAL INTERNAL TEMPERATURE ON SHEAR VALUES AND SENSORY SCORES OF MUSCLES FROM CARCASSES SUSPENDED BY TWO METHODS

ABSTRACT A comparison of changes in tenderness in response to heat was made between meat from three animals that had one side suspended from the achilles tendon and the other side suspended from the obturator foramen. There was a decrease in tenderness due to heating muscles to higher internal temperatures as evidenced by higher shear force values and lower sensory panel scores for all muscles, except for shear of the longissimus, biceps femoris, and psoas major and ease of fragmentation for the longissimus and the gluteus medius. Analysis of the regression lines of shear and fragmentation versus mean temperature at a given cooking time indicated there was more toughening due to higher internal temperatures in a majority of muscles that were allowed to shorten than there was in those that had been prevented from shortening. These data indicate that muscles which are tenderized by prevention of shortening are less susceptible to toughening when cooked to greater degrees of doneness.