SUMMARYShear‐force values were markedly and significantly higher at meat temperatures of 80°C (well‐done) than at 61 °C (rare) in longissimus dorsi (LD) steaks, but only slightly higher in biceps femoris (BF) steaks from 180 animals. Neither muscle showed significant differences between shear‐force values at 80 and 100°C. The two muscles had similar shear‐force values at 61 °C, although the connective tissue scored much tougher in BF than in LD steaks. Correlations were low between shear‐force values and panel scores for tenderness of connective tissue. The highest coefficients between shear‐force values and panel scores were in LD cooked to 80 and 100°C—for softness to. tooth pressure, ease of fragmentation, and adhesion. These indicate that low scores (tough meat) were associated with high shear‐force values. Correlations for all possible combinations of shear‐force values for the two muscles and the three conditions of cooking were made. Within LD all coefficients were significant and high, which indicated that ranking of the animals for shear‐force value was similar at all temperatures within this muscle. Within BF the only high coefficient was for 80 vs. 100°C. Those involving the two muscles together were not high and not always significant. Thus, shear‐force values of one muscle would not be satisfactory for indicating the tenderness of another muscle in the same carcass. Variation was found among the various core positions within a steak.Extensibility of muscle fibers was greater at 100 than at 61 °C. This was significant in LD but frequently not significant among the lots in BF. Extensibility was rather closely related to shear‐force values at both temperatures in LD, but only at 100°C in BF. Availability of muscle fibers long enough for these determinations (5 mm) varied widely in BF. This availability in the BF steaks cooked to 100°C appeared to be
展开▼
