Radio frequency heating of beef rolls from biceps femoris muscle

Chemical, physical and sensory aspects of quality were compared on encased rolls (1kg) prepared from single muscle beef (biceps femoris) cooked in a steam oven (80°C) or by radio frequency (RF) heating (500W, 27.12MHz) under recirculating water at 80°C. The RF protocol reduced cooking times to 23 and 31% of steam cooking times, respectively, in non-injected meat (PG1) and in rolls prepared with curing brines possessing similar dielectric properties (PG2-4). Compared to steam heating, cooking yields were significantly higher (P<0.05) and instrumental texture measurements related to toughness significantly lower (P<0.05) for RF cooked PG1 rolls and for meat injected with brines containing water binding dielectrically inactive additives (PG4) but not for brined rolls lacking the latter ingredients (PG2 and PG3). Participants in a 50 member untrained sensory panel were unable to detect texture differences which had been indicated by instrumental analysis for PG1 and PG4.