Monitoring the variations in physicochemical characteristics of squab meat during the braising cooking process

Braised squabs are traditional Chinese foods. However, the processing is highly experience dependent and lacks a theoretical basis. Hence, a comparative study of the physicochemical properties in different processing stages of braised squabs was necessary. We observed the physicochemical changes in the processing stages of braised squabs (raw meat, braised meat, and fried meat). The color parameters, moisture content, and drip loss rate gradually decreased during the processing. On the contrary, crude protein content and pH value were upregulated in the processing stages of braised squabs. Furthermore, the diameter of muscle fiber significantly increased in the braised meat and further decreased in the fried meat compared with the raw muscle fiber. Similarly, hardness, springiness, and chewiness were also increased in the braised step and decreased in the fried step. Additionally, the contents of essential amino acids remain unchanged. Hence, our results provided a certain reference value on the production of braised squabs.