Scientific analysis of ice-cooked lamb: regulation of edible quality and protein aggregation through unique thermal...

This study conducts a scientific elucidation of the traditional ice-cooking technique for lamb. Compared with conventional water-cooking, the ice-cooking established a distinct thermal process: an initial low-temperature holding phase (below 20 °C for approximately 120 s) followed by a more gradual and uniform heating. Analysis of spatial structure and rheological properties indicated that this gentle heating effectively suppressed excessive protein aggregation and hydrophobic groups exposure, promoting an ordered, continuous gel network (exhibiting higher storage modulus). The muscle fibers in ice-cooked lamb were more tightly arranged, and the ionic and hydrogen bonds that stabilize protein structure were sufficiently preserved, thus retaining more immobile water. Consequently, ice-cooked lamb demonstrated notably improved (P < 0.01) water-holding capacity and tenderness compared to water-cooked lamb, along with superior digestibility and inhibited lipid oxidation. This study decodes the traditional cooking practice by modern food science principles, providing a theoretical foundation for quality optimization in meat cooking.