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Title: COOKING PROPERTIES OF BEEF LOIN STEAKS USED TO DEVELOP NEW DEGREE OF DONENESS GUIDELINES

Author
item Berry, Bradford
item JOHNSON, H - NATL LIVESTOCK&MEAT BOARD
item DOCKERTY, TERRY - NATL LIVESTOCK&MEAT BOARD
item George, Marnie
item Stanfield, Marilyn

Submitted to: International Congress of Meat Science and Technology Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/9/1995
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Degree of doneness of cooked meat (subjective visual color) has traditionally been used by food service and consumers as an information system. Recent changes and concerns in the meat, food service and restaurant industry such as food safety, reduced fat content and newer cooking methods have necessitated a re-evaluation of degree of doneness standards. Results from this study, which involved several broiling systems, grades of beef and complete removal of waste fat, showed that the generally recognized degrees of doneness for steaks cooked to specific internal temperature are basically correct on the average. However, a degree of doneness either more well-done or less well-done from that expected was occasionally seen. Thus with lean beef, newer cooking methods may be necessary to guarantee more uniformity in degree of doneness between and within steaks.

Technical Abstract: Steaks from nine beef loins representing USDA Choice (Small degree of marbling) and nine loins from USDA Select (Slight degree of marbling) were used to produce new degree of doneness pictures. Steaks were either broiled on an electric open hearth broiler or in an enclosed oven broiler. Steaks were cooked to one of 11 end point internal temperatures (130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180 deg F). Even with the rigid cooking conditions employed in this study, the strong possibility existed of obtaining one degree of doneness higher or lower than the degree of doneness anticipated. Regardless of grade and cooking method, visual appraisals of degree of doneness at the various end point temperatures generally approximated those widely thought to occur at those temperatures. Cookery in the higher temperature oven broiler produced steaks with a broader band of more consistent cooked color. Choice grade steaks cooked on the open hearth broiler had higher cooking yields than those cooked in the oven broiler, while the opposite results occurred for Select grade steaks. High cooking yields found for Select grade steaks cooked by oven broiling to 155 deg F and lower temperatures were not observed in relation to Choice grade steaks at higher end point temperatures. This study provides indication that original end point temperatures for beef degree of doneness, while variable, are basically correct, even for lean steaks with no external fat.