Author
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Berry, Bradford |
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Submitted to: Journal of Muscle Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/1995 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Ground beef patties are usually cooked by frying or broiling both at home by consumers or in the fast-food industry. However, low-fat (10 percent) beef patties frequently require longer cooking than high-fat (20 percent and higher) patties to reach a safe (160 deg F) final internal temperature. This longer cooking frequently produces tough, dry hamburgers. Precooking, ,followed by freezing and then later reheating is popular with the food service industry and consumers. However, the effects of precooking and reheating with low-fat patties is not known, especially with newer, high temperature cooking systems. Precooking with later reheating produced only slight reductions in tenderness and no appreciable changes in juiciness and flavor compared to convection oven baking (popular in schools) of low-fat beef patties with 0.5 percent added carrageenan. Cooking of patties in a rapid (where patties can be cooked from the frozen state to 160 deg F frequently in less than two minutes) double contact grill did not greatly affect eating quality compared to convection oven cooking. The double contact grill permits rapid cooking by having simultaneous hot metal contact on the top and bottom of the patty during cooking. With the double contact grill system, lower cooking temperatures (200-225 deg F) are suggested for reheating precooked patties in order to maximize cooking yields and eating quality. With low-fat beef patties, the addition of fat replacers such as carrageenan may permit the use of a wide variety of cooking systems without producing major effects on cooked patty properties. Technical Abstract: Low-fat (10 percent) beef patties manufactured with 0.5 percent iota carrageenan, were subjected to one-time cooking from the raw to fully cooked state or precooking and later reheating before evaluating sensory, shear force and cooking properties. Patties were reheated in a convection oven or in a simultaneous top and bottom contact grill set either at 121 deg C or 191 deg C. Precooking followed by reheating produced only slight changes in sensory properties (reduced tenderness, increased juiciness and beef flavor). Convection oven cooking improved tenderness only for one-time cooked patties. With the rapid double contact grilling system, the lower 121 deg C temperature enhanced tenderness (sensory and shear force) and cooking yields of precooked-reheated patties. Low-fat beef patties formulated with iota carrageenan appear capable of being subjected to a variety of cooking approaches and temperatures without major changes in cooked patty properties. |
