Effects of marbling on physical and sensory characteristics of ribeye steaks from four different cattle breeds

Abstract

Objective Marbling or intramuscular fat (IMF) has been widely reported to directly impact the sensory acceptance of meat. This study was carried out to determine the physical and sensory characteristics of ribeye, Longissimus dorsi steaks obtained from four different cattle breeds namely Wagyu, Angus, Brahman, and Malaysian local beef, the Kedah-Kelantan (KK). Methods The degree of marbling was determined by using an established combined camera-image analysis technique while instrumental texture determination was carried out by using Warner-Bratzler shear force analysis. Sensory evaluation of the beef steaks was performed following a quantitative descriptive analysis incorporating 10 trained consumer panelists. Results Wagyu was found to possess the highest (p0.05) in appearance, aroma, texture, juiciness, and flavour to the cooked steak from Angus and Brahman. Conclusion This present study demonstrated the role of IMF in determining the quality and sensory acceptance of beef from different cattle breeds. These data have provided new information and further understanding on the physical and sensory quality of Malaysian local beef.

Keywords

• marbling
• beef
• ribeye steak
• texture
• quantitative descriptive analysis