Meat and Muscle Biology (Jan 2022)
Cooking Surface Temperatures, Steak Thickness, and Quality Grade Effects on Volatile Aroma Compounds
Abstract
Volatile aroma compounds were evaluated in USDA Top Choice and Select beef top loin steaks cut 1.3 cm (THIN) or 3.8 cm (THICK) and cooked on a commercial flat top grill at 177°C (LOW) or 232°C (HIGH) grill surface temperature. Gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry was used to evaluate volatile aroma compounds. USDA Select steaks had more 2-octene and less trimethyl pyrazine in (P < 0.05) THIN steaks than THICK steaks, whereas Choice was unaffected by steak thickness (P > 0.05). Benzene acetaldehyde was higher and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was higher in Select LOW grill temperatures compared with Select HIGH grill temperatures, whereas 5-methyl-2-furan carboxaldehyde was only present in Choice HIGH grill temperatures (P < 0.05). Two acids, 3 alcohols, 1 aldehyde, 1 alkane, and 1 ketone volatile aroma compound were higher (P < 0.05) for LOW compared with HIGH. Conversely, 5 alcohols, 2 aldehydes, 2 alkanes, all 4 furans, 6 ketones, 4 pyrazines, along with 1H-indole, 2 pyrroles, 2 pyridines, and 1 benzene aroma compound were higher (P < 0.05) in HIGH compared with LOW. Additionally, 1 alcohol, 2 aldehydes, 1 ketone, 1 sulfur-containing, and 6 other volatile compounds were lower, whereas 1 acid, 1 alcohol, 1 aldehyde, 2 furans, 1 ketone, 3 pyrazines, 1 sulfur-containing, and 1 other volatile compound were higher in the THIN compared with THICK. Some aroma compounds such as 2-butanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, 1-methyl-1H-pyrrole, and 2-methyl-pyridine were only present in THICK cooked HIGH (P < 0.05). Steak thickness and grill temperature are important factors to consider in the development of positive Maillard reaction products. Key findings are that high grill temperatures and/or thick steaks with longer grilling times are required for the development of key Maillard reaction products and many Maillard reaction products were only found in the most severe high-temperature, long-time grilling scenarios.
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