Constant Time versus Constant Temperature Cooking of Beef Loin Steaks as Influenced by Marbling Characteristics and Intramuscular Fat Content1

Beef loin steaks differing widely in degree of marbling (Moderate minus and above versus Traces plus and below), marbling texture (“fine” versus “coarse”), marbling distribution (“even” versus “uneven”) and intramuscular fat content (above 6.0% and below 3.0%) were evaluated for sensory, shear force and cooking characteristics. Steaks (192) in each of eight categories were selected from 96 carcasses (12 carcasses per category). Paired steaks from each of the selection categories were cooked either to an internal temperature of 70 C or for a duration of 35 min on open electric boiling units. Broiling for 35 min resulted in higher (P<.05) cooking losses for steaks with both high and low levels of marbling and intramuscular fat content than did broiling to 70 C. Higher marbled steaks with more than 6% intramuscular fat that were broiled for 3 5 min reached an average 2.4 C higher endpoint temperature than did paired steaks cooked to 70 C. Broiling to 70 C required an average of 120 sec less cooking time than did broiling for 35 minutes. Sensory attributes of steaks differing in marbling texture or in marbling distribution did not vary significantly with cooking method. Consistency between sensory ratings (as measured by correlations) for steaks cooked to 70 C and those for steaks cooked 35 min were higher when steaks had high rather than low levels of marbling and intramuscular fat or were “fine” rather than “coarse” in marbling texture. For research purposes, broiling beef loin steaks for 35 min is a suitable alternative to broiling to 70 C.