Cooking Surface Temperatures, Steak Thickness, and Quality Grade Effects on Volatile Aroma Compounds Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Beef flavor attributes were evaluated in USDA TopChoice and Select beef top loin steaks cut 1.3 cm (THIN) or 3.8 cm (THICK) andcooked on a commercial flat top grill at 177˚C (LOW) or 232˚C (HIGH) grillsurface temperature. Gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry, was used toevaluate volatile aroma compounds.&nbsp; USDASelect steaks had more 2-octene and less trimethyl pyrazine in (P>0.05) THINsteaks than THICK steaks, while Choice was unaffected by steak thickness(P<0.05).&nbsp; Benzene acetaldehyde washigher and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was higher in Select LOW grill temperaturescompared to Select HIGH grill temperatures, while 5-methyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde was only present in Choice HIGH grill temperatures (P>0.05).Two acid, three alcohol, one aldehyde, one alkane, and one ketone volatilearoma compounds were higher (P>0.05) for LOW compared to HIGH.&nbsp; Conversely, five alcohols, two aldehyde, twoalkane, all four furans, six ketones, four pyrazines, along with 1H-indole, twopyrroles, two pyridines, and one benzene aroma compounds were higher (P>0.05)in HIGH compared to LOW.&nbsp; Additionally,one alcohol, two aldehydes, one ketones, one sulfur-containing, and six othervolatile compounds were lower, while one acid, one alcohol, one aldehyde, twofurans, one ketone, three pyrazine, one sulfur-containing, and one othervolatile compounds were higher in the THIN compared to THICK.&nbsp; Some aroma compounds like 2-butanone,4-methyl-2-pentanone, 1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, 1-methyl-1H-pyrrole, and2-methyl-pyridine were only present in THICK cooked HIGH (P>0.05). Steakthickness and grill time are important factors to consider in the developmentof positive Maillard reaction products.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}@font-face{font-family:"MS Mincho";panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;mso-font-alt:"MS 明朝";mso-font-charset:128;mso-generic-font-family:modern;mso-font-pitch:fixed;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face{font-family:Cambria;panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:"@MS Mincho";panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;mso-font-charset:128;mso-generic-font-family:modern;mso-font-pitch:fixed;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p.Major, li.Major, div.Major{mso-style-name:Major;mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:200%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}
  • 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 177C (LOW) or 232C (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.

published proceedings

  • Meat and Muscle Biology

author list (cited authors)

  • Kerth, C. R., Berto, M. C., K., R. M., Savell, J. W., & Miller, R. K.

citation count

  • 2

complete list of authors

  • Kerth, Chris R||Berto, Michael C||K., Rhonda Miller||Savell, Jeffrey W||Miller, Rhonda K

publication date

  • January 2022