Preserving pre-rigor meat functionality for beef patty production

Summary

Three approaches were investigated to minimize the loss in prerigor functionality that occurs with time postmortem that could be applied to beef patty manufacture. Treatments included hot-boned semimembranosus muscles that were processed: 1) prerigor ground, salted, patties immediately cooked, 2) prerigor ground, salted and stored overnight, 3) prerigor injected with brine, and 4) postrigor ground and salted. Raw patties were formulated to contain 60% lean beef, 19.7% beef fat trim, 1.7% NaCl, 3.6 % starch, and 15% water. Prerigor processing occurred at 3 to 3.5 hr postmortem. Patties made from prerigor ground meat had higher pH values; greater protein solubility; firmer, more cohesive, and chewier texture; and substantially lower cooking losses than the other treatments. Addition of salt was sufficient to reduce the rate and extent of glycolysis. Brine injection of intact prerigor muscles resulted in some preservation of the functional properties but not as pronounced as with salt addition to prerigor ground meat.