Effect of marination and microwave heating on the quality of Semimembranosus and Semitendinosus muscles from Friesian mature cows

Semimembranosus (SM) and Semitendinosus (ST) muscles from 8 mature cows were used to evaluate the effect of marination, power of microwave heating, and internal temperature of cooking on the quality of calibrated beef roasts. Four treatments, using combinations of power (182 W and 654 W) and temperature (60 and 80 °C) were applied to marinated (10% added brine: salt, sodium lactate, lactose, and ascorbate) and control roasts from SM (15 × 5 × 3 cm) and ST (10 × 4 × 3 cm) muscles in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Microwave cooking was heterogeneous resulting in a gradient of temperatures within the roasts. Either high or low microwave power were appropriate for cooking ST roasts, but SM roasts cooked at 654 W showed higher cooking losses, and lighter and less red cooked color than 182 W. Cooking to 80 °C increased cooking and color losses in both muscles and decreased tenderness of SM roasts compared with 60 °C. Marination can be used successfully to enhance beef tenderness of ST and SM muscles cooked in microwave.

► Microwave cooking was heterogeneous resulting in a gradient of temperatures.
► Marination enhanced tenderness of round muscles from cows cooked in microwave.
► Higher internal temperature (80 vs. 60 °C) increased moisture and color losses.
► Higher microwave power increased moisture and color losses of Semimembranosus.