Mechanical tenderisation of beef muscles for use in re-formed joints made with a cold-set binder

Three treatments, blade tenderisation (BT), needle tenderisation (NT) and enhancement by brine injection + vacuum-pulsing (VP), were applied to each of two muscles from beef forequarter, M. pectoralis profundus and M. supraspinatus, and two from the round of the hindquarter, M. semimembranosus and M. vastus lateralis. The tenderised muscles and non-treated controls were re-formed into joints using a cold-set bonding agent and tested as steaks cut from the joints. NT and VP gave a similar degree of tenderisation, as indicated by W–B shear force and taste panel, while BT had a lesser but still significant effect. Cook loss from steaks was increased by BT and NT treatments for the, tougher, forequarter but not the hindquarter muscles. The overall conclusion was that NT and VP treatments are more effective than BT but that the 3 methods are satisfactory for tenderisation of beef for production of re-formed steaks. Reduced redness and higher bacterial numbers arising from VP could render this treatment more suitable for re-formed steaks for catering than for retail sale. A supplementary trial showed that slices from roasted VP-treated re-formed joints(as distinct from grill-cooked steaks tested in the main trial) were better in sliceability and equal to or better in sensory quality than those from commercial whole-muscle round roasts purchased in a supermarket.