Effect of processing temperature on tenderness, colour and yield of beef steaks subjected to high-hydrostatic pressure

- Single-step pressure-heat process for ready to eat steaks from low value meats.
- The single-step pressure-heat process decreased water loss from 30% to < 10%.
- Improved tenderness from this process enables steak portions from cheaper cuts.
- Pressure-heat can minimise protein denaturation allowing more water binding.

Our aim was to achieve a single-step pressure-heat process that would produce tender, juicy beef steaks from meat that would otherwise be tough when cooked. Steak portions (25 mm thick) from hind-quarter muscles were subjected to heat treatment at 60, 64, 68, 72 or 76 °C for 20 min, with or without simultaneous application of high pressure (200 MPa). Control steaks were heated at 60 °C for 20 min with or without pressure and cooked at 80 °C for 30 min. Compared with heat alone, pressure treatment resulted in higher lightness scores at all temperatures and overall yield was improved by pressure treatment at each temperature. Even at 76 °C, the overall water losses were < 10% compared with > 30% for heat alone. Meat tenderness (peak shear force) was improved for the pressure-heat samples at temperatures above 64 °C, and was optimal at 76 °C. Therefore, subject to microbial evaluation, this single-step pressure-heat process could be used to produce tender, high moisture content steaks ready for consumption.