Influence of steak temperature at the beginning of broiling on palatability, shear and cooking properties of beef loin steaks differing in marbling

Beef loins representing six USDA marbling degrees provided steaks that were subjected to two thawing procedures prior to broiling at 70 degrees C and subsequent evaluation of sensory, shear, and cooking properties. Loins from 120 carcasses were selected from the following six marbling degrees (20 loins/group): Moderately Abundant, Slightly Abundant, Moderate, Modest, Small, Slight. The two thawing procedures provided steaks of two internal temperatures before broiling (high = 10.5 degrees C, low = 4.1 degrees C). Reductions in marbling produced lower tenderness and juiciness ratings regardless of internal temperature prior to broiling. High initial-temperature produced higher tenderness and juiciness scores, less cooking loss, shorter cooking times and a more rare degree of doneness than the low initial-temperature. High initial-temperature resulted in instrumental measures more indicative of tenderness than low temperature, but only for steaks of Small and Slight marbling. However, high temperature produced lower beef flavor intensity in steaks from the higher marbling scores than low temperature. Use of higher internal meat temperatures just before broiling can reduce cooking time while enhancing tenderness and juiciness. With more highly marbled steaks, some additional broiling time may be necessary to develop beef flavor if higher internal meat temperatures were employed prior to broiling. Thawing procedures should be carefully controlled to prevent temperature abuse if it is decided to elevate meat temperatures prior to broiling