Use of chevon in the development of low-fat meat products

Chevon (goat meat) is a low-fat red meat and thus may be an excellent source of lean in the preparation of low-fat meat products. This paper examines some of the textural, nutrient, and sensory properties of chevon products prepared from whole or comminuted muscle. Chops (2.54 cm thick) from the leg were either broiled at 232 degrees C or microwaved at a power level of 900 W. Results indicated that broiled chevon chops were not significantly different (P > 0.05) from microwaved chops in dimensional change, cooking yield, and instrumental force need to shear but were darker in color and had a significantly lower fat content than microwaved chops. Chevon patties were prepared from shoulder cuts by either grinding or chopping and cooked by pan-frying, broiling, or baking. Shear values were significantly affected by the method of comminution; grinding yielded patties with lower shear values. Pan-frying produced the highest cooking yields and shear values but the lowest fat content and instrumental lightness color values com pared to the other cooking methods. Ground meat patties with an initial fat content between 4.6 and 13.8% were made with chevon and beef. The pan-fried patties made with 60% or more chevon gave higher (P < 0.05) cooking yields. However, a higher chevon content also resulted in significantly darker patties with higher shear values. Both consumer and trained sensory panels found similar sensory properties in patties having less than 60% chevon and more than 40% beef.