Thermal denaturation of bovine longissimus thoracis aponeurosis, correlating contraction with optical changes
2006 ◽
Vol 86
(2)
◽
pp. 221-224
◽
Beef rib roasts and steaks have a thick connective tissue aponeurosis which is often difficult to gelatinise by cooking. When heated in a water-bath, aponeurosis first increased in reflectance (maximum 0.026 ± 0.021 at 67.1 ± 5.5°C) before decreasing in reflectance as gelatinisation occurred. Contraction reached a maximum of 33.8 ± 15.8% of starting length at 69.2 ± 3.2°C and corresponded to the increase not the decrease in reflectance. Either contraction or increased reflectance might be used to select animals with low-temperature gelatinisation. Key words: Beef toughness, aponeurosis, cooking