Quality Characteristics of Restructured Beef Steaks Manufactured by Various Techniques

ABSTRACT Beef (9–11% fat) was restructured with each of six mechanical treatments including chunking, fiberizing, slicing, chunking + slicing, slicing + water, and tenderizing each in combination with addition of 0.5% sodium chloride (salt)/0.5% phosphate, 0.5% Na‐alginate/0.5% Ca‐lactate, 0.5% Na‐pectate/0.5% Ca‐lactate, or no additives (control). Beef steaks restructured with salt/phosphate had lower (P<0.05) purge losses: higher binding force and bind scores than control products. Steaks restructured with Na‐alginate/Ca‐lactate had lower cooking losses and higher bind scores than controls. Use of Na‐pectate/Ca‐lactate did not improve (P>0.05) purge loss, cooking loss, binding force or sensory properties. Chunked meat or mixtures of chunked and sliced meats in combination with salt/phosphate or Na‐alginateica‐lactate resulted in steaks with acceptable bind and textural properties.