Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the water-holding capacity (WHC) and quality changes of beef during heating at specific temperatures (including 40 °C, 60 °C, 80 °C, and 100 °C), as well as the degradation of proteins and the distribution of water within the muscle at different heating temperatures. The experiment utilized the sirloin section from eight crossbred cattle of Luxi Yellow Cattle and Simmental breeds, with four sampling sessions, two cattle per session. Each cattle were divided into 30 beef sirloin samples, each weighing 150 ± 10 g, and each session was completed within 3 days with the following tests. Measurements included cooking loss and dimensional shrinkage, as well as quality indicators such as pH value, meat color (L*, a*, b*, and ΔE values representing lightness, red-green chroma, yellow-blue chroma, and color difference, respectively), and texture. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and low-field nuclear resonance (LF-NMR) techniques were employed to assess protein degradation and water distribution in the beef. The results indicated that the increase in cooking loss and dimensional changes during heating may be associated with a reduction in nonflowing water. Moreover, the temperature range of 60°C to 80 °C is critical for these changes; within this range, myoglobin begins to degrade, and the values of L*, a*, b* as well as ΔE reach their peaks, thereby enhancing the chewiness and elasticity of the beef. Therefore, the changes in beef quality and water distribution at different temperatures are influenced by three states: the degree of muscle fiber contraction, the state of protein degradation, and the capacity for water migration. This finding provides a theoretical basis for improving beef processing quality and refining meat production processes.
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