Abstract

Objective: This study evaluated the sensory, instrumental color, and tenderness characteristics of biceps femoris steaks aged from 14 to 70 days.

Study Description: Beef sirloin top butt sub-primal cuts (n = 80) were collected from a commercial processing facility and aged at 35.6°F and 39.2°F throughout the duration of their aging periods. After aging, the biceps femoris and gluteus medius muscles were separated, and 1-in thick steaks were fabricated, packaged, frozen at -4°F, and stored for subsequent analysis. The steaks underwent instrumental evaluations for raw and cooked color traits, tenderness, and consumer sensory preferences.

Results: There were no differences (P > 0.05) in the percentage of samples rated acceptable for flavor, juiciness, tenderness, or overall. Moreover, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in flavor, juiciness, tenderness, or overall liking among the different aging periods. Furthermore, no differences (P > 0.05) were observed in the percentage of cook loss, Warner Bratzler Shear Force, or cooked color readings among aging treatments. However, raw steaks aged 14 and 28 days had higher (P < 0.05) a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values than steaks aged 42, 49, or 70 days.

The Bottom Line: Despite minor differences in raw color, the aging period had minimal impact on overall eating quality, indicating that within the studied range, the aging process has only a minimal effect on the quality traits of biceps femoris steaks.

Keywords: beef, biceps femoris, aging

How to Cite:

Prester, M. J., Frink, L. M., Witberler, S. L., Legako, J. F., Woerner, D. R., Miller, R. K., Kerth, C. R., Nair, M. N., Lancaster, J. M. & O'Quinn, T. G., (2025) “The Effects of Aging Time on the Eating Quality of Biceps Femoris Steaks”, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports 11(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8674