A comparison of cooked beef rolls made from flaked pre-rigor and post-rigo beef

This study was conducted to determine the effect of pre-rigor (PRR) and combinations of pre- and post-rigor (PGR) beef on (1) selected processing characteristics and (2) shelflife and textural traits of cooked beef rolls. Forty pounds of U.S. Utility cow carcass semimembranosus muscle (pre- and post-rigor) were flaked (.75 inch), vacuum tumbled 2 hours with 1.0% salt and 0.5% STPP and formulated into 8 lb. beef rolls consisting of 10 or 20% fat (fat source - boneless beef plates- U.S. Choice carcasses). After stuffing in an E-Z smoke casing, the beef rolls were cooked to an internal temperature of 62.80C. The results showed that treatments 3, 4 and 5 (increasing percentages of PRR beef from T3 to T5) had lower (P<.05) tensile strength than the other seven treatments. Treatments 4 and 5 (25% POR/75% PRR and 100% PRR, 10% fat, respectively) were the least tender and had the least amount of bind. Treatment 2 (75% POR/25% PRR, 10% fat) had the highest (P<.05) bind and cooking yields. Even though treatment 2 had relatively high raw TEA values, after cooking this treatment had the lowest value and increased slightly to 30 days of storage.