Structural changes in local Thai beef during sous-vide cooking

• Published in: Meat science Vol. 175; p. 108442
• Main Authors: Supaphon, Pattama, Kerdpiboon, Soraya, Vénien, Annie, Loison, Olivier, Sicard, Jason, Rouel, Jacques, Astruc, Thierry
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021; Elsevier
• Series: 64th. International Congress of Meat Science and Technology
• Subjects: Bos indicus; Food and Nutrition; Life Sciences; Microscopy; Sous-vide cooking; Structure; Thai beef; Thai beef; Sous-vide cooking; Bos indicus; Microscopy; Structure; cuisson sous vide; structural change; bœuf; changement structurel; thaïlande
• ISSN: 0309-1740; 1873-4138
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2021.108442

Thai beef (Bos indicus) samples were sous-vide-cooked at temperatures of 60°C, 70°C or 80°C for 2 to 36 hrs and prepared for microstructure characterization by light and electron microscopy. Muscle fibers showed a first phase of lateral shrinkage during the first 6 hrs of cooking at 60–70°C and the first 2 hrs at 80°C followed by a second phase of significant alternations of shrinkage and swelling independently of water transfers. Swelling peaked at 12 hrs. Microstructural changes were more variable for samples cooked at 60–70°C than for samples cooked at 80°C that showed a larger cross-sectional myofibrillar mass area (CSA). Hypercontracted fibers were evidenced at all temperature–time combinations and were associated with adjacent wavy fibers and a characteristic structural evolution in the mitochondria. The role of thermal denaturation of proteins and the ultrastructural analogy of hypercontracted fibers with cold-shortened fibers are discussed. •Sous-vide cooking causes shrinkage of the myofibrillar mass.•Hypercontracted fibers are seen in sous-vide cooked muscle samples.•Sous-vide cooking at 60 and 70°C causes some muscle fibers to ripple.•Sous-vide cooking changes but does not completely destroy the mitochondria.