Marbling Meat Tenderness

They then base their purchasing decision on a.

Marbling meat tenderness.

While cooking marbling adds flavour and much juiciness as the fat melts into the steak. At the point of purchase consumers visually assess meat products for size shape color fat to lean and lean to bone ratio texture and cost perserving mcgill 1981. Marbling affects meat s juiciness tenderness texture and flavor attributes that determine eating experience in this case more of all the above is better. Meat with the fat deposited within the steak to create a marbled appearance has always been regarded as more tender than steaks where the fat is in a layer around the outside.

These factors include carcass maturity firmness texture and color of lean and the amount and distribution of marbling within the lean. The fat in lean muscle creates a marble pattern hence the name. The marbling process keeps the meat moist juicy and has a natural taste. Tenderness and marbling don t necessarily go hand in hand so while the beef tenderloin is possibly the most tender cut of beef it doesn t usually have much marbling.

Although marbling or the intermingling of fat with lean has been equated with palatability and tenderness for years increasing concerns regarding animal fat in the diet has caused the perceived health benefit from fat reduction to receive greater importance than assurances of tenderness or palatability. Prime has more marbling than choice and choice has more than select. Marbling adds a lot of flavor and can be one indicator of how good the beef is. Consumers ideally desire attractive economically priced products with desirable color which are nutritious and healthy tender juicy and flavorful with no fat or additives.

Beef quality grades a quality grade is a composite evaluation of factors that affect palatability of meat tenderness juiciness and flavor. In fact marbling leads to greater palatability in panel scores mcpeake 2001 and lower shear force values dolezal et al 1982. It impacts the tenderness moistness and overall flavor and has become one of the most well known elements of steak evaluation. But there is a view that both stress before slaughter in particular and lack of aging of the meat has more to do with toughness than most other factors including.

Well marbling refers to the white flecks of intramuscular fat in each cut of meat. Marbling helps to insure acceptable tenderness at higher levels of doneness. Marbling fat has no direct effect on meat tenderness renand et al 2003. So this is why marbled beef meat will taste and be much tender juicier and softer rather than an ordinary beef steak.

However it plays an important role in meat juiciness and overall eating satisfaction.