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Recently, the Muscle Profiling research conducted by the University of Nebraska and the University of
Florida, funded by The Beef Checkoff, brought attention to the potential use of under-utilized muscles
for value-added products. That study evaluated 39 different muscles from the beef chuck and round for
many traits, including Warner-Bratzler shear (WBS) force and sensory characteristics, such as tenderness
and juiciness. One of the most successful results has been the Flat Iron steak. Muscle Profiling research
demonstrated the exceptional tenderness of the infraspinatus, which is the muscle of the Flat Iron steak.
In 2006, more than 92 million pounds of Flat Iron steaks were sold in the U.S. indicating there is great
value in knowing which muscles produce tender steaks.
Actomyosin effect
This term refers to aspects of meat tenderness influenced by the condition of the sarcomeres in the muscle
fibers. Sarcomeres are the smallest unit of muscle contraction and they make up the bulk of muscle fibers
(cells). The proteins actin and myosin are the main elements of the sarcomere. These proteins combine
during contraction and also during rigor mortis to form actomyosin.
Sarcomeres that are contracted (shorter) are less tender than those which are not. Sarcomere length
is affected by muscle position during rigor mortis (stretched muscles have longer sarcomeres) and the
temperature at which rigor mortis occurs (cold pre-rigor muscle temperature results in short sarcomeres).
A second feature of the sarcomere is the ease with which it may be fragmented after cooking. This
fragility is most often caused by proteolytic degradation of key proteins in the muscle fiber through
conditions that contribute to proteolysis such as warmer temperatures during storage and an extended
period of time under refrigeration. In fact, cooler aging is recognized as one of the easiest and most
For more
information contact: effective ways to improve meat tenderness.
Background effect
The term background effect relates to connective tissue located throughout a muscle. This connective
tissue retains considerable strength throughout extended periods of cooler aging. Thus, even when the
actomyosin effect is very low, background toughness will be caused by this connective tissue.
Two aspects of connective tissue come into play relative to tenderness. First is the amount. The more
connective tissue (comprised primarily of the protein collagen) the less tender the meat. Typically,
muscles of locomotion (those found in the thoracic and pelvic limbs of animals) have more connective
tissue and are less tender.
The second feature of connective tissue is its heat-induced solubility. Upon cooking, especially slow
cooking under moist heat conditions, the collagen in connective tissue softens and solubilizes. Naturally,
this reduces the contribution of connective tissue to beef tenderness. It is important to note that older
animals have more cross-links within collagen than younger animals, meaning the collagen of older
On the surface, ranking seems like an easy task. Quickly, SPI Spinalis dorsi Rib cap
however, one encounters a number of questions that must be SPL Splenius
addressed. What kind of animals should be included? What
SUB Subscapularis
about breeds and gender classes? How should the muscles have
been cooked? Is it more appropriate to use trained sensory SPP Superficial pectoral Brisket
panels or untrained consumers? To what degree of doneness SPS Supraspinatus Mock tender; Chuck tender;
should the beef have been cooked? Scotch tender
TFL Tensor fascia latae Tri-tip
Published literature was collected for papers that ranked at least
TER Teres major Shoulder Tender; Petite
3 muscles from at least 3 animals. Fewer muscles would not Tender
give the perspective necessary to balance out differences among
TRA Trapezius Outside chuck
studies. Data from fewer animals were not considered highly
reliable. TRI Triceps brachii Clod heart; Shoulder center;
Shoulder top; Ranch Cut
Initially, 58 papers were identified spanning 6 decades and many VAL Vastus lateralis Knuckle side
institutions. However, these studies included a wide variety of
VAM Vastus medialis
4 Ranking results
Table 1 lists the muscles that were ranked,
3 along with abbreviations used in the figures and
common names applied to those muscles. A
2
detailed description of most of the muscles may
1
be found at the Bovine Myology Web site at www.
bovine.unl.edu. In some cases, a single muscle
0 has been described broadly (like the longissimus
dorsi) or more specifically (longissimus lumborum
PSM
INF
SPI
SEV
MUL
SUB
TER
REF
TFL
BIB
COM
LLU
OIA
GRA
LTH
VAM
TRI
GAS
REA
QDF
SEM
ADD
BIF
OEA
SPS
SET
LAT
SPL
SPP
DEP
GLU
VAL
BRA
TRA
DEL
RHO
LDC
ECR
COB
BCO
and longissimus thoracis). Because it was not
Muscles presented as light grey are tender, as light blue are intermediate and possible to know where the longissimus dorsi was
as dark blue are tough. measured, all three references from the literature
100
protocols. Age of animals varied from 10 months to over 118 were included. As a result, all three were ranked,
of age. Heifers, steers, and bulls from Bos indicus to 7dairy- recognizing some overlap necessarily occurs.
years87.5
type breeds were used. USDA yield grades ranged from 1 to 5
T en d ern ess R atin g , % o f S cale
and quality
75 grades included nearly all possible grades for both Of the 40 muscles ranked for WBS (Figure1; Table 2), the
6
young and mature beef. Aging periods varied from 1 to 28 days. psoas major, infraspinatus, spinalis dorsi, serratus ventralis,
Both62.5
steaks and roasts were cooked to an end-point temperature 5 multifidus dorsi, subscapularis, and teres major were classified
ranging from 57-85°C using a wide variety of cooking methods as tender (<3.9 kg). The psoas major has long been utilized
with samples
50 evaluated for WBS using 1.2 to 2.54 cm cores. 4 for its tenderness and is the muscle of the beef tenderloin. The
Sensory panel rating scales offered 5 to 10 classifications. 3 multifidus dorsi and spinalis dorsi are found in ribeye steaks
and chuck eye rolls. The infraspinatus and teres major have
37.5
Due to these differences, constraints were placed on papers used been increasingly utilized as ‘value cut’ steaks. However,
2
to determine
25
the overall rankings. Selection was based around the serratus ventralis and subscapularis are under-utilized
traits typical of the U.S. market beef population. Acceptable 1
muscles in relationship to their inherent shear values. The
studies
12.5
included those utilizing steers, heifers, or both that were major muscles that were classified in the tough group (>4.6 kg)
under 30 months of age or were A and B maturity carcasses0 from were the biceps femoris, supraspinatus, semitendinosus, deep
any quality grade. Purebred Bos indicus cattle were excluded, pectoral, gluteus medius, vastus lateralis, rhomboideus, and the
PSM
INF
SPI
SEV
MUL
SUB
TER
REF
B IF TFL
BIB
COM
LLU
OIA
GRA
LTH
VAM
TRI
GAS
REA
QDF
SEM
ADD
BIF
OEA
SPS
SET
LAT
SPL
SPP
DEP
GLU
VAL
BRA
TRA
DEL
RHO
LDC
ECR
COB
BCO
0
but crossbreds were allowed. Additional
PSM
IN F
LLU
LTH
REF
TRI
SEV
GLU
SPR
DEP
ADD
SET
SEM
constraints were added to handling and testing Figure 2. Rank of muscles based on sensory panel ratings for tenderness
techniques. Steaks included were those cooked 100
IN F
LLU
LTH
REF
TRI
SEV
GLU
SPR
DEP
ADD
SET
SEM
B IF
87.5
75
It is established that muscles vary in tenderness
S cale
75
from one end to the other. Unfortunately,
62.5
authors rarely describe the precise anatomical
g , % go,f %
62.5
location from which samples are derived. In
ess Ratin
50
addition, differences exist in the relative
contribution of connective tissue and muscle
cinRatin
50
37.5
fiber tenderness to WBS values versus sensory
tenderness ratings. These two situations likely
ess
37.5
25 account for some of the differences. Shackelford
Ju cinJu
SEV
LLU
TRI
SPS
DEP
LGD
B IF
PSM
REF
GLU
SEM
SET
0 that influence tenderness. McKeith et al. (1985)
studied 13 major muscles of beef carcasses and
IN F
SEV
LLU
TRI
SPS
DEP
LGD
B IF
PSM
REF
GLU
SEM
SET
Muscles presented as dark blue are juicy, as light blue are intermediate, and as light grey
are dry. reported differences in composition, sarcomere
length, and collagen content, in conjunction
with sensory panel ratings and Warner-Bratzler
Figure 4. Pearson’s correlation of means for shear force and tenderness rating shear force values. Rhee et al. (2004) studied
100
(r = -0.85; P = 0.001) 11 beef muscles in greater detail, including a
% of Scale
95
100
measure of proteolysis. These later authors also
% of Scale
90
related the various traits among all muscles as
95
well as within muscles. Their results reinforce
Means,
85
90 differences within a muscle, meaning one
80 portion of a muscle is often different from
Means,
85
another portion of the same muscle for the
Tenderness
75
80
various traits studied.
Tenderness
70
75
60
65 muscles was evaluated. Mean tenderness ratings
had a correlation to mean shear force value, by
TasteTaste
55
60
Savell, J.W. and H.R. Cross. 1988. The role of fat in the
palatability of beef, pork, and lamb. In Designing Foods:
Animal Product Options in the Marketplace. National Academy
Press, Washington D.C.