MATERIAL3 & METHODS'Iwo experiments were conducted to determine the effects of targeted fat level (0,4, 8, 12, 16,20%) on sensory, shear, cooking and chemical properties of ground beef patties. Frozen patties from all fat levels were cooked to achieve similar cooking yields. As fat levels decreased, tenderness, juiciness and flavor ratings decreased and shear force increased, with more pronounced differences at lower fat levels. Patties processed with 0% fat were rated lower in juiciness and flavor compared to all other fat levels. These studies suggested that alterations in processing and cooking would probably be necessary to achieve acceptance of extremely low-fat beef patties. Formulation of patties

Ground beef patties containing either 4 or 20% fat were cooked by electric grill (G) alone or in combination with overhead broiler unit (BG) to be (visually) either medium or well-done. Patties with 20% fat had higher beef flavor intensity, juiciness and tenderness scores, lower Instron shear and compression values, and lower cooking yields than 4% fat patties., However, 4% fat patties cooked to medium, had similar sensory ratings to 20% fat patties cooked well-done. About 20% of patties cooked to medium did not reach recommended internal temperatures and holding times for food safety.

As marbling increasedfrom "practically devoid" to ' 'moderately abundant", loin steaks were more palatable (P < 0.05) about 213 of the time, round steaks were more palatable (P< 0.05) about 1/8 of the time, and loin steaks were more likely to be assigned high (2 6.00) panel ratings and to have low (53.63 kg) shear values. However, increases in marbling from 'Slight '' to "moderately abundant" (A maturity) and from "small" to "moderately abundant" (A+ B maturity) had little or no effect on percentage incidence of loin or round steaks with panel ratings 5 2.99 or 24.00, or with shear values 2 6.35 kg or 54.99 kg. Differences in marbling explained about 33 % (loin) and 7% (top round) of the variation in overall palatability ratings in A , B , C, and A + B maturity carcasses.