Effect of Marinating in Dairy-Fermented Products and Sous-Vide Cooking on the Protein Profile and Sensory Quality of Pork Longissimus Muscle

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of marinating (3 or 6 days) in kefir (KE), yogurt (YO) and buttermilk (BM) and sous-vide cooking (SV) at 60 or 80 °C on changes in the protein profile of pork in relation to its sensory quality. In the marinated raw meat, an increased share of some fractions of myofibrillar and cytoskeletal proteins and calpains were found. The greatest degradation of proteins, regardless of time, was caused by marinating in YO and KE and cooking SV at 80 °C. The lowest processing losses were in samples marinated in KE and YO and cooked SV at 60 °C, with marinating time having no significant effect. The odor, flavor, tenderness and juiciness of meat marinated in BM was better than in KE and YO. Meat marinated and cooked SV at 60 °C was rated better by the panelists. Changes in proteins significantly affect the formation of meat texture, tenderness and juiciness, which confirms the correlations. This is also reflected in the sensory evaluation. During the process of marinating and cooking meat, protein degradation should be taken into account, which can be a good tool for shaping the sensory quality of cooked pork.

Marinades Based on Natural Ingredients as a Way to Improve the Quality and Shelf Life of Meat: A Review

“…Extending the marination time of meat in FDP had a negative impact on its sensory characteristics. In the study by Latoch et al [220], pork loin marinated for 3 days in FDP had a higher sensory rating than when it was marinated for 6 days. The best ratings were given to meat marinated in BM.…”

“…Marinating pork for 6 or 9 days in BM or YO reduced its hardness and chewiness and, regardless of the type of marinade, reduced its cohesiveness. There was no effect of the type of marinade or the marinating time on the springiness of the meat [7,25,220,221]. However, other studies [14,224,235] prove that marinating pork, lamb, and rabbit meat in AW for too short a time, i.e., for 5 h, does not affect its tenderness.…”

“…The results of studies [3,25,220,225,226,231,233] show that the presence of live LAB cultures in FDP can extend the shelf life of different types of marinated meat, inhibit oxidative processes, improve colour stability after heat treatment, and also improve the physicochemical properties of meat products.…”

“…Many authors [7,25,69,220,221] have found no influence of the type of FDP marinade on the colour lightness (L* parameter). Other authors [14,175,191,222,224] have noticed a lightening of the colour of marinated meat, both raw and heat-treated.…”

“…Water introduced into the meat during marination may affect its ability to reflect light from its surface [29]. In the case of cooked pork loin marinated in FDP, other authors [7,25,220,221] found a darkening of colour, which may be the result of water loss during cooking [236] or may result from the presence of minerals and sugars in FDP or those added during marination [69]. Wójciak et al [226] hypothesized that β-lactoglobulin, which is the main AW protein, may serve as a source of glutathione and thiol amino acids, which protect meat products against discoloration.…”