Changes in Cooking Losses and Sensory Attributes of Angus and Holstein Beef with Increasing Carcass Weight, Marbling Score or Longissimus Ether Extract

Cooking loss and sensory attribute changes were quantified for increases in carcass weight, marbling score and intramuscular fat in rib roasts from 74 small framed Angus and 71 Holstein steers slaughtered over a wide weight range. Cooking losses increased (P < 0.005) 2.6 percentage units for each 100 kg increase in carcass weight. Marbling score explained less than 1.2% of the variation in tenderness and was positively related (P < 0.01) to flavor of roasts from Angus but not Holsteins. Carcass weight, marbling score and intramuscular fat were more related to pan juice and total losses and explained little of the variation in sensory attributes. Therefore, alternatives to traditional indicators are needed to explain variation in sensory attributes of beef from young cattle.