Chemical, Textural and Sensory Characteristics of Precooked, Restructured Lamb Shoulder Roasts as Influenced by Grinding Method, Salt Level and Vacuum Massage Time

The influence of level of grind (kidney plate only vs kidney plate plus coarse grinding 25% of raw meat weight), salt level (0.5 vs 1.0%) and vacuum massage time (1.0 vs 1.5 hr) on the chemical, textural and sensory characteristics of precooked, restructured lamb shoulder roasts were studied. Grinding method of kidney plate only decreased the fat content of the cooked product, while the higher salt level (SL) resulted in roasts with higher moisture and lower protein. Calories were reduced by 5% when 1.0% SL roasts were vacuum‐massaged for 1.5 vs 1.0 hr. Increasing level of grind and SL decreased cooking losses and increased objective chewiness. Flavor differences were detected by sensory analysis due to the addition of coarse ground trimmings to lean ground through a kidney plate only.