Sensory and Microbiological Evaluation of Smoked Cornish Game Hens

Two trials were conducted to determine the organoleptic characteristics, shear press values, and color of oven-roasted and smoked Cornish game hens. A group of panelists evaluated bite-sized pieces of light and dark meat from oven-roasted and smoked birds for flavor, tenderness, juiciness and overall preference. The panelists preferred the smoked product over the oven-roasted product 5:1. Both light and dark smoked meat were found to have a more desirable flavor and to be more tender and less juicy than the oven-roasted meat. Shear values for the smoked product were significantly lower than those obtained from oven-roasted samples. The interior and exterior surfaces of the pectoralis major from smoked and oven-roasted birds were evaluated for dominant wavelength, excitation purity and luminosity on an IDL COLOR-EYE reflectance colorimeter. The exterior and interior surfaces of the pectoralis major from smoked birds were darker than meat from oven-roasted birds. Total aerobes were effectively reduced to <10 organisms/ml. of rinse solution, following smoking of the birds. Coliforms were not recovered from smoked birds immediately after the smoking process nor after three weeks frozen storage.