Effect of High Pressure during heat Treatment on the Wamer‐Bratzler Shear Force Values of Selected Beef Muscles

The effect on the Warner‐Bratzler shear values of post‐rigor beef muscles of heat treatments ranging from 40 to 80°C with or without concurrent pressure treatment at 150 MPa have been investigated. For muscles in a stretched condition, a decrease in shear values attributed to changes in the connective tissue was found to occur at a higher temperature in the pressure treated samples than in those not pressure treated. For muscles in a contracted condition, a steep increase in shear values with increase in cooking temperature (attributed to myofibrillar toughening) was prevented by pressure treatment. Instead, a decrease in shear values attributed to changes in connective tissue as found in stretched muscle, was then evident.