Abstract
Finger steaks, an Idaho culinary tradition, are historically made with beef loin cuts which command a higher value than other beef primals. The primary objective of the current study was to evaluate tenderness and sensory characteristics of beef finger steaks made from the loin and lower valued cuts from the chuck, sirloin, and round. Beef cuts conforming to the Institutional Meat Purchasing Specifications (IMPS) included strip loins (IMPS #180), top rounds (IMPS #169A), clod hearts (IMPS #114E), and top sirloins (IMPS #184B) from USDA Choice carcasses (n = 12) that were aged for 21 d. Following the aging period, all subprimals were fabricated into strips (1.27 cm x 1.27 cm x 7.62 cm), breaded and fried. Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was conducted on each treatment to assess objective tenderness. Consumer sensory panelists (n = 120) and trained sensory panelists (n = 7) assessed each muscle based on the following traits: appearance, flavor, and tenderness. In addition, the consumer sensory panel assessed overall product acceptability. Objective tenderness differed (P < 0.01) between treatments with strip loin and top sirloin being the most tender. Consumer sensory panels indicated a difference in acceptability (P < 0.01), tenderness (P < 0.01), juiciness (P < 0.01), and flavor (P < 0.01) between treatments. The beef strip loin samples had mean consumer acceptability values greater than the other muscles in nearly all palatability categories (P < 0.05). Trained panelists identified the clod heart as having superior juiciness (P = 0.02) while the top round samples were identified as having a lower tenderness value compared to the other treatments (P = 0.01). Based on their mean WBSF and sensory panel results, meat from the chuck and round were determined to be acceptable alternatives to the current traditional higher cost loin cuts commonly used for beef finger steak production.