Breed and endpoint temperature effects on some beef meat texture

Thirteen animals from two different genotypes, Holstein (dairy) and Pirenaica (beef), were used to study breed and endpoint temperature effects on some meat textural characteristics. Steaks from L. thoracis were randomly distributed into raw, 55 degrees C and 70 degrees C of internal temperature treatments, cooked in a water bath and tested. Shear force, stress and toughness in the Warner-Bratzler test and maximum compression load, stress at 20% and stress at 80% in compression test were recorded. Statistical analysis consisted on a GLM procedure with main effects and Pearson correlations between variables. Breed is an important factor on meat texture characteristics, but endpoint temperature was more important than breed. There were no interactions between main effects. Meat from the dairy breed was tougher than meat from beef breed. The increase of toughness with the increase of temperature was no linear, being greater in raw to 55 degrees C step than in 55 degrees C-70 degrees C phase.