Insights into the impact mechanism of tumbling-curing on the edible quality of beef salted ham through analysis of myofibrillar protein gel properties

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of vacuum tumbling curing (VTC), pulsating vacuum tumbling curing (PVTC), tumbling curing (TC), and static curing (SC) on the myofibrillar protein (MP) gel properties of beef as well as the underlying mechanisms contributing to the enhancement of edible quality in beef salted ham. The results revealed that VTC significantly improved the texture characteristics and sensory evaluation scores of beef salted ham, and the yield increased by 11.85 % compared with SC (P < 0.05). VTC increased the gel strength and water-holding capacity (WHC) of MP gels and improved their rheological behavior. The MP gel of the VTC group exhibited strong hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds, leading to self-assembly of the α-helix into β-sheet structures, thereby forming a stable and organized gel network. This enhancement in structural stability ultimately contributes to the improved texture characteristics of beef salted ham, thereby improving its edible quality. Compared with alternative curing techniques, VTC demonstrated its effectiveness in the development of high-end reconstituted beef products.