Identification of characteristic flavor compounds in steamed and baked Hu sheep mutton

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Sensory Analysis
• Meat Science

Background:

• Smart cooking appliances, like steam roasters, enable novel thermal processing techniques.
• Synchronized steaming and baking is a new method for cooking meat.
• Understanding its impact on flavor is crucial for culinary applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of baking, steaming, and steaming-baking on Hu sheep mutton flavor.
• To identify key sensory descriptors and aroma compounds associated with each heating mode.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive sensory analysis to identify flavor profiles.
• Solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) to analyze volatile compounds.
• Analysis of 5'-nucleotides and free amino acids (FAAs).
• Correlation network and multivariate analysis to link compounds to sensory attributes.

Main Results:

• Baking produced a 'burning, smokiness, and baking' profile, while steaming yielded a 'muttony' profile.
• Steaming-baking resulted in an intermediate flavor profile.
• 28 volatile chemicals and 8 taste compounds with significant contributions were identified.
• Specific compounds were correlated with sensory descriptors like 'smoky,' 'muttony,' 'fatty,' 'meaty,' and 'burned.'

Conclusions:

• Heating modes significantly influence the flavor profile of Hu sheep mutton.
• 2-pentylfuran, E-2-octenal, 2-heptenal, and 2,5-dimethylpyrazine are key contributors to the distinct flavors of steamed-baked, steamed, and baked mutton, respectively.
• This research provides insights into optimizing meat flavor through controlled thermal processing.