Cooking surface temperatures, steak thickness, and quality grade effects on volatile aroma compounds

Beef flavor attributes were evaluated in USDA TopChoice and Select beef top loin steaks cut 1.3 cm (THIN) or 3.8 cm (THICK) andcooked on a commercial flat top grill at 177˚C (LOW) or 232˚C (HIGH) grillsurface temperature. Gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry, was used toevaluate volatile aroma compounds.  USDASelect steaks had more 2-octene and less trimethyl pyrazine in (P<0.05) THINsteaks than THICK steaks, while Choice was unaffected by steak thickness(P>0.05).  Benzene acetaldehyde washigher and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid was higher in Select LOW grill temperaturescompared to Select HIGH grill temperatures, while 5-methyl-2-furancarboxaldehyde was only present in Choice HIGH grill temperatures (P<0.05).Two acid, three alcohol, one aldehyde, one alkane, and one ketone volatilearoma compounds were higher (P<0.05) for LOW compared to HIGH.  Conversely, five alcohols, two aldehyde, twoalkane, all four furans, six ketones, four pyrazines, along with 1H-indole, twopyrroles, two pyridines, and one benzene aroma compounds were higher (P<0.05)in HIGH compared to LOW.  Additionally,one alcohol, two aldehydes, one ketones, one sulfur-containing, and six othervolatile compounds were lower, while one acid, one alcohol, one aldehyde, twofurans, one ketone, three pyrazine, one sulfur-containing, and one othervolatile compounds were higher in the THIN compared to THICK.  Some aroma compounds like 2-butanone,4-methyl-2-pentanone, 1-ethyl-1H-pyrrole, 1-methyl-1H-pyrrole, and2-methyl-pyridine were only present in THICK cooked HIGH (P<0.05). Steakthickness and grill time are important factors to consider in the developmentof positive Maillard reaction products.@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}@font-face{font-family:"MS Mincho";panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;mso-font-alt:"ＭＳ 明朝";mso-font-charset:128;mso-generic-font-family:modern;mso-font-pitch:fixed;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}@font-face{font-family:"Cambria Math";panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:Calibri;panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:swiss;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073732485 9 0 511 0;}@font-face{font-family:Cambria;panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;mso-font-charset:0;mso-generic-font-family:roman;mso-font-pitch:variable;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}@font-face{font-family:"\@MS Mincho";panose-1:2 2 6 9 4 2 5 8 3 4;mso-font-charset:128;mso-generic-font-family:modern;mso-font-pitch:fixed;mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 134217746 0 131231 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal{mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:"";margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}p.Major, li.Major, div.Major{mso-style-name:Major;mso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;line-height:200%;mso-pagination:widow-orphan;font-size:14.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;}.MsoChpDefault{mso-style-type:export-only;mso-default-props:yes;font-family:"Cambria",serif;mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:"MS Mincho";mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1{page:WordSection1;}