PROPERTIES OF RESTRUCTURED PORK PATTIES AS AFFECTED BY COOKING METHOD, FROZEN STORAGE AND REHEATING METHOD

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Abstract
The effects of cooking method, reheating method and frozen storage on physical, chemical and palatability factors of restructured pork patties were evaluated over a period of 6 wk. Frozen restructured pork patties (25% fat) were cooked using a convection oven or an electric grill. Cooked patties were vacuum packaged and refrozen for subsequent reheating and evaluation initially and following storage periods of 2, 4 and 6 wk. Reheating devices employed were a microwave oven, a convection oven and an infrared oven. Samples cooked using the convection oven had greater moisture contents and higher 2‐thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values than those patties cooked using the electric grill. Percent protein, fat, ash and cooking loss were greater for the electric grill treatment due to greater moisture loss. The TBA values increased to 2 wk of storage and then remained relatively stable. Cooked color was more acceptable initially than after 6 wk of storage. The control treatment, which was not reheated, had the lowest cooking loss and the infrared oven reheating treatment had the highest cooking loss. Taste panel evaluations were in the acceptable range both initially and after 6 wk of storage. Both cooking methods and all reheating methods also yielded acceptable products as evaluated by the taste panel. Cooking and reheating with convection ovens should be recommended if precooking and reheating of restructured pork is deemed necessary for fast food and institutional establishments. This procedure will yield an acceptable product with a lower cooking loss than any of the other cooking/reheating combinations studied. However, if time is of importance, reheating with microwave ovens may be considered although this method will yield a less juicy product with higher cooking losses.