Quality of Pork Loin Subjected to Different Temperature–Time Combinations of Sous Vide Cooking

Cooking with the sous vide method preserves nutritional value and maintains desirable sensory qualities of food, thanks to vacuum-sealed heat treatment at controlled low temperatures. In meat, the right combination of temperature and time is critical for texture, juiciness, and flavour, all essential features for consumer acceptance of cooked meat. This study assessed the impact of sous vide heat treatment on selected quality attributes of pork loin using various low temperature–time combinations. Pork loins were sliced, vacuum-sealed, and cooked in a water bath at temperatures of 57 °C to 63 °C for 3 to 5.5 h. The meat was evaluated for cooking loss, proximate composition, pH, water activity, oxidative changes, colour, texture, and sensory characteristics. The results showed that cooking losses increased with higher temperatures and longer times of cooking. Likewise, the oxidative changes were significantly affected by both cooking parameters. Temperature of cooking influenced only meat redness (a*), but cooking time had no significant effect on colour parameters. The lowest hardness was observed for samples cooked at 59 °C/4.5 h and at 60 °C/4–5 h. Sensory analysis indicated that cooking at 59 °C for 4.5 h provided the most acceptable sensory characteristics of pork loin.