Impact of Visual Dark-Cutting Severity on Wet-Aged Beef Longissimus lumborum Steak Palatability and Sensory Attributes

Dark-cutting (DC) beef presents an unconventional, dark-colored lean that strays from the consumer preferred color. The severity of DC can vary among carcasses, potentially impacting palatability. The objective was to evaluate the impact of visual severity of DC on the eating quality of wet-aged beef longissimus lumborum steaks. Beef strip loins (n = 8/treatment) were collected from commercial packing plants and selected based on ribeye (longissimus dorsi) visual DC presentation. Strip loins were allocated to treatments as follows: shady, moderate, or moderately severe DC, with normal bright cherry-red (BCR) colored loins serving as control. Loins were fabricated 48 to 60 h postmortem, bisected, and halves were randomly assigned to either a 21- or 39-d wet-aged period. Upon aging completion, loin halves were sliced into 2.54-cm thick steaks. Steaks were randomly assigned to one of the following: Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) or trained or consumer sensory panel. Normal BCR colored and shady DC steaks aged for 21 d were comparable (P > .05) in WBSF value but differed (P < .05) from moderate DC steaks. Control and all DC severity groups aged 39 d had similar WBSF values (P > .05). Trained panelists observed that moderately severe DC steaks were more tender than shady DC and the BCR control (P < .05). Consumers observed that moderately severe DC steaks had increased sustained juiciness compared to shady DC and control steaks (P < .05). Moderate and moderately severe DC steaks were comparable in juiciness (P > .05), as were shady DC, moderate DC, and control steaks (P > .05). No off flavors were detected in DC beef by any panelists. Steaks from DC beef carcasses have potential for consumer acceptance. Therefore, value recovery is possible for DC beef products channeled to optimal markets.