Impact of Local Aromatic Plant Marinades and Cooking Regimes on Color Kinetics and Quality of Borgou Cattle Meat in Benin

Meat production in Benin is primarily supplied by the national cattle herd, which comprises a genetic diversity predominated by Borgou breed. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of marination and cooking duration and temperature on the technological properties and sensory profile of Borgou beef. To this end, 10 composites samples of Longissimus thoracis muscles of Borgou cattle were sampled and used for the analyses according the recommended AOAC and ISO standards. The study showed that the values of the ration L1*/L0* and a/a₀ differ significantly between meat cooked at 99°C and 66°C. The various stages of heating are visually reflected by the change in color from red to white-gray, then brown, and finally black. At 66°C and 99°C, samples whiten and do not change color until the end of cooking, except for some brown traces. Meat blanching accelerates with increasing temperature, while the a*₁/a*₀ ratio of red decreases with temperature. Marination affects the technological properties of both raw and cooked meat. The luminance of marinated meat is significantly higher than that of control (non-marinated) samples (p<0.01). Conversely, the red index of marinated meat is significantly lower than that of control samples (p<0.05). Regarding the yellow index, the highest value was recorded in meat marinated with Curcuma longa (p<0.05). The most intense hue was observed in the control lot. Only the chroma of the meat was unaffected by marination. The pH of marinated meats is significantly more acidic than that of the control lot. Turmeric marination significantly reduces cooking loss, whereas bay leaves promote higher water release during cooking (p<0.001).