Effect of sous vide cooking combined with bromelain on beef tenderness and eating quality

To enhance beef tenderness and eating quality, this study optimized the sous vide (SV) cooking process combined with bromelain treatment using response surface methodology. Conventional cooking served as the control, while SV cooking and SV cooking combined with bromelain treatment (SV + Bro) comprised the experimental groups. Beef quality was evaluated by measuring shear force, cooking loss, texture profile, color difference. Results showed optimal conditions included 250 U/mL bromelain, an SV cooking temperature of 65 °C, and an SV cooking time of 120 min. Compared to the control, SV + Bro reduced shear force by 37.710 %, cooking loss by 12.342 %, and increased immobilized water and the myofibril fragmentation index. Principal component analysis further revealed the SV + Bro group had the highest comprehensive score. This study validated the synergistic effect of SV and bromelain in improving beef eating quality, providing theoretical support for its application in meat processing.