Marination of sheep muscles under pressure and its effect on meat texture quality.

Marinated products are gaining importance in the market. Better penetration of salt(s) and/or acid(s) is desirable in marinated products. In order to improve ingredient penetration, experiments were carried out to marinate
sheep thigh muscles under pressure. Semimembranosus and semitendinosus muscles from sheep, 4–5 years of age, were immersed (1 : 1) in a marinating solution consisting of 25 g citric acid and 200 g NaCl dissolved in 1 L of water
(pH adjusted to 1.5). Right thigh muscles immersed in marinating solution were subjected to a pressure of 0.25, 0.50 or 0.75 kg/cm2 (gauge) for 2 h at 27 ± 2 C, while muscles from the left thigh were held at atmospheric pressure for 2 h (control). Marination under pressure reduced muscle pH 2–5%, increased titrable acidity 4–19%, increased salt content 15–45%, improved water-holding capacity 10–21% and reduced shear values 24–48% depending
on muscle and pressure applied. Thus, marination of muscles under pressure in the range of 0.25–0.75 kg/cm2
enhances the penetration of salt and acid and improves texture quality of muscles.