Physico-chemical Property of Yunnan Dry-Cured Beef during the Static Curing Process
HE Fan;WANG Zhen-yu;CHEN Li-juan;RAO Wei-li;LIAO Guo-zhou;ZHANG De-quan
1. Key Laboratory of Agro-Product Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Agro-Products Processing
Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China；
2. College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
Abstract：In this study, Yunnan dry-cured beef was made from yak Longissimus dorsi muscles by a static curing method. Internal
and external moisture content, salt content, color and protein content as well as protein and fat oxidation were investigated at
different times during the static curing process. The results showed that the levels of both external and internal moisture content
gradually declined as the curing process proceeded, but salt content presented an increase followed by a decrease. No significant
change was observed for both external and internal L* values (P ＞ 0.05), while both a* and b* dropped during the first three days,
and then increased until reaching the maximum on the 20th day, followed by a slow decrease and a significant difference existed
between the external and internal values (P ＜ 0.05). Beef protein content was elevated gradually due to water evaporation, with
no significant difference between the external and internal levels (P ＞ 0.05). Protein and fat oxidation occurred during the curing
process, which interacted with each other; the extent of protein oxidation increased initially and then decreased, and the level of fat
oxidation increased to 0.55 nmol/mg, followed by a gradual decrease. In conclusion, beef muscle components exhibited balanced
alternations during the static curing process and 30-d curing was helpful to control oxidation.
2013, Vol. 27 
