Effects of Searing Cooking on Sensory and Physicochemical Properties of Beef Steak

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the sensory and instrumental quality of thawed beef steak prepared by searing and oven cooking. Beef purchased in the local market was divided into two groups; one group was cooked in a 180 degrees C oven until the internal temperature reached 60 degrees C, and the other group was oven cooked until 35 degrees C, then cooked in a 250 degrees C pan until the internal temperature reached 60 degrees C. Despite a noticeable change in appearance due to the high temperature of the searing, there was no significant difference in juiciness, water content, and cooking loss between the searing-cooked and the oven-cooked steaks. However, in searing cooking, both scores of overall flavor and roast meat flavor were significantly higher than those of oven cooking. In the searing-cooked steak, the reducing sugar, which is a reactant of the Maillard reaction, was lower and Maillard-reaction products were higher than oven-cooked steak. From our results, it can be concluded that searing does not improve juiciness of the steak, but improves the flavor of beef steak due to higher levels of Maillard reaction products.