Marinated beef and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of food processing, and particularly discloses spiced beef and a preparation method thereof, and the spiced beef is obtained by injecting pickling liquid into raw material beef, adding soluble dietary fibers, mixing, and performing vacuum rolling and three-section marinating treatment, wherein the pickling liquid contains table salt and a color fixative; the three-stage marinating treatment comprises high-temperature marinating, medium-temperature braising and normal-temperature pickling. Soluble dietary fibers are utilized to reduce the loss of pickling liquid and moisture in the beef cubes, the pickling and color development efficiency is improved while tenderizing is performed under the synergistic effect of vacuum rolling and kneading, and a three-section marinating method of quickly flavoring by high-temperature marinating, increasing characteristic flavor by medium-temperature braising and balancing flavor by normal-temperature pickling is adopted in the marinating process. According to the present invention, the hot processing time is shortened, the damage of the long-time hot processing on the beef texture is reduced, the gradual softening of the soluble dietary fiber during the continuous heating process is avoided, the color and the texture stability are maintained, and the marinated beef with characteristics of bright color and good palatability is finally obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of food processing technology, specifically relating to braised beef and its preparation method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, braised beef production still relies heavily on traditional methods, which suffer from long braising times, low processing efficiency, and insufficient characteristic flavor in the finished product. Existing technologies typically employ prolonged high-temperature braising processes, which damage the muscle fiber structure, weaken the myofibril structure, and reduce collagen gel cross-linking. This is detrimental to maintaining the product's texture, resulting in lower hardness, chewiness, and resilience values, and a loss of the characteristic elasticity and chewiness of beef. Furthermore, prolonged heating also causes oxidative oxidation and browning of spices, leading to a decrease in product brightness.

[0003] Based on the above issues, developing a braised beef product with good taste and bright color will help improve the quality of braised beef products. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Based on the above reasons, the purpose of this invention is to provide braised beef and its preparation method, which improves color and texture quality by reducing moisture loss in beef tissue, shortens braising time, avoids the negative impact of prolonged heating on the color and texture of beef, and finally obtains braised beef with bright color and good taste.

[0005] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution: A type of braised beef is made by injecting marinade into raw beef, adding soluble dietary fiber, mixing it, and then vacuum tumbling and three-stage braising. The pickling liquid contains salt and a color-protecting agent; the three-stage braising process consists of high-temperature braising, medium-temperature simmering, and room-temperature soaking.

[0006] Furthermore, the amount of the marinade used is 5-8% of the weight of the raw beef.

[0007] Furthermore, the mass ratio of the salt to the color-protecting agent is 10:(0.2~0.4).

[0008] This invention also provides a method for preparing braised beef, comprising the following steps: Soak the trimmed beef chunks in water until the center softens, and continue soaking for 30-40 minutes to obtain pre-treated beef. After uniformly injecting the marinade into the pre-treated beef, place it in a tumbler and add 0.2-0.3% soluble dietary fiber by weight of the beef. Start vacuum tumbling and let it stand for 2-3 hours after tumbling to obtain marinated beef. Marinated beef, water, and compound spices are placed in a pot and successively braised at high temperature, simmered at medium temperature, and soaked at room temperature to obtain braised beef.

[0009] Preferably, the soluble dietary fiber is carrageenan and / or guar gum.

[0010] Furthermore, the vacuum tumbling is performed at a vacuum level of -0.06 to -0.08 MPa for a tumbling time of 1 to 1.5 hours.

[0011] Furthermore, by weight, the compound spices contain 1-2 parts cinnamon, 1-1.5 parts bay leaves, 0.5-1 parts cloves, 1-3 parts angelica root, 1-2 parts dried ginger, 0.3-0.5 parts dried tangerine peel, 0.5-1 parts amomum villosum, and 1-3 parts star anise.

[0012] Furthermore, the high-temperature braising temperature is 90~95℃, and the time is 30~40 minutes; after high-temperature braising, seasoning liquid is added and then medium-temperature simmering is carried out at 80~85℃ for 1.5~2 hours; the room-temperature soaking temperature is 20~25℃, and the time is 4~5 hours.

[0013] Furthermore, by weight, the seasoning liquid contains 10-15 parts soybean paste, 30-40 parts light soy sauce, 5-8 parts yeast extract, and 5-7 parts beef extract.

[0014] The present invention also provides braised beef obtained according to the above preparation method.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention utilizes soluble dietary fiber to reduce the loss of marinade and moisture in beef chunks. Combined with vacuum tumbling, it tenderizes the beef while improving marinating and color development efficiency. The three-stage braising method—high-temperature braising for rapid flavor infusion, medium-temperature simmering to enhance characteristic flavors, and room-temperature soaking to balance the flavors—shortens heat processing time, reduces damage to the beef's texture, and prevents the soluble dietary fiber from gradually softening during continuous heating, thus maintaining the beef's color and texture stability. The complementary technical methods of this invention ultimately result in braised beef with a bright color and good palatability. Detailed Implementation

[0016] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments. It should be understood that these descriptions are merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concept of the invention. Unless otherwise specified, specific conditions in the embodiments are performed under conventional conditions or conditions recommended by the manufacturer. Reagents or instruments used, unless otherwise specified, are all commercially available conventional products.

[0017] The first embodiment of the present invention provides a braised beef, which is obtained by injecting marinade into raw beef, adding soluble dietary fiber and mixing, and then vacuum tumbling and three-stage braising. The pickling liquid contains salt and a color-protecting agent; the three-stage braising process consists of high-temperature braising, medium-temperature simmering, and room-temperature soaking.

[0018] In this embodiment, the marinade, composed of salt and a color-protecting agent, is uniformly injected into the muscle. Then, vacuum tumbling is used to tenderize the meat and accelerate the penetration and color development of the marinade. However, during the tumbling and tenderizing process, the up-and-down movement and impact of the meat pieces can easily cause the marinade to flow out from the muscle, affecting the marinating and color development effects. Therefore, this application adds a water-retaining soluble dietary fiber before tumbling. During tumbling, the soluble dietary fiber adheres to the surface of the muscle. When the marinade flows out, the soluble dietary fiber absorbs and expands, forming a protective film on the surface, preventing further outflow of the marinade and improving the marinating and color development effects. The braising process employs a first stage of high-temperature flavoring for a short time to promote the dissolution of spice flavors and enhance the base aroma of the braised beef; a second stage of simmering flavoring with the addition of seasoning liquid to promote Maillard reactions and decomposition reactions of flavor substances such as soy sauce aroma and meat aroma, enhancing the characteristic flavor of the beef; and a third stage of room-temperature flavoring to balance the flavor changes during the heat processing. The three-stage braising process shortens the heat processing time, minimizes damage to the beef's texture and taste, and allows soluble dietary fiber to gradually soften during continuous heating, while the juices in the beef slowly seep out, leading to increased firmness. Shortening the heating time effectively increases the tenderness and color of the beef, maintaining the stability of its color and texture, resulting in braised beef with a bright color and good palatability.

[0019] In some specific embodiments, the mass ratio of salt to color-protecting agent is 10:(0.2-0.4). The color-protecting agent can be selected according to the actual situation, including but not limited to nitrites, food colorings, etc. It should be noted that other flavor-enhancing seasonings can also be added to the pickling solution of the present invention according to flavor adjustments.

[0020] The second embodiment of the present invention provides a method for preparing braised beef, comprising the following steps: Soak the trimmed beef chunks in water until the center softens, and continue soaking for 30-40 minutes to obtain pre-treated beef. After uniformly injecting the marinade into the pre-treated beef, place it in a tumbler and add 0.2-0.3% soluble dietary fiber by weight of the beef. Start vacuum tumbling and let it stand for 2-3 hours after tumbling to obtain marinated beef. Marinated beef, water, and compound spices are placed in a pot and successively braised at high temperature, simmered at medium temperature, and soaked at room temperature to obtain braised beef.

[0021] In this embodiment, the beef chunks are soaked to remove blood and reduce odor. When injecting the marinade, a steel needle is used to inject the marinade evenly at 1cm x 1cm intervals, according to techniques commonly used by those skilled in the art, allowing the marinade to penetrate evenly into the muscle tissue. After adding soluble dietary fiber, vacuum tumbling begins. In the initial stage of tumbling, the soluble dietary fiber mixes evenly with the beef chunks and adheres to the tissue surface. As the tumbling time increases, the marinade seeps out of the beef chunks and is absorbed by the soluble dietary fiber, forming a protective film on the surface of the beef chunks. This causes the internal fibers of the beef chunks to be broken down by the impact of tumbling, making the meat softer but reducing juice loss, improving texture and taste. Letting it stand further improves the marinating effect and ensures that the ingredients are evenly flavored. Beef has a coarse texture and tough fibers, so braising it usually requires a long period of heating to make it tender and flavorful. Furthermore, prolonged heating leads to the loss of moisture and nutrients. This invention employs a three-stage braising process: high-temperature braising, medium-temperature simmering, and room-temperature soaking. This shortens the heat processing time, minimizes damage to the beef's texture, reduces flavor loss, and minimizes nutrient loss. The injection and vacuum tumbling marinating, along with the addition of soluble dietary fiber, improve the texture of the marinated beef, making it easier to absorb flavor during braising and shortening the heat processing time. This shortened heat processing time also protects the protective film formed by the soluble dietary fiber, enhancing the preservation of the beef's texture and color. The technical methods of this invention support each other, shortening the processing time of braised beef and improving its texture and color quality.

[0022] In some specific embodiments, the soluble dietary fiber is carrageenan and / or guar gum. Carrageenan and guar gum are polysaccharide soluble dietary fibers with good water absorption and viscosity.

[0023] In some specific embodiments, the high-temperature braising temperature is 90-95℃ for 30-40 minutes; after high-temperature braising, seasoning liquid is added and then the mixture is simmered at a medium temperature of 80-85℃ for 1.5-2 hours; the room-temperature soaking temperature is 20-25℃ for 4-5 hours. This invention employs a three-stage braising process. The high-temperature braising time of 30-40 minutes is short and primarily aims to promote the dissolution of flavors from spices, ensuring sufficient base flavor in the braising liquid. The addition of seasoning liquid enhances the flavor of the braising liquid. The 1.5-2 hour medium-temperature simmering promotes the Maillard reaction and decomposition reaction of flavor substances such as soy sauce aroma and meat aroma, forming the characteristic flavor of braised beef. Temperature has a significant impact on the flavor of braised beef; therefore, a room-temperature soaking method is used to balance the flavor of the braised beef and stabilize its flavor.

[0024] It is understood that, except for the above-mentioned special description, other parameters of the embodiments of this application are obtained by those skilled in the art based on general experience or actual needs through experiments. This application does not make any special limitations, but only provides some preferred embodiments. For example, in some preferred embodiments, the amount of the marinade is 5-8% of the weight of the raw beef; in some preferred embodiments, the vacuum tumbling is at a vacuum degree of -0.06 to -0.08 MPa and a tumbling time of 1-1.5 h; in some preferred embodiments, by weight, the compound spices include 1-2 parts of cinnamon, 1-1.5 parts of bay leaves, 0.5-1 parts of cloves, 1-3 parts of angelica, 1-2 parts of dried ginger, 0.3-0.5 parts of dried tangerine peel, 0.5-1 parts of cardamom, and 1-3 parts of star anise; in some preferred embodiments, by weight, the seasoning liquid includes 10-15 parts of soybean paste, 30-40 parts of light soy sauce, 5-8 parts of yeast extract, and 5-7 parts of beef extract.

[0025] The following will disclose specific embodiments for implementing this application, along with corresponding comparative examples to demonstrate the relevant technical effects of this application.

[0026] Example 1: Preparation of braised beef (1) Preparation of auxiliary materials: Marinating liquid: 4.5% edible salt, 0.12% nitrite, 3.5% light soy sauce, 2.5% cooking wine, 1.5% high elasticity agent, and the remainder is water; Seasoning liquid: by weight, 12 parts soybean paste, 35 parts light soy sauce, 6 parts yeast extract, and 6 parts beef extract; Compound spices: by weight, 1.5 parts cinnamon, 1.2 parts bay leaves, 0.5 parts cloves, 2 parts angelica, 1 part dried ginger, 0.4 parts dried tangerine peel, 0.8 parts amomum villosum, and 2 parts star anise; (2) Trimming and soaking: Cut the beef into large pieces 6 cm thick, remove the thicker tendons and membranes, put the trimmed pieces into the soaking tank and soak until the center softens, then continue soaking for 30 minutes, changing the water once in between. (3) Marinating: After soaking, the meat pieces are evenly injected with 6% marinade at 1cm×1cm intervals using steel needles. Then, 0.2% carrageenan is added and vacuum tumbling is performed. The vacuum tumbling conditions are -0.07 MPa and 1.2h. After tumbling, the meat is left to stand for 2.5h to obtain marinated beef. (4) Braising: The compound spices are crushed into large particles, put in a gauze bag, soaked in water for 10 minutes, and then taken out. Add the compound spice bag, 2000 parts water and 1000 parts marinated beef to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, remove the foam, and then braise in three stages: the first stage is braised at 92℃ for 35 minutes, and the seasoning liquid is added at 83℃; the second stage is braised for 1.8 hours, and the temperature is adjusted to 23℃; the third stage is braised for 4.5 hours. (5) Cutting and packaging: Take out the meat pieces and drain them, cut them into cubes of about 2 cm, vacuum seal them, and seal them tightly without any stuffing. (6) Sterilization: The packaged products are transported into the sterilization kettle and sterilized at 120℃ and 0.19Mpa for 20min.

[0027] Example 2: Preparation of braised beef (1) Preparation of auxiliary materials: Marinating liquid: 5% edible salt, 4% light soy sauce, 3% cooking wine, 0.15% nitrite, 2% high elasticity agent, and the remainder is water; Seasoning liquid: by weight, 10 parts soybean paste, 30 parts light soy sauce, 5 parts yeast extract, and 5 parts beef extract; Compound spices: by weight, 1 part cinnamon, 1 part bay leaf, 1 part clove, 3 parts angelica, 1 part dried ginger, 0.5 parts dried tangerine peel, 1 part cardamom, and 3 parts star anise; (2) Trimming and soaking: Cut the beef into large pieces 6 cm thick, remove the thicker tendons and membranes, put the trimmed pieces into the soaking tank and soak until the center softens, then continue soaking for 30 minutes, changing the water once in between. (3) Marinating: After soaking, the meat pieces are injected with 5% marinade evenly at 1cm×1cm intervals using steel needles. Then, 0.2% carrageenan is added and vacuum tumbling is performed. The vacuum tumbling conditions are -0.06Mpa and 1.5h. After tumbling, the meat is left to stand for 2h to obtain marinated beef. (4) Braising: The compound spices are crushed into large particles, put in a gauze bag, soaked in water for 10 minutes, and then taken out. Add the compound spice bag, 2000 parts water and 1000 parts marinated beef to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, remove the foam, and then braise in three stages: the first stage is braised at 90℃ for 40 minutes, and the seasoning liquid is added at 85℃; the second stage is braised for 1.5 hours, and the temperature is adjusted to 25℃; the third stage is braised for 4 hours. (5) Cutting and packaging: Take out the meat pieces and drain them, cut them into cubes of about 2 cm, vacuum seal them, and seal them tightly without any stuffing. (6) Sterilization: The packaged product is transported into the sterilization kettle and sterilized at 121 ℃, 0.18Mpa for 25min.

[0028] Example 3: Preparation of braised beef (1) Preparation of auxiliary materials: Marinade: 4% salt, 3% light soy sauce, 2% cooking wine, 0.1% nitrite, 1% high elasticity agent, and the remainder is water; Seasoning liquid: by weight, 15 parts soybean paste, 40 parts light soy sauce, 8 parts yeast extract, and 7 parts beef extract; Compound spices: by weight, 1.5 parts cinnamon, 1.2 parts bay leaves, 0.5 parts cloves, 2 parts angelica, 1 part dried ginger, 0.4 parts dried tangerine peel, 0.5 parts cardamom, and 1 part star anise; (2) Trimming and soaking: Cut the beef into large pieces 6 cm thick, remove the thicker tendons and membranes, put the trimmed pieces into the soaking tank and soak until the center softens, then continue soaking for 30 minutes, changing the water once in between. (3) Marinating: After soaking, the meat pieces are injected with 8% marinade evenly at 1cm×1cm intervals using steel needles. Then, 0.3% guar gum is added and vacuum tumbling is performed. The vacuum tumbling conditions are -0.08 MPa and 1 hour. After tumbling, the meat is left to stand for 3 hours to obtain marinated beef. (4) Braising: The compound spices are crushed into large particles, put in a gauze bag, soaked in water for 10 minutes, and then taken out. Add the compound spice bag, 2000 parts water and 1000 parts marinated beef to the pot, bring to a boil over high heat, remove the foam, and then braise in three stages: the first stage is braised at 95℃ for 30 minutes, and the seasoning liquid is added at 80℃; the second stage is braised for 2 hours, and the temperature is adjusted to 20℃; the third stage is braised for 5 hours. (5) Cutting and packaging: Take out the meat pieces and drain them, cut them into cubes of about 2 cm, vacuum seal them, and seal them tightly without any stuffing. (6) Sterilization: The packaged product is transported into the sterilization kettle and sterilized at 115℃ and 0.20 MPa for 15 minutes.

[0029] Comparative Example 1 The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that only a 4.5% edible salt solution is used in the pickling liquid.

[0030] Comparative Example 2 The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that the vacuum tumbling step is omitted.

[0031] Comparative Example 3 The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that a conventional braising process is used, namely braising at 92°C for 7 hours.

[0032] Comparative Example 4 The preparation method is the same as in Example 1, except that the seasoning liquid is not added during the two-stage braising process.

[0033] Experimental Example 1: Comparison of Colorimetric Parameters The measurements were performed using a CM-3700 automatic colorimeter. The colorimeter was first standardized using a standard white plate. The color difference between each sample and the standard white plate was compared using reflectance mode. The beef chunks from Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-4 were gently rinsed with ultrapure water to remove any adhering substances, and excess moisture was gently patted dry with paper towels. The beef was trimmed into approximately 2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm pieces perpendicular to the muscle fibers. Five samples were taken from the upper surface of each piece to determine the average value, and the L*, a*, and b* values ​​were recorded. The experimental results are shown in Table 1.

[0034] Table 1 Comparison Results of Colorimetric Parameters .

[0035] As shown in Table 1, the color parameters of Examples 1-3 are superior to those of Comparative Examples 1-4. Compared with Comparative Example 1, Example 1, using marinade for intramuscular injection, better maintains the brightness, redness, and yellowness of the beef, resulting in a better color. Intramuscular injection using only edible salt results in a significantly duller color and poor redness. Compared with Comparative Example 2, Example 1 shows that vacuum tumbling promotes the uniform distribution and effect of the color-protecting agent, enhancing the color of the beef. Compared with Comparative Example 3, Example 1 shows that the conventional braising process has a long heat processing time, leading to a certain degree of oxidation of the spices during braising, which reduces the brightness of the beef. The three-stage cooking process, with its shorter heating time, better maintains the color of the beef. Compared with Comparative Example 4, Example 1 shows that the seasoning liquid promotes the enhancement of the beef's color.

[0036] Example 2 Comparison of texture parameters Remove the beef chunks from their packaging in Examples 1-3 and Comparative Examples 1-4, gently rinse the surface with ultrapure water to remove any adhering substances, and gently pat dry with a paper towel. Trim the beef into approximately 2 cm × 2 cm × 2 cm pieces perpendicular to the muscle fibers, and determine the textural properties of the samples at room temperature. The TPA (two-compression mode) was used to simulate the chewing process. A P / 36R probe was used with the following parameters: pre-compression speed 2 mm / s, mid-compression speed 2 mm / s, post-compression speed 2 mm / s, a 5 s interval between compressions, a compression ratio of 40%, a trigger force of 5.0 g, and an automatic trigger type. The hardness, elasticity, chewiness, resilience, and cohesion of each sample were recorded, with each group of samples measured in parallel five times. The experimental results are shown in Table 2.

[0037] Table 2 Comparison of texture parameters .

[0038] As shown in Table 2, the differences in texture indices between Examples 1-3 are relatively small. However, compared with Comparative Example 1, Example 1 shows a decrease in hardness, cohesiveness, and chewiness, while elasticity and resilience are improved, indicating that intramuscular injection of marinade can reduce the hardness of the final product and improve palatability. Compared with Comparative Example 2, Example 1 shows an improvement in hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience, indicating that vacuum tumbling promotes the improvement of beef texture and enhances taste. Compared with Comparative Example 3, Example 1 shows that the three-stage braising process reduces the damage to beef texture caused by heat processing, and improves hardness, elasticity, cohesiveness, chewiness, and resilience, thus enhancing taste. Compared with Comparative Example 4, Example 1 shows that adding seasoning liquid can appropriately improve taste.

[0039] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Any simple modifications or equivalent changes made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A braised beef, characterized in that: The beef is injected with pickling liquid, soluble dietary fiber is added and mixed, and then vacuum tumbled and three-stage marinated. The pickling liquid contains salt and color preservative; the three-stage braising process includes high-temperature braising, medium-temperature stewing and room-temperature soaking.

2. The braised beef according to claim 1, characterized in that: The amount of the pickling liquid is 5-8% of the mass of the raw beef.

3. The braised beef according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mass ratio of the salt to the color preservative is 10:(0.2-0.4).

4. The method for preparing braised beef according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The steps include: Soak the trimmed beef chunks in water until the center softens, and continue soaking for 30 to 40 minutes to obtain pretreated beef; The pretreated beef is uniformly injected with the pickling liquid and then placed in a tumbling machine, and 0.2-0.3% of the soluble dietary fiber by weight of the beef is added, and vacuum tumbling is started. After the tumbling is completed, the pretreated beef is allowed to stand for 2-3 hours to obtain the pickled beef; The marinated beef, water and compound spices are placed in a pot and sequentially subjected to high-temperature braising, medium-temperature stewing and room-temperature soaking to obtain the braised beef.

5. The preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The soluble dietary fiber is carrageenan and / or guar gum.

6. The preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vacuum kneading is performed at a vacuum degree of -0.06 to -0.08 MPa, and the kneading time is 1 to 1.5 h.

7. The preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: In parts by weight, the compound spice comprises 1 to 2 parts of cinnamon bark, 1 to 1.5 parts of bay leaves, 0.5 to 1 parts of cloves, 1 to 3 parts of angelica dahurica, 1 to 2 parts of dried ginger, 0.3 to 0.5 parts of tangerine peel, 0.5 to 1 parts of amomum villosum, and 1 to 3 parts of star anise.

8. The preparation method according to claim 4, characterized in that: The high-temperature braising temperature is 90-95°C and the time is 30-40 minutes; after the high-temperature braising, the seasoning liquid is added and then the medium-temperature braising is carried out, the medium-temperature braising temperature is 80-85°C and the time is 1.5-2 hours; the room temperature soaking temperature is 20-25°C and the time is 4-5 hours.

9. The preparation method according to claim 8, characterized in that: By weight, the seasoning liquid comprises 10 to 15 parts of soybean paste, 30 to 40 parts of light soy sauce, 5 to 8 parts of yeast extract, and 5 to 7 parts of beef extract.

10. The braised beef prepared according to any one of the preparation methods of claims 4 to 9.