ABSTRACT
The analysis of cooked meat aroma has been reported many times. Even so, there are a large number of factors that need to be considered when carrying out such an analysis.
1. Before Cooking
Meat has a heterogeneous structure. Adipose tissue surrounds muscle, which contains muscle fibers, marbling fat, and connective tissue. If volatiles derived from the Maillard reaction are considered to be important, then the meat can be cooked with the adipose tissue removed. More reproducible results might be obtained if a muscle is minced and turned into a burger or if a regular shape is cut from the muscle, e.g., a circular slab. Sample size should be considered before cooking. Although the longissimus muscle of a rib steak from a steer may weigh around 120 g after grilling and removal of fat, the equivalent from a lamb may only weigh around 25 g. This may not be a large enough sample for the extraction technique that is being used.
