WO2021174477A1

WO2021174477A1 - Clean labeled snowflake beef and preparation method thereof

Info

Publication number: WO2021174477A1
Application number: PCT/CN2020/077904
Authority: WO
Inventors: Chi-Chin Yang; Yuewen YAN; Yilei ZHOU; Minsheng FAN; Li Yang; Yu BI
Original assignee: Cargill Animal Protein (Anhui) Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2020-03-05
Filing date: 2020-03-05
Publication date: 2021-09-10

Abstract

Clean labeled, marbleized beef products are prepared by injecting a homogeneous injection composition comprising ground beef fat and the brine composition into preprocessed whole meat portions to form a marbleized beef product. The homogeneous injection composition comprises beef fat, sodium chloride, optional milk powder, and ice water in amount amounts as described. The homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 25s. The marbleized beef product is disposed into a mold and quick-frozen to a temperature of at or below -18℃ when measured at the center of the marbleized beef product. The marbleized beef product is free of added vegetable oil, phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, hydrocolloids, soybean protein, modified starch, food flavor additives, and MSG.

Description

CLEAN LABELED SNOWFLAKE BEEF AND PREPARATION METHOD THEREOF

FIELD

The present invention relates to beef products and method for preparing same.

BACKGROUND

Snowflake beef is a beef product characterized by containing dense and uniformly distributed fat that provides a distinctly red and white marbled appearance. Beef with rich marbling is expected to have good flavor and mouthfeel, and is desirable in the marketplace. However, only a few varieties of cattle are capable of producing snowflake beef, and only a few parts of the animal can produce snowflake beef, leading to a long production cycle and high cost. Therefore, a variety of patents have been published to produce artificial snowflake beef.

Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN108523010 (Chinese Patent Application No. CN201810320003) titled “Preparation method of beef steak and the beef steak” discloses a method related to refining and filtering beef fat to obtain the refined fat. Beef portions are injected with an injection liquid comprising safflower seed oil, papain, phosphoric acid compound salt, soy protein isolate, a clove extract, and a nutmeg extract. The mass ratio of the fresh beef to the injection liquid is 100: 15-20.

Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN101961111 (Chinese Patent Application No. CN201010531109) titled “Method for producing snowflakes beef” discloses selecting beef lean with pH value of 6 to 7 and injecting an emulsion at a temperature of 40℃ to 50℃ into the beef lean meat to obtain snowflake beef. The emulsion comprises: 1 to 2 parts by weight of starch, 1 to 2 parts by weight of non-meat protein, 0.3 to 0.8 parts by weight of glutamine transaminase, 1 to 3 parts by weight of emulsifier, and 25 to 40 parts by weight of refined beef fat, and 55 to 65 parts by weight of water. After injecting the emulsion into the beef lean meat, the refined beef fat is distributed in the lean meat to form a red-and-white, marble-like snowflake beef; while the glutamine transaminase, starch, and non-meat protein in the emulsion can increase the snowflake beef. The mass ratio of the emulsion to the beef lean meat is preferably from 15 to 35: 100, more preferably from 20 to 30: 100.

Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN101091574A (Chinese Patent Application No. CN200610047065) titled “Method for producing dish of snowflake like beef” discloses a method wherein pure beef fat is injected into beef at a temperature of 1-25℃. The amount of bovine fat injected per 100 g of beef is 5-30 grams. The injection angle is 20-70 degrees, the injection needle is crossed by the opposite direction, and the injection distance is 5-10 mm. The invention is characterized in that the injection of pure bovine fat into the beef can increase the fat inclusion content in the beef, can improve the taste and taste of the beef, and maintain the natural flavor of the beef itself. The multi-needle cross-injection method can cut the meat fibers and tendons in the beef to make the meat softer.

SUMMARY

It has been found that a clean labeled, marbleized beef product can be prepared by a method comprising:

a) providing unfrozen beef portions having tendons and fascia removed therefrom to provide preprocessed whole meat portions of sizes of from about 200g to about 1500g;

b) providing unfrozen, solid beef fat that has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm;

c) providing a brine composition at a temperature of from -2℃ to 4℃ comprising sodium chloride, water, and optional milk powder as a homogeneous brine composition;

d) homogenizing/emulsifying the ground beef fat and the brine composition to obtain a homogeneous injection composition comprising:

beef fat in an amount of from about 15 to about 30 parts by weight, sodium chloride in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight, milk powder in an amount of from 0 to about 13 parts by weight, and ice water in an amount of from about 50 to about 78 parts by weight, wherein the homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 25s;

e) injecting the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed beef raw materials to form a marbleized beef product at an injection pressure of from about 1 to about 10 bar, in an amount so that the injection composition is from about 15%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; and

f) disposing the marbleized beef product into a mold and quick-freezing to a temperature of at or below about -18℃ when measured at the center of the marbleized beef product;

wherein the marbleized beef product is free of added vegetable oil, phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, hydrocolloids, soybean protein, modified starch, food flavor additives, and MSG.

The present method advantageously provides clean labeled, marbleized beef product, which is advantageous for the consumer who wishes to consume meat products that have an uncomplicated ingredient list. Many consumers prefer to consume products that do not contain additives that are outside of the scope of those perceived to be natural. Because the present process is in aspects carried out throughout the major process steps at a low temperature, the risk of undesired microbial contamination is greatly reduced.

Moreover, the selection of viscosity characteristics of the homogeneous injection composition makes it possible to inject the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions at low temperature under pressures that provide appropriate distribution of the homogeneous injection composition through the preprocessed whole meat portions to form a marbleized beef product without leakage from the beef product. The resulting marbleized beef product affords excellent flavor and mouthfeel.

Compared with the existing methods for producing marbled beef, the process of the present disclosure is simple and easy to operate at high efficiency, and may be readily adopted in the industry.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The aspects of the present invention described below are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather a purpose of the aspects chosen and described is by way of illustration or example, so that the appreciation and understanding by others skilled in the art of the general principles and practices of the present invention can be facilitated.

The beef portions to be marbleized in accordance with the present method may be selected from any portion suitable for such treatment. In an aspect, the beef portion may be selected from lean portions of beef. In an aspect, the beef portion is selected from the shoulder, such as chuck steak, flat iron steak. In an aspect, the beef portion is selected from the top round beef portion or the striploin. In an aspect, the beef portion is selected from rostbiff, hanger steak, tri-tip steak, beef shank, and chuck short rib.

In an aspect, the beef portions may be initially stored in the frozen state, and then thawed for subsequent treatment in accordance with the present process.

In an aspect, the tendons and fascia are removed from the beef portions to provide preprocessed whole meat portions of sizes of from about 200g to about 1500g. In an aspect, the beef portions are provided as relatively uniform size portions (i.e. the portions of a set of beef portions are all within about 15%or within about 10%weight distribution of the mean weight of the set) . In an aspect, the bones are removed from the beef portions to provide boneless beef portions.

Unfrozen, solid beef fat is provided that has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm. In an aspect, the unfrozen, solid beef fat has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 2mm. In an aspect, the unfrozen, solid beef fat is prepared by grinding tallow with a grinder. In an aspect, the unfrozen, solid beef fat is prepared by grinding tallow with a grinder having a holeplate size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm. In an aspect, the unfrozen, solid beef fat is prepared by grinding tallow with a grinder having a holeplate size of from about 0.1 to about 2mm.

A brine composition is provided at a temperature of from -2℃ to 4℃, wherein the brine composition comprises sodium chloride, water, and optional milk powder (i.e. dried milk solids) as a homogeneous brine composition. In an aspect, the brine composition consists of sodium chloride, water, and optional milk powder as a homogeneous brine composition.

The ground beef fat and the brine composition are homogenized/emulsified to obtain a homogeneous injection composition comprising:

beef fat in an amount of from about 15 to about 30 parts by weight, sodium chloride in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight, milk powder in an amount of from 0 to about 13 parts by weight, and ice water in an amount of from about 50 to about 78 parts by weight,

wherein the homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 25s. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 15s.

For purposes of the present disclosure, viscosity is determined by the Stein Hall viscosity measurement method using a 4# Stein Cup, wherein the viscosity measurement is taken at 5℃.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition consists of:

beef fat in an amount of from about 15 to about 30 parts by weight, sodium chloride in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight, milk powder in an amount of from 0 to about 13 parts by weight, and ice water in an amount of from about 50 to about 78 parts by weight.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition comprises:

from about 22 to about 30 parts by weight of beef fat, from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight of salt, 0 parts by weight of milk powder, and from about 60 to about 78 parts by weight of ice water.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition comprises:

from about 15 to about 25 parts by weight of beef fat, from about 2 to about 6 parts by weight of salt, from about 3 to about 13 parts by weight of milk powder, and from about 50 to about75 parts by weight of ice water.

The use of milk powder in the homogeneous injection composition is particularly advantageous in aspects of the present invention, because milk powder can exhibit an emulsifying effect, and additionally can enhance the flavor of the final marbleized beef product. In this context, milk powder would be considered to be a “natural” ingredient that would not be objectionable to consumers. Thus, the advantages afforded by addition of milk powder can be obtained while still providing a “clean labelled” product. In an aspect the homogeneous injection composition comprises from about 3 to about 13 parts by weight of milk powder.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20 to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20%to about 60%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20%to about 50%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 30%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 40%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 45%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 50%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product.

In an aspect, the composition is injected into the meat using a commercially available pump and injector, but at a higher pressure than normal brine injections in order to obtain high content of the composition in the beef product. This high pressure also provides a good distribution of the fat throughout the meat portion. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions to form a marbleized beef product at an injection pressure of from 1.5 to 10 bar. In an aspect, the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 1.5 to 5 bar. In an aspect, the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 2 to 5 bar. In an aspect, the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 2 to 3 bar.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions using an injector system suitable for injecting the composition into the whole meat portions. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions to provide a substantially uniform distribution of the composition in the whole meat portion. For purposes of the present invention, a distribution is substantially uniform if samples taken at three random internal locations of the whole meat portion do not vary more than about 10%in relative amount of the homogeneous injection composition. In an aspect, a distribution is substantially uniform if samples taken at three random internal locations of the whole meat portion after tumbling do not vary more than about 10%in relative amount of the homogeneous injection composition. In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions to provide a distribution of the composition in the whole meat portion such that the final product is a visibly marbleized product, i.e. striations of the homogenized/emulsified ground beef fat and the brine composition are visible to the unassisted eye.

In an aspect, the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions through an array of from 100 to 800 needles, the needles having an inner diameter of 2mm to 4mm. In an aspect, the injection is carried out by automated equipment wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions through the needle array at a needle array injection speed of 10-80 cycle/min, or in an aspect at a needle array injection speed of 15-45 cycle/min.

In an aspect, the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about -2℃ to about 10℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps. In an aspect, the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about -2℃ to about 4℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps. In an aspect, the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 7℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps. In an aspect, the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 5℃throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps. In an aspect, the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 4℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps. Maintenance of the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product at this low temperature throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps greatly reduces the risk of risk of undesired microbial contamination.

The marbleized beef product is free of added vegetable oil, phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, hydrocolloids, soybean protein, modified starch, food flavor additives, and MSG. In an aspect, the marbleized beef product is free of added emulsifiers. In an aspect, the marbleized beef product is free of added gums, such as carrageenan.

After the injection, the marbleized beef product is disposed into a mold and quick-frozen to a temperature of at or below -18℃ when measured at the center of the marbleized beef product. In an aspect, the marbleized beef product is tumbled prior to being disposed into a mold and quick-frozen.

Examples

Example 1 –Preparation of striploin with enhanced marbling.

1) providing uncooked beef portions:

a frozen striploin is thawed, and the tendons and fascia are removed to provide 500kg of thawed, uncooked whole meat portions of sizes of from 200g to 1500g;

2) preprocessing beef fat:

43.75kg of beef fat is thawed and ground with a grinder using a grinder plate having 3mm holes;

3) preparing clean brine:

3.5kg sodium chloride salt and 126.7kg ice water are mixed together in a brine mixer to obtain a homogeneous clean brine;

4) preparing injection:

the ground beef fat and the clean brine are homogenized/emulsified to obtain a homogeneous injection composition;

5) injecting:

the homogeneous injection composition is injected into thawed, uncooked whole meat portions with a high viscosity brine injector at a 1.8 bar injection pressure and a 55 stroke/min needle speed to form an injected beef product, such that the mass ratio of the thawed, uncooked whole meat portions and the homogeneous injection composition in the injected beef product is 100: 35 (i.e. the injection composition is about 39%by weight of the total marbled beef product) ;

6) Freezing:

The injected beef product is placed in a mold and quick-frozen to a temperature of below -18℃ center temperature.

The resulting marbleized beef striploin product exhibited excellent marbling, flavor and mouthfeel.

Example 2 –Preparation of top round beef with enhanced marbling

1) providing uncooked beef portions:

A frozen rostbiff beef portion (eye of rump) is thawed, and the tendons and fascia are removed to provide 500kg of thawed, uncooked whole meat portions of sizes of from 200g to 1500g;

2) preprocessing beef fat:

65kg of beef fat is thawed and ground with a grinder using a grinder plate having 3mm holes;

3) preparing clean brine:

13kg sodium chloride salt, 16.25kg milk powder and 226.85kg ice water are mixed together in a brine mixer to obtain a homogeneous clean brine;

4) preparing injection:

5) injecting:

the homogeneous injection composition is injected into thawed, uncooked whole meat portions with a high viscosity brine injector at a 2.7 bar injection pressure and 45 stroke/min needle speed to form an injected beef product, such that the mass ratio of the thawed, uncooked whole meat portions and the homogeneous injection composition in the injected beef product is 100: 65 (i.e. the injection composition is about 26%by weight of the total marbled beef product) ;

6) Freezing:

The resulting marbleized top round beef product exhibited excellent marbling, flavor and mouthfeel.

As used herein, the terms "about" or "approximately" mean within an acceptable range for the particular parameter specified as determined by one of ordinary skill in the art, which will depend in part on how the value is measured or determined, e.g., the limitations of the sample preparation and measurement system. Examples of such limitations include preparing the sample in a wet versus a dry environment, different instruments, variations in sample height, and differing requirements in signal-to-noise ratios. For example, "about" can mean greater or lesser than the value or range of values stated by 1/10 of the stated values, but is not intended to limit any value or range of values to only this broader definition. For instance, a concentration value of about 30%means a concentration between 27%and 33%. Each value or range of values preceded by the term "about" is also intended to encompass the embodiment of the stated absolute value or range of values. Alternatively, particularly with respect to biological systems or processes, the term can mean within an order of magnitude, preferably within 5-fold, and more preferably within 2-fold, of a value.

Throughout this specification and claims, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” , and variations such as “comprises” and “comprising” , will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps but not the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integer or step. When used herein “consisting of"excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim element. When used herein, "consisting essentially of" does not exclude materials or steps that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claim. In the present disclosure of various embodiments, any of the terms "comprising" , "consisting essentially of" and "consisting of" used in the description of an embodiment may be replaced with either of the other two terms.

All patents, patent applications (including provisional applications) , and publications cited herein are incorporated by reference as if individually incorporated for all purposes. Unless otherwise indicated, all parts and percentages are by weight and all molecular weights are weight average molecular weights. The foregoing detailed description has been given for clarity of understanding only. No unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. The invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described, for variations obvious to one skilled in the art will be included within the invention defined by the claims.

Claims

A method for making a clean labeled, marbleized beef product comprising:

a) providing unfrozen beef portions having tendons and fascia removed therefrom to provide preprocessed whole meat portions of sizes of from about 200g to about 1500g;

b) providing unfrozen, solid beef fat that has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm;

c) providing a brine composition at a temperature of from -2℃ to 4℃ comprising sodium chloride, water, and optional milk powder as a homogeneous brine composition;

d) homogenizing/emulsifying the ground beef fat and the brine composition to obtain a homogeneous injection composition comprising:

beef fat in an amount of from about 15 to about 30 parts by weight,

sodium chloride in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight,

milk powder in an amount of from 0 to about 13 parts by weight, and

ice water in an amount of from about 50 to about 78 parts by weight,

wherein the homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 25s;

e) injecting the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions to form a marbleized beef product at an injection pressure of from about 1 to about 10 bar, in an amount so that the injection composition is from about 15%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; and

f) disposing the marbleized beef product into a mold and quick-freezing to a temperature of at or below about -18℃ when measured at the center of the marbleized beef product;

wherein the marbleized beef product is free of added vegetable oil, phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, hydrocolloids, soybean protein, modified starch, food flavor additives, and MSG.
The method of claim 1, wherein the brine composition consists of sodium chloride, water, and optional milk powder as a homogeneous brine composition.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the homogeneous injection composition consists of:

beef fat in an amount of from about 15 to about 30 parts by weight,

sodium chloride in an amount of from about 1 to about 6 parts by weight,

milk powder in an amount of from 0 to about 13 parts by weight, and

ice water in an amount of from about 50 to about 78 parts by weight.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the homogeneous injection composition comprises:

from about 22 to about 30 parts by weight of beef fat,

from about 1 to about 3 parts by weight of salt,

0 parts by weight of milk powder, and

from about 60 to about 78 parts by weight of ice water.
The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the homogeneous injection composition comprises:

15-25 parts by weight of beef fat,

2-6 parts by weight of salt,

3-13 parts by weight of milk powder, and

50-75 parts by weight of ice water.
The method of any one of claims 1-5, wherein the homogeneous injection composition has a viscosity of from about 10 to about 15s.
The method of any one of claims 1-6, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20 to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20%to about 60%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20%to about 50%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 30%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 40%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 45%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 50%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product.
The method of any one of claims 1-7, wherein the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from -2℃ to 10℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps; or wherein the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about -2℃ to about 4℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps; or wherein the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 7℃throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps; or wherein the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 5℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps; or wherein the temperature of the beef, brine, homogeneous injection composition, and marbleized beef product are maintained at a temperature of from about 0 to about 4℃ throughout the homogenizing/emulsifying, injecting, and disposing steps.
The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the solid beef fat of step 2 has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm; or wherein the unfrozen, solid beef fat has been ground to a particle size of from about 0.1 to about 2mm.
The method of any one of claims 1-8, wherein the solid beef fat of step 2 has been ground using a grinder having a holeplate size of from about 0.1 to about 3mm; or wherein the solid beef fat of step 2 has been ground using a grinder having a holeplate size of from about 0.1 to about 2mm.
The method of any one of claims 1-10, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions at an injection pressure of from 1.5 to 10 bar; or wherein the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 1.5 to 5 bar; or wherein the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 2 to 5 bar; or wherein the injecting of the homogeneous injection composition into the preprocessed whole meat portions is at an injection pressure of from 2 to 3 bar.
The method of any one of claims 1-11, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions in a manner to provide a substantially uniform distribution of the composition in the whole meat portion; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions to provide a distribution of the composition in the whole meat portion such that the final product is a visibly marbleized product.
The method of any one of claims 1-12, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions through an array of from 100 to 800 needles, the needles having an inner diameter of 2mm to 4mm.
The method of claim 13, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions through the needle array at a needle array injection speed of 10-80 cycle/min; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is injected into the preprocessed whole meat portions through the needle array at a needle array injection speed of 15-45 cycle/min.
The method of any one of claims 1-14, wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20 to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20%to about 60%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 20% to about 50%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 30%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from about 40%to about 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 45%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product; or wherein the homogeneous injection composition is present in an amount of from 50%to 70%by weight of the total marbled beef product.
The method of any one of claims 1-15, wherein the marbleized beef product is free of added emulsifiers; or wherein the marbleized beef product is free of added gums; or wherein the marbleized beef product is free of carrageenan.