• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.351-357
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• 2010

To decrease the intake of animal fat and cholesterol, changes in the physico-chemical characteristics of pork Boston butts cooked by different methods (boiling, steaming, baking, and frying) were investigated. Cooking weight loss and the drain rates of moisture, lipids, and cholesterol were highest during frying. The pH value increased during all cooking processes tested. The refractive index of meat fat increased markedly upon frying. The hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of meat were notably increased by frying. Springiness was not significantly affected by any cooking process, and cohesiveness was slightly increased by all cooking methods evaluated. The CIE $L^*$ (lightness) value was markedly increased upon steaming, and the CIE $a^*$ (redness) value decreased notably with boiling or steaming. The CIE $b^*$ (yellowness) value decreased slightly with either boiling or steaming, and was slightly increased when baking or frying was used. The fatty acid composition did not significantly change after cooking, except when meat was fried.