The Relationship between Chemical Compositions, Meat Quality, and Palatability of the 10 Primal Cuts from Hanwoo Steer

The relationship between chemical compositions, meat quality traits, and palatability attributes in 10 primal cuts from Hanwoo steercarcasses were assessed. Sensory palatability attributes of Hanwoo beef were more closely related with fat content than to moisture orprotein content. Among the chemical compositions, only fat had a significant correlation with juiciness (0.67, p<0.001), tenderness (0.32,p<0.05), and overall palatability (0.56, p<0.001). Oleic acid (%) was not significantly related with overall palatability (p>0.05). Overallpalatability was negatively correlated with drip loss (-0.32, p<0.05), cooking loss (-0.36, p<0.05), and shear force (-0.54, p<0.01). Thecorrelation between fat content and overall palatability was increased when higher fat cuts (Ansim, Dungsim, Chaekeut, Yangjee, andKalbi) were analyzed, compared to lower fat cuts (Moksim, Abdari, Udun, Suldo, and Satae). Also, the correlation between shear forceand overall palatability was decreased in lower fat cuts compared to higher fat cuts. Our results suggest that the palatability of Hanwoobeef can be improved by increasing fat content in muscles, as increased fat content leads to an increase in sensory tenderness, flavor, andjuiciness.