Influence of boiling, grilling, and sous-vide on mastication, bolus formation, and dynamic sensory perception of wild boar ham

Abstract

The literature suggests that wild boar meat structure is unique among pork meats, being less juicy and tender. However, a deeper analysis of wild boar meat consumption from the oral processing and sensory perception perspectives is lacking. This research reports on how boiling, grilling, and sous-vide cooking methods affect wild boar ham color, texture, mastication, bolus formation, and dynamic sensory perception. The examined cooking methods produced steaks of different colors, where the sous-vide was lighter and redder on cross-section. Meat having higher redness had lower hardness and chewiness. That was also further observed for oral processing, where the sous-vide and grilled meat demanded less effort for mastication, absorbed less saliva, and produced boluses with fewer and bigger particles than did the boiled meat. In contrast, boiling led to higher cooking loss, which further affected bolus formation, with more saliva needed. Regarding sensory perception, boiled meat was firm and fibrous compared to grilled and sous-vide meats that were juicier.

Keywords: Cooking methods; Game meat; Instrumental texture; Meat consumption; Meat quality; Oral processing.