Improving the textural and microstructural quality of cow meat by black chokeberry, grape, and hawthorn vinegar‐based marination

This study was designed to investigate the effects of vinegar‐based marinades on pH, technological properties, color, microstructure, texture, and sensory characteristics of 9‐year‐old Holstein meat which had tough texture. To marinate the Longissimus lumborum steaks, three different marinades were prepared depending on the different additions of vinegar: black chokeberry (BV), grape (GV), and hawthorn vinegars (HV). The group with water (without vinegar) was prepared as a control sample (C). The steak samples were dipped into the vinegar‐based marinades and stored at 4°C for 24 h. Vinegar‐based marinades decreased the pH and cooking loss of the samples (p < .05). The highest a* values were determined in the BV group, while the samples marinated with vinegar‐based marinades had lower L* values than the control group (p < .05). The samples marinated with grape vinegar marinade had the lowest hardness, WBSF, and WBSE values (p < .05). SEM images and sensory analysis results also supported these texture results. The results suggest that grape vinegar‐based marinade may be a promising natural tenderizer to improve textural characteristics of tough meats.