Changes in Proximate Chemical and Mineral Compositions of Different Sex Categories of Mutton during the Dry-Curing Process

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The older raw mutton categories are considered to be of poor quality and are poorly accepted by consumers, primarily because of the toughness and intense odor. Therefore, they are most often used in the production of various meat products. In Dalmatia, mutton is mainly processed into a traditional dry-cured product called kaštradina. Its quality depends on the age and sex, and the kaštradina of the castrated and fattened rams (wethers) are the best accepted by consumers. This study examined the influence of sex and castration on the proximate chemical and mineral compositions of raw mutton and kaštradina as indicators of their quality. Meat is primarily a source of protein and a significant source of minerals (phosphorus, iron, zinc, potassium) in the human diet. Therefore, it is important to determine which factors influence their composition the most. The results showed that sex and castration significantly affected the salt content and the proximate chemical and mineral compositions of raw mutton and kaštradina that could affect the quality (nutritive and sensory) of kaštradina. The findings suggested that the raw mutton of wethers and ewes could be a better-quality raw material for production of kaštradina than could the ram mutton. ABSTRACT: The aim of this research was to determine the effect of sex, castration, and processing on the chemical properties of mutton in the production of kaštradina—a traditional Dalmatian dry-cured meat product. Therefore, the carcasses of 20 ewes (E), 20 rams (R), and 20 wethers (W) of the Dalmatian pramenka breed were processed by dry-curing. On the 1st, 35th, and 60th days of processing, the samples from the scapulae were taken, then the proximate chemical, NaCl, and mineral analyses were performed, and significant differences between most of the parameters were found. Unlike W, the R samples contained significantly more proteins (p < 0.01), NaCl (p < 0.05), and potassium (p < 0.05) and less fat (p < 0.05). Furthermore, compared to the W and R categories, the E category of kaštradina contained significantly more calcium (p < 0.05). The higher contents of intramuscular fat, potassium, and calcium and lower content of NaCl could positively affect the sensory (marbling, flavor, juiciness, and tenderness) and chemical (fatty acid profile) properties of kaštradina. These findings suggest that the W and E raw mutton could be a better-quality raw material for production of kaštradina than could the R, but further research is needed for a more comprehensive picture of its quality.