Comparison between the Volatile Compounds and Physicochemical and Sensory Characteristics of Reverse-Seared and Conventionally Seared Beef Steaks

This study was conducted to determine the effect of heat treatment (searing and reverse searing) on the volatile components and physicochemical and sensory characteristics of beef tenderloin. In reverse-seared steaks (RSSs), the loss rate was lower than in seared steak (SS), and several free amino acids (glutamic acid, glycine, histidine, and anserine) were increased, while a decrease in fatty acids (FAs) and volatile compounds (VCs) was observed. The VCs were identified as 24 compounds: 11 aldehydes, 5 alcohols, 1 ketone, 1 furan, and 6 aliphatic hydrocarbons. Hexanal was the predominant aldehyde, followed by pentanal and heptanal in both groups. Among the VCs with significant differences, only hexadecanal and 2,3-octanedione were increased in RSSs. During texture profile analysis (TPA), it was found that the characteristics of hardness, chewiness, and gumminess were lower in RSSs, which resulted in a higher score in the sensory evaluation. In conclusion, it was confirmed that the reverse searing method reduced the formation of meat flavor more than the searing method due to the limited Maillard reaction it caused. However, the mild heat treatment in the reverse searing process caused a remarkable increase in the appearance, texture, and amino acid content, which positively influenced the flavor.