Flavor Relationships Among Muscles of the Beef Chuck and Round

Flavor relationships among muscles and causes of liver-like off-flavor of six muscles from each of 30 beef carcasses were evaluated by a trained sensory panel. The infraspinatus (flat iron) was lowest in sour, metallic, and oxidized flavors and highest in fatty flavor. The vastus lateralis (knuckle side) had the most intense off-flavor and was among the highest for sour and oxidized. Heme iron concentration and pH were lowly related to off-flavor. Of 18 muscles from three carcasses, 16 were high in liver-like off-flavor. These data suggest liver-like off-flavor is related to something that impacts the entire animal