Beef Carcass Weight and Quality Grade Influence Tenderness

Objective The objective was to investigate whether hot carcass weight (HCW) affected Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) and tenderness formation of Denver, strip, and eye of round steaks from USDA Select (Se) and low Choice (LC) beef carcasses.Study Description Select and LC carcasses were selected at a commercial beef plant by HCW (light = 650–750 lb; middle = 850–950 lb; heavy = 1,025–1,150 lb). Steaks were fabricated and aged for 5, 10, and 14 days. Tenderness was determined through WBSF based on industry standards. Additionally, protein degradation was analyzed to determine tenderness formation