No abstract

Ground pork patties were processed from pork hams to achieve fat levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%. Each patty was cooked in a microwave oven to 75°C from a thawed state. As fat levels increased, cooking time decreased. Total cooking loss and drip loss were highest for 25% fat patties and lowest for 5% fat patties. High-fat patties (20% and 25%) had greater reductions in dia than did 5% to 15% fat patties, but had less change in patty thickness. Shear force values decreased as fat levels increased. Visual evaluations also indicated a greater presence of air pockets in high-fat patties. In raw patties, low-fat samples were darker (had lower L* values) and were redder (had higher a* values) than patties with more fat. However, these differences were relatively smaller when the patties were cooked. As fat levels increased, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and oiliness ratings increased. These differences were not as apparent when comparing among low-fat patties or high-fat patties.