Comparison of Raw and Excess Steam Jet-Cooked/Drum-Dried Pinto Bean Flours and Their Effects on Ground Beef Patties

Abstract

Many types of plant-based materials have been investigated as fat replacers or meat extenders in beef patties and meatballs, including cereal and pulse flours as well as isolated plant proteins. Previously, excess steam jet cooking and drum drying of pulse flours were shown to impart potentially useful properties as food ingredients. In this study, pinto bean flour was jet-cooked and drum-dried (JC-DD) and compared with raw pinto bean flour when added to ground beef patties. The finely milled flours were mixed with ground beef at levels of 6, 12, and 18% along with equal amounts of water. The effects of jet cooking and drum drying on the flour included complete breakdown of starch granules, greatly reduced viscosity upon heating in water, and substantial reduction of several volatile beany flavor components. The highest level of JC-DD flour resulted in the highest cooked patty weight, moisture content, and diameter and the lowest cooking time, springiness, and fat content. There were significant color changes in both raw and cooked beef patties to which pinto bean flour was added, but they were not large due to the native color of bean seed coats. Texture analysis revealed that addition of JC-DD flour to the meat resulted in a greater degree of tenderizing compared to the raw flour. The experiments indicate that further investigation of different flour/water ratios and different pulse types might lead to higher substitution levels. Novelty Impact Statement. The use of pulse flour as a meat extender was investigated with the novel approach of processing the pulse flour by excess steam jet cooking and drum drying. Comparison of the effects of raw and jet-cooked flour on the properties of cooked ground beef patties revealed advantages of jet cooking the flour including higher cooked patty weight, moisture content, and diameter and a greater degree of tenderizing.