title: Carcass and meat quality characteristics of Brahman cross bulls and steers finished on tropical pastures in Costa Rica.
abstract: Forty-eight male calves (3/4 Brahman×1/4 Charolais) were used to determine carcass cutability and meat tenderness of Longissimus lumborum (LL), Gluteus medius (GM), Semitendinosus (ST) and Psoas major (PM) steaks from lighter weight carcasses of bulls and steers castrated at 3, 7, or 12 mo of age grown under tropical pasture conditions. Steaks from steers had lower (more tender) LL Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) values than those from bulls. Steaks from steers castrated at 3 mo had lower GM WBSF than those from bulls. For PM steaks, those aged 28 d had lower WBSF than those aged 2d. Steaks aged 28 d had the lowest LL and GM WBSF and steaks aged 2d had the highest LL, GM, and ST WBSF. Castration at younger ages is recommended because it provides improvement in LL and GM tenderness over bulls with no differences in carcass traits or subprimal yields.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. Electronic address: jrodriguez@carnesdonfernando.com.
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. Electronic address: junruh@ksu.edu.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Unruh
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Milton
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Villarreal
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Olger
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Murillo
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Sailim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, Cartago, Costa Rica.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Camacho
authors.affiliation: Kansas State University Agricultural Research Center, Hays, KS 67601, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jaeger
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Reinhardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003364:Costa Rica; D063427:Food Quality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000737:chemistry*; D009919:Orchiectomy; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Aging; Beef; Bull; Cutability; Steer; Tenderness