Appropriate sous-vide culinary condition for pork hams: Physicochemical and microstructural properties

This study aimed to optimize the culinary use of pork hams through sous-vide cooking. Pork hams were cooked at 55, 58, 60, and 65 °C for 8 h, leading lower shrinkage, reduced cooking loss, improved tenderness, and lower TBARS values compared to conventional cooking methods, i.e. boiling and roasting (P < 0.05). The myofibrillar fragmentation index (MFI) increased at temperatures above 58 °C, while collagen content in the exudates rose with higher temperatures (P < 0.05). Additionally, cathepsin (B + L) activity declined as cooking temperatures increased (P < 0.05). Pork hams cooked at 58 °C for over 5 h exhibited reduced hardness and chewiness (P < 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that sous-vide cooked samples (58 °C) has more cracked surfaces of muscle fibers. Connective tissues and collagen fibers were weakened and gelatinized, respectively, upon increasing cooking durations. Thus, 58 °C sous-vide for 5 h offers a practical method to enhance the utilization of pork hams, benefiting both industrial/restaurant processing and home preparation.