Oven cooking of turkey meat at different relative humidities

Some selected physical characteristics of turkey meat (weight loss, texture, colour, volume shrinkage and cook value) were evaluated after oven cooking at 100° and 110°C. For each cooking temperature, dry air (only air convection, RH = 5%) and three predetermined relative humidity values (RH = 24, 43 and 62%) were obtained inside the oven cavity by means of a steam generator. Significant cooking time decrement of about 70-90% (compared to air convection condition) was achieved by using steam, both at 100° and 110°C with the exception of the treatment at 100°C and RH= 24%. Moreover, the steam presence during cooking increased the cooking yield when steam treatments were shorter than the dry air convection treatment. About 10% cooking yield increase (as compared to air convection condition) was found at 100°C (at RH = 43 and 62%) and at 110°C (at RH = 62%). An additional cooking yield increase up to +15% was measured at RH = 24% and 43% at 110°C. Steam cooking led to a noticeable decreases of shrinkage, shear force and hardness of meat samples both at 100° and 110°C. The best cooking conditions, in terms of short cooking time, high cooking yield, high tenderness and low chewiness were obtained at 100°C with RH = 62% and 110°C with RH = 43%.