Optimization of Recipe for Sour Soup with Beef

Sour soup with beef was cooked by boiling veal meat from Qiandongnan, Guizhou in a mixed sour soup (red sour soup + white sour soup). Single factor experiments and orthogonal array design methods were used to optimize the processing parameters including cooking time, the amount of the sour soup added, the amount of the fruit of Litsea pungens Hemsl added, and tumbling time based on sensory evaluation, moisture content and pH. The results showed that the optimal conditions to achieve the highest sensory score (86.33 points) were as follows: tumbling time 50 min, and adding 3.0 g of the fruit of Litsea pungens Hemsl and 110 mL of the mixed sour soup. The moisture content of the product was (72.41±1.77)%. The pH values of the broth and beef were 4.88 and 4.99, respectively. The brightness (L^*), redness (a^*) and yellowness (b^*) values were 58.81, 9.05 and 10.96, respectively. The soluble solids content (SSC) was (2.67 ± 0.09)%. The broth was rich in free amino acids, umami amino acids being the major ones (0.0785 mg/mL), followed by sweet amino acids and bitter amino acids. The microbiological quality of the product complied with the national food safety standards. The optimized sour soup with beef was red in color, and had a tender texture, a rich aroma, and moderate sour and salty tastes.