Characterization of Physicochemical Quality and Volatiles in Donkey Meat Hotpot Under Different Boiling Periods

TL;DR

This study finds that boiling donkey meat for 12–18 seconds produces the best flavor and quality for hotpot dishes.

Contribution

The study identifies optimal boiling time and key volatile compounds that enhance donkey meat hotpot quality.

Findings

Donkey meat boiled for 12–18 seconds showed best quality in retention, color, shear force, and pH.

Forty-eight VOCs were identified, with 18 as characteristic aroma compounds like 3-hexanone and 2,3-butanedione.

28 VOCs were potential markers for different boiling durations, including 2-butoxyethanol D and (E)-2-pentenal D.

Abstract

Hotpot dishes are widely favored by consumers for their flavor profiles developed during the cooking process. This study investigated the quality characteristics and volatile compounds (VOCs) of donkey meat slices across varying boiling durations (0–42 s) using gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS). The results demonstrated that donkey meat boiled for 12–18 s exhibited optimal characteristics in terms of meat retention, color parameters, shear force values, and pH measurements. Forty-eight distinct VOCs were identified in the samples, with aldehydes, alcohols, ketones, acids, furans, and esters representing the predominant categories. Among these compounds, 18 were identified as characteristic aroma compounds, including 3-hexanone, 2, 3-butanedione, and oct-1-en-3-ol. Samples subjected to different boiling durations were successfully differentiated through topographic plots, fingerprint mapping, and multivariate analysis. The abundance and diversity of VOCs reached peak values in samples boiled for 12–18 s. Furthermore, 28 VOCs were identified as potential markers for distinguishing between different boiling durations, including 2-butoxyethanol D, benzaldehyde D, and (E)-2-pentenal D. This study concludes that a boiling duration of 12–18 s for donkey meat during hotpot preparation yields optimal quality characteristics and volatile flavor compound profiles and provides valuable insights for standardizing cooking parameters in hotpot preparations of other meat products. It is necessary to confirm this finding with sensory evaluations in further research.

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