The rise in temperature during cooking leads to dramatic changes in
the meat, such as protein denaturation, muscle fiber shrinkage, water
loss, changes in color, lipid oxidation, and development of Maillard
reactions, as more remarkable ones (Bejerholm & Aaslyng, 2004). The
nature and extent of these changes will greatly influence the final eating
quality of cooked meat: while some changes lead to desirable features
(i.e. collagen solubilization or development of Maillard reactions), some
others could ruin the sensory quality of meat if they are not carefully
controlled. Among the latter, the loss of meat juices is one of the key
factors influencing the quality of cooked meat: If water loss is too high,
the meat will become tough and fibrous, while keeping water loss to
a minimum will produce juicier cooked meat