Abstract
Seventeen Japanese Black steers were used to evaluate the influence of slaughter weight (550 kg, 600 kg or 650 kg), sire (two sires), concentrate feeding (barley or corn) and muscle (six muscles) on the following characteristics: pH value, cooking loss, shear value, moisture and crude fat contents. Crude fat contents were higher, and moisture content and shear values were lower in muscles from the large slaughter weight group 650 kg than those from other slaughter weight groups. Cooking loss, shear value, moisture and crude fat contents differed between sires. Corn feeding increased crude fat content in muscle compared to barley feeding. Muscles containing a large amount of intramuscular fat showed lower shear values and less cooking loss than those containing a small amount of intramuscular fat.