Effects of tumbling and ultrasound-assisted curing on quality of smoked beef tongue

Smoked beef tongue (SBT) is a meat product obtained by cooking and smoking brined beef tongue. This study aimed to reduce the curing time of SBT and evaluate the effects of different curing methods on product quality during 90- day storage period. Ultrasound-assisted (UAC), intermittent ultrasound-assisted (IUC), tumbling (TAC), and vacuum tumbling (VTC) methods were applied, with traditional curing (TC) used as the control. According to ANOVA results, the highest redness (a*) value was observed in the TC group (14.98), but there was no significant difference compared to UAC, IUC, and VTC (p > 0.05). Curing methods had no significant effect on sensory properties (p > 0.05). The highest salt content was found in TC (4.23%), while the lowest was in IUC (1.61%), resulting in a 41–62% reduction depending on the method (p < 0.05). The highest water activity (0.960) and water-holding capacity (0.46) were observed in IUC. Weight yield ranged from 60.73% (VTC) to 65.77% (TC). The new methods also resulted in higher levels of sulfur compounds and aromatic hydrocarbons, while TC had higher levels of Maillard reaction products such as furans, pyrazines, pyridines, phenolics, ketones, and acids. Curing time was reduced from 8 days to 6–10 h. Overall, the novel curing methods effectively reduced curing time while maintaining the technological, chemical, and sensory quality of SBT. Implementing these methods in industrial production could enhance both product quality and production efficiency. © The Author(s) 2025.