To obtain precooked wheat-soybean flour (90:10 ratio) with good technological characteristics for use in beef croquettes, a study was made of the effects of extrusion parameters on the product’s emulsifying capacity (EC), emulsion stability (ES), and sensory characteristics. The mixture was extruded with different moisture contents (23, 26 and 29%), barrel temperatures (BT) (100, 110, 120 and 130 °C) and rotation screw speeds (SS) (Nº 4; 120, 150, 180 and 210 rpm). The results indicate that the increase of SS and BT increased the EC and ES up to certain point, after which the EC and ES declined. Beef croquettes made of the mixed flour containing 26% of moisture and extruded at 150 rpm and 130 °C showed the best sensory characteristics (flavor and texture), and were preferred by the untrained tasters when compared with croquettes made of raw wheat flour and raw mixed flour. The sensory characteristics of the croquettes were related to the EC and ES of the flours, with ES showing a stronger effect than EC.
meat croquettes; precooked flour; wheat-soybean mixture; extrusion
