Abstract: The effects of four different cooking methods (steaming, boiling, microwave and sous-vide (SV)) on the eating quality and flavor compounds of spiced pork trotter were investigated by measuring its cooking loss, nutrient composition, cholesterol, total free amino acids, lipid oxidation, color, sensory score, fatty acid composition and volatile flavor substances. The results showed that SV significantly reduced the cooking loss and cholesterol content and increased the a* value, the contents of moisture and unsaturated fatty acid (P < 0.05) and the number of volatile flavor substances in the product. Microwave heating significantly decreased the fat content of spiced pork trotter (P < 0.05). The sensory score of spiced pork trotter cooked by steaming was the highest. The maximum L* value was obtained by boiling (P < 0.05). Therefore, all the heating treatments can improve the eating quality of spiced pork trotter, but SV shows better performance in improving the color, increasing the content of unsaturated fatty acids and the number of flavor substances and reducing the content of cholesterol.

Key words: cooking methods; spiced pork trotter; eating quality; fatty acids; volatile compounds