Steaming reheating preserves the original flavor of prepared hand-grabbed mutton: Insights from lipidomics and flavor chemistry.

Reheating is critical for the quality of prepared dishes. This study investigated flavor variations of prepared hand-grabbed mutton (PHM) under three home reheating protocols (microwave, steaming and boiling) using electronic tongue, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, sensory evaluation, and untargeted lipidomics. Compared with freshly cooked hand-grabbed mutton (FHM), boiling reduced the bitterness by 26.43%, microwave increased the saltiness by 4.1%, while steaming added four flavor compounds while preserving the original flavor of FHM. Further investigations were conducted to explore the mechanism underlying PHM flavor formation during steaming. Untargeted lipidomics identified 3425 lipids (positive/negative ion modes), revealing upregulated phosphatidylethanolamine and downregulated glycerophospholipids in steamed PHM. Glycerophospholipids metabolism was confirmed as the key metabolic pathway for lipid transformation. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that glycerophospholipid oxidation promoted sweet-smelling compounds (α-pinene, camphene) to mask off-flavors. Thus, steaming optimally preserves PHM flavor, providing scientific basis for PHM reheating and a novel strategy for packaged prepared dish quality retention.