Fig. 6: Design and varied application of injection -molded whole cuts.

A Exploded CAD views of the injection molding process for high-fat wagyu steak (left), thin lamb chop (middle), and a thick, bone-heavy T-bone steak (right). B Photos of cooked injection-molded wagyu steak (left), lamb chop (middle), and T-bone steak (right). Each cut was grilled at 200 °C for 5 min, demonstrating similar browning characterizing the Maillard reaction. C Heat flux is shown in °C/cm. Wagyu steak analog showed low thermal resistance due to the abundance of PToG fat marbling resulting in high heat fluxes (red) along the interfaces and faster cooking. In contrast, the T-bone steak showed more homogenous heat distribution due to its leaner composition and the thermal resistance of the central bone (cyan). As expected, lamb chop showed a mixed behavior. D Analysis of temperature gradient map across wagyu steak (left), lamb chop (middle), and T-bone steak (right). The surface of the marbled wagyu steak was rapidly heated due to its PToG-rich structure. Lamb chop showed a similar heat pattern in the LTMA due to its thickness. Finally, the T-bone steak exhibited a notable temperature gradient near the bone-meat interface, a region often enriched with fat, which may result in a more consistent but less nuanced flavor profile. These variations in cooking temperatures underscore the ability of injection molding to create varied and distinct products for multiple meat applications.