The effect of maturation on the physical (pH, color, weight loss on cooking, and shear force) and biological (microbiology, concerning mesophiles and psychrotrophiles, and sarcomere length) characteristics of the Longissimus thoracic lumborum muscle of adult Nellore cattle was assessed over four maturation periods (0, 7, 14, and 21 days) and two cut thicknesses (2.5 and 7.5 cm). Sixty-four Longissimus thoracic ...