Meat, Fish & Poultry:PROTEIN-BASED FOODS

Foods I: Fundamentals

Meats

• Meats beef, pork, lamb & veal• COOKING:

– Before cooking, red meats should have a bright red color.• Grey or brownish color means the meat is bad.

• NUTRITION:– The number of servings in a pound of meat

depend on the amount of fat, gristle and bone.– Red meats = lots of iron– White flecks of fat in the muscle tissue is called

“MARBLING.” More marbling = better• Ground ROUND has the lease amount of fat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-_ka3DAuY

Quality

Grading is optional Grading is done by the USDA Top 3 grades:

Prime Highest, most expensive, well

marbled, tender, flavorful

Choice Most common in grocery, less

marbling, but still tender and flavorful

Select Least amount of marbling and least

expensive, sometimes sold as a store brand

Tough or Tender

• Meat tenderness is influenced by– Amount of muscle

(The more muscle the more toughness)

– Amount of marbling (The more marbling the less toughness)

Less Tender Cuts Can be Tenderized

• Mechanically– Grinding– Pounding

• Chemically– Acids

• Tomatoes, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice

– Meat Tenderizers• Salt + papaya enzymes

Hamburger = Ground Beef• Regular = 30% fat (the

maximum allowed by law)

• Chuck = 15-20%• Ground Round or

Sirloin = Less than 15%• Lean = less than 10

grams of total fat with less than 4.5 grams of saturated fat per serving

Steps to Success

• Defrost safely in the Refrigerator or Microwave• Rinse with cold water• Pat dry with a paper towel• Trim off fat• Marinate for less than 24 hours

– (discard marinade)• Cook according to tenderness.

– Tender Cuts can be roasted or broiled– Other Cuts need moist heat.

Lengthy Cooking at High Temps Causes:

• Shrinkage• Tough• Dry

• Which of the following meats is cooked most efficiently in the microwave?

A. Pot Roast

B. Battered Chicken

C. Stuffed Pork Chops

D. Sausage Links

ANSWER: D – Sausage Links

Question…

Poultry• Poultry Chicken & turkey, goose & duck• STORAGE:

– Frozen chicken should be thawed in the refrigerator– Fresh, whole chicken can be stored in fridge for 2-3 days

• COOKING:– Poultry is usually TENDER, so use DRY cooking methods – Roasting poultry in a bag shortens cook time– Wash & stuff turkey loosely right before cooking– Stir-fry is a QUICK way to cook boneless chicken in under 10

min.– A whole turkey is done when it reaches the correct INTERNAL

TEMPERATURE• Take from thickest part of the thigh

• NUTRITION:– Boneless, skinless chicken breast is LOWEST in fat– Also, boneless breasts offer the most servings– Light meat = less calories than dark– REMOVE SKIN to reduce fat content

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5sxus2B3so2.08

Question…

• Pork usually comes from YOUNG animals. Do you think this makes

the meat tough or tender?

• ANSWER: TENDER

Fish• STORAGE:

– Fresh clams & oysters in fridge for 2-3 days– Fresh fish & shellfish in fridge for 1-2 days– Fresh fish will have bright bulging eyes & SHINY skin– Spoiled fish will have a strong fish odor

• PREPARATION:– Fish should be cooked for a short period of time– Fish is tender because it has little connective tissue

• NUTRITION:– Fish fillets have the lowest saturated fat of all other meats

• Fish fillet = one side of fish without the backbone

– Deveined shrimp have intestines removed– Fresh finfish have gills that are red in color

• FINFISH live in fresh or saltwater– Ex. FLOUNDER

QUESTION…

• Which of the following is a crustacean?A. CLAM

B. CRAB

C. MOLLUSK

D. OYSTER

ANSWER: B. crab

Crustaceans include shrimp, lobster and crab…

Meat, Fish & Poultry

• TIPS– After cutting raw meats, the cutting board

and knife should be washed and sanitized.– To be sure meat is fully cooked, you

should measure the internal temperature.– Meat can be stored in the refrigerator or

freezer.• FACTS

– Older animals have TOUGHER meat and more FAT

MeatsMoist Heat• Simmer• Braise• Stewing

• FOR TOUGH CUTS OF MEAT

• Shoulder - braise• Rump Roast - braise• Round• Chuck• OLDER ANIMALS

Dry Heat• Fry• Roast (Bake)• Broil

• FOR TENDER CUTS OF MEAT

• Loin• Rib – broil• YOUNGER ANIMALS

*Grinding meat tenderizes it by breaking down the elastin in the meat.

Portion Sizes

Benefits to the Body

• Excellent source of complete protein

• Major source of – Iron– Zinc– Phosphorus– Thiamin– Riboflavin– Niacin– Vitamin B6– Vitamin B12

Avoid the Evil Hitchhikers

• Choose lean meats as much as possible to avoid the saturated fats.

• “Go Lean with your Protein”

Too Much of a Good Thing Can be Bad

Most people need about 5.5 ounces of food from the protein group a day

Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts

2-3 oz will fit in the palm of your hand