Meats

Usually the most expensive of all food items

30-70% of food cost 20-40% of operating cost

Make-up: – 75% water, 20% protein, 5% fat– Shrinkage and deterioration

Humidity Temperature

Animal Fat

5% of animal tissue 30% of carcass? Bred and raised leaner

Some fat is desirable . . .

Fat is not all bad! Juiciness

– Marbling “Juiciness” when eating

Tenderness Muscle fibers separated by fat

Surface Fat Protects during cooking

Flavor The “Beefy” flavor is fat soluble

Meats 3

Connective Tissue is Tough to Eat!

– Collagen and elastin– Old versus young– Use of muscle– Marbling

ROT for Cooking

Much collagen?– Long, slow, moist cooking.

Collagen dissolves into gelatin and water

Much elastin?– Remove– Mechanically tenderize

Grind, cube, slice very thin, pound,– Break up the fibers!

Meats: Inspections and Grading

Authorized by Agricultural Marketing Act The Wholesome Meat Act

– All meat must be inspected– Grading is voluntary

Quality Yield

The Seal of Approval?

The CircularCircular Inspection Stamp– Wholesome and Fit for Human

Consumption The Shield shaped Grading stamp

– A Quality Designation Clearly specified

Quality

Beef– Prime– Choice– Select– Standard– Commercial– Utility– Cutter Canner

Veal and Lamb– Prime– Choice– Good

and more

Quality

Proprietary Quality Grade?– Caveat Emptor!

Know your supplier

– You can none-the-less specify USDA grade

Yield

Ratio of fat to meat– 1 is highest yield

Beef 1-5 Pork 1-4 Lamb/Mutton 1-5 Veal is not yield graded

– Naturally lean

Aged Meat?

Green Meat– Myosin and Actin

Stiff and inelastic

Aged Meat?

Tenderize:– Natural – High temperature– Enzymatic – Vacuum aging– Electrical stimulation

Tenderize:– Dry aging

May lose up to 20% of moisture content

– Wet aging Less initial moisture

loss– Greater cooking

loss

Aged Meat Slightly changed flavor profile

If meat smells (or tastes) spoiled, it probably is

Meat Cuts7

Four forms:– Carcass– Partial carcass– Primal cut– Fabricated cuts (pre-fabs)

IMPS or NAMPS

Bone Structure

Important to know:– Help identify a cut of meat– Help minimize loss when de-boning– Help you avoid messy carving/carving loss

Know the carcasses

Cooking Meats8

Low temp if possible ID-the connective tissue/cut

– ROT for cooking methods: Moist heat

– Larger or tougher cuts

Dry heat– Smaller or tender cuts

Rib and Loin Cuts The most tender (on any animal) Beef and Lamb

– Often served rare to medium: roast, broil or grill.

Veal and Pork– Generally eaten (more)

well done: as above,but also braised on occasion.

Leg or Round

Beef (round)– Typically less tender braise– Roasting OK for Prime or Choice

Marbling Long cooking time - beef’s own moisture helps

tenderize

Leg or Round

Veal, Lamb or Pork (leg)– More tender than beef

Younger!!

Excellent for roasting

Chuck or Shoulder

Beef Braise Veal, Lamb and Pork

BraiseorRoast

NB: The shoulder may be tender, but will have multidirectional muscle tissue

Shanks, Breasts, Briskets and Flank

Usually not tender even on young animals– Shanks are high in collagen: excellent for

braising– Beef flank, if carefully cut across the grain,

can be broiled: London Broil

Mechanically tenderized meats, such as

cubed or ground, can be cooked by dry or moist heat

Searing and blanching? . . . does not seal in the juices !

Do not cook meats when frozen

Does not retain or increase moisture– Same or slightly increased (delayed)

Complicates the cooking process– Timing– Surface dry and done - center frozen

Waste of energy and time

Doneness?

Dry heat vs. Moist heat Carry-over cooking Critical for product quality

Doneness? Color Change

– Red Meats “Blue”

– Barely seen the heat, cold and “blue” center

“Rare”– Browned surface, thin grey layer, red interior, slightly

warm.

“Medium”– Browned surface, more grey, pink center.

“Well Done” – Grey throughout

Doneness?

Interior temperature the best approach:– Beef:

Rare:– 130 F

Medium– 140-145 F

Well done– 160 F

Doneness for White Meats?

Pork:– Cooked well done: 160-170 F

Must pass 137 F throughout for minimum 10 seconds to avoid trichinosis!

Play it safe and hit 150 -155 F (FDA)

Veal– Generally cooked well done– Hues of pink increasingly accepted in the

most tender cuts

Doneness by Touch?

Takes much experience!– Small steaks/chops

Touch the raw product first!– Rare: Firmer, but still soft and pliable– Medium: Firmer, springs back– Well done: Firm, does not yield to pressure

Dry Heat Meat Cookery Seasoning

– If you season just prior to roasting Only fractions of an inch will be seasoned Browning will be retarded

– 3 choices: Season several hours/days in advance Season after roasting Do not season, but have a well seasoned

sauce

Roast fat side up Basting only needed for lean meats

– Baste with fat, not stock– Bard (cover with fat) or lard

Broil, grill, pan broil– browning and internal doneness– ROT: the shorter the cook time (the rarer

the interior), the higher the temperature– brush with oil if necessary, avoid the “oil

dip”

Sauté and Pan Fry– Only tender cuts!– The smaller or thinner the piece the higher

the heat– ROT for sauté:

Hot pan Do not overcrowd Flip only as needed

– Deglazing

Moist Heat Cookery

Simmering– Fresh meats, start with boiling liquid– Cured or smoked meats, start with cold

liquid Braising Stewing

Meats “elsewhere”

Grain fed versus “double duty cow” Horsemeat Goat

– Increasingly found in US

Veal

Formula (milk) fed – Farming conditions?

Free-range Color of flesh is indicator

– Milk fed White (pork-like)

– Grain fed Reddish flesh

Veal

Two general types:– “Special Fed” (85% of market)– “Bob Veal” (15% of market)

Special Fed (a.k.a. milk- or formula-fed): Removed from the cow within 3 days Fed a nutritionally balanced soy or milk based

diet until 16-18 weeks Sent to market upwards of 450 lbs.

Veal

Bob Veal Very young calves No more than three weeks old Usually no more than 150 lbs.

Lamb and Mutton

Lamb– Most 6 (3) months to 1 year– Less than 3 months: Milk lamb– I year: yearling

Thereafter it is mutton

Lamb versus Mutton– Tenderness, cooking methods, doneness,

flavor

Variety meats (offal)

Two categories– Glandular meats

Liver, kidney, sweetbread, brains

– Muscle meats Heart, tongue, oxtails, and tripe

Glandular

Liver– Easy to prepare

Remove outer skin and tough membranes Cut on the bias Cook carefully and to order

– Slightly pink or it will be dry

– Calf liver the most tender and prized– Beef also OK– Pork mostly used in pate and sausage

Glandular

Kidneys– Lamb and Veal best

Dry heat

– Beef OK Moist heat

– May need blanching or milk marinades– Split in half– Remove any white fatty tissue and veins

Glandular

Sweetbreads (Thymus glands of young cattle)

– Soak– Blanch and refresh in ice water– Remove membrane– Press?– Braise or Sauté

Glandular

Brains– Low priority in the US– Delicacy elsewhere

“Mad Cow Disease” . . . .

Muscular Heart (Veal or Beef)

– Tough Casseroles and forcemeat preparations

Beef (veal) Tongue– Fresh, cured or smoked

Braised: Entrée or as “deli meat”

Oxtail– Very high gelatin and good flavor

Excellent for soups and stews Cut between joints

Receiving and Storing Meats Fresh

– Check upon arrival– If not vacuum packed do not wrap tightly

Molds and “off” flavors may develop

– Store at 32-36 F– Separate by type

Fresh below cooked

– Unless you have proper facilities, use quickly (2-4 days)

Receiving and Storing Meats

Frozen– Check upon arrival: Receive frozen!– Store at 0 F or colder

Lean meats max 6 months Fattier meats (pork) max 4 months

– Never refreeze