UNDERSTANDING MEATS AND GAME• Smaller cuts of meat are enclosed in Cryovac® air and moisture...

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CHAPTER 15

UNDERSTANDING MEATS AND GAME


THE DEFINITION OF MEAT

• Meat– Muscle tissue– The flesh of domestic animals and of wild game animals.– The largest expense item of a food-service operation.


COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE, ANDBASIC QUALITY FACTORS

• Water: 75%• Protein (essential nutrient): 20%• Fat: 5% of muscle tissue, and as much as 30% of the beef

carcass• Carbohydrate: very small amount

COMPOSITION



Water– A high percentage of water in muscle tissue explains the

challenge of shrinkage during cooking– Excessive moisture loss during cooking:

–Dry meat– Loss of product weight– Loss of product profit

COMPOSITION (CONT’D)


Protein• Muscle tissue becomes firmer and loses moisture as it

coagulates.• Doneness is related to the desired degree of muscle protein

coagulation.• Excessive coagulation results in toughening of the proteins and

moisture loss.




Fat• Deposited throughout tissue as marbling, which separates

muscle fibers and makes them easier to chew.• Surface fat retains moisture during cooking.• A certain amount of fat is therefore desirable for: – Juiciness– Tenderness– Flavor




Carbohydrate• Meat contains almost insignificant amount of carbohydrates.• The small amount that is present is necessary for the Maillard

Reaction to occur, resulting in flavor and browning in meats.




Muscle Fibers• Determine the meat’s texture or grain.

– Fine-grained meat: small muscle fibers bound in small bundles– Coarse-textured meat: large muscle fibers

Connective Tissue• Binds muscle fibers together in bundles.

– Collagen: broken down by heat, acids, enzymes, and tenderizers– Elastin: must be physically removed or broken down mechanically


STRUCTURE


Inspection• Guarantee of wholesomeness indicated by

a round stamp.• All meat produced for public consumption must

be inspected by the USDA.• Inspections ensure:– Products are processed under strict sanitary guidelines.– Products are wholesome and fit for human consumption.


INSPECTION AND GRADING


Quality Grading• Quality designation indicated by a shield stamp.• Based on:– Texture– Firmness– Color of lean meat– Age or maturity– Marbling

• Not required by U.S. law; some packers use private grading system.

INSPECTION AND GRADING (CONT’D)



BeefUSDA PrimeUSDA ChoiceUSDA Select

USDA StandardUSDA Commercial

USDA UtilityUSDA CutterUSDA Canner

VealUSDA PrimeUSDA ChoiceUSDA Good

USDA StandardUSDA UtilityUSDA Cull

INSPECTION AND GRADING (CONT’D)


Quality Grading


Wet Aging• Smaller cuts of meat are

enclosed in Cryovac® air and moisture proof packaging.

• Protects from bacteria and mold

• Prevents weight loss from drying

Dry Aging • Larger cuts of meat are

exposed to air in controlled conditions.

• Can lose up to 20% of weight

• More expensive than wet aging

AGING



UNDERSTANDING THE BASICCUTS

Carcasses– The whole animal except head, feet, entrails, and hide• Exception: Pork, for which only entrails and head are

removed– Breaking down a carcass• Sides• Quarters• Foresaddles• Hindsaddles

AVAILABLE FORMS


Primal or Wholesale Cuts• Primary divisions of quarters, foresaddles, hindsaddles, and

carcasses:– Small enough to manage in food-service kitchens– Large enough to allow variety of cuts for different uses or

needs– Easier to utilize completely than quarters or halves


AVAILABLE FORMS (CONT’D)


Fabricated Cuts• Primal cuts fabricated into smaller cuts.– Roasts, steaks, chops, cutlets, stewing meat, and ground

meat (or to customer specification)• Portion-controlled cuts– Cuts ready-to-cook; processed according to customer

specifications• Organ meats (offal)• Tripe, oxtail, heart, tongue, and kidney


AVAILABLE FORMS (CONT’D)


Forequarter• Chuck• Brisket• Shank• Rib• Short Plate

Hindquarter• Full Loin• Short loin• Sirloin• Flank• Round


AVAILABLE FORMS (CONT’D)Basic Cuts for Beef


• Understanding bone structure is essential to:– Identifying meat cuts.– Boning and cutting.– Carving cooked meats


AVAILABLE FORMS (CONT’D)Basic Cuts for Beef



Specifications• Indicate the following specifications when ordering meat– Item name– Grade– Weight range– State of refrigeration– Fat limitations, or average thickness of surface fat

SELECTING MEATS FOR YOUR OPERATION



• The illustrations in this chapter demonstrate important procedures for fabricating meat.

• Silverskin: a thin layer or membrane of connective tissue that often covers the surface of a muscle.– Not always necessary to remove for braised meats– Should be removed from roasts, sautés, and grills of tender

meats

FABRICATING MEAT


COOKING AND HANDLING MEATS

• Principles of Low-Heat Cooking– High heat toughens and shrinks proteins, resulting in

excessive moisture loss.– Roasts cooked at lower temperatures have better yields.– Moist heat penetrates quickly because liquid and steam are

better conductors than air.

TENDERNESS AND APPROPRIATE COOKING METHODS



Breaking Down Connective Tissue• Rib and loin cuts– Always the most tender cuts– Used mostly for steaks and chops

TENDERNESS AND APPROPRIATE COOKING METHODS(CONT’D)



Breaking Down Connective Tissue (cont’d)• Leg or round– Beef: Most suitable for braising.– Veal, lamb, and pork: These meats are from younger

animals and are therefore tender enough to roast.




Breaking Down Connective Tissue (cont’d)• Chuck or shoulder– Beef: Most suitable for braising.– Veal, lamb, and pork: These meats are most often braised

but are young enough to roast or cut into chops for broiling.




Breaking Down Connective Tissue (cont’d)• Shanks, breast, brisket, and flank– Beef: Can be broiled if cooked rare and sliced thin (London

broil)




Breaking Down Connective Tissue (cont’d)• Shanks, breast, brisket, and flank (cont’d)

– Veal, lamb, and pork: These meats are most often braised.– Shanks are especially suitable for braising due to their high

collagen content that is converted to gelatin, giving body to braising liquids and good eating qualities to the meat.




Other Factors Influencing Choice of Cooking Method• Fat content– Barding: Tying slices of fat over the surface of meat to

protect them while roasting– Larding: Inserting strips of fat with a larding needle into

meets low in marbling




Other Factors Influencing Choice of Cooking Method (cont’d)• Tenderness is not the only goal of cooking– Other goals:• Develop flavor• Prevent excessive shrinkage• Develop appearance



Searing and “Sealing”• Searing meats at high heat creates:– Desirable flavor– Color by browning all sides

• Blanching meats in boiling water leads to:– Some protein coagulation– Not as much protein is carried out of meat with lost

moisture• “Sealing” does not seal in juices, as meat has no pores to

seal. Rather, it is has an open network of fibers.

COOKING AND HANDLING MEATSTENDERNESS AND APPROPRIATE COOKING METHODS

(CONT’D)


Cooking Frozen Meats• Meats cooked from the frozen state lose no moisture through

defrosting, but lose more moisture during cooking.– Cooking frozen meats complicates the cooking process;

adjustments in procedure are required.– Cooking frozen meats requires more energy.– … Therefore, most meats are thawed first and then

prepared.

COOKING AND HANDLING MEATSTENDERNESS AND APPROPRIATE COOKING METHODS

(CONT’D)



• Rare: Brown surface, thin layer of gray, red interior

• Medium: Thick layer of gray, pink interior

• Well done: Gray throughout– White meat (veal and

pork)– From pink to gray-pink

to off-white

• Touch– Rare: Feels soft; gives to

pressure– Medium: Feels

moderately firm; springs back readily when pressed

– Well done: Feels firm; does not give to pressure

DONENESS

Dry-Heat Cooking



Moist-Heat Cooking• Doneness is indicated by tenderness, not by temperature.– Most of the time the meat is well done.– Low temperatures, no higher than simmering, are essential

to avoid toughening protein in moist-cooked meat

DONENESS



• Juiciness– Three main factors determine the perception of juiciness:• Internal fat• Gelatin• Protein coagulation

• Carryover Cooking– Internal temperature continues rising after meat is removed

from oven

DONENESS (CONT’D)



• Variety meats include the organs, glands, and other meats that don’t form a part of the dressed carcass of the animal.

– Liver– Kidneys– Sweetbreads– Brains– Heart – Tongue– Oxtails– Tripe

• Other variety meats include intestines, caul, and feet.

COOKING VARIETY MEATS



• Game is used to refer to poultry and meat animals normally found in the wild.– Venison• Marinating widely used for flavor and tenderness• Low in fat

– Boar– Buffalo or American bison– Rabbit– Hare

GAME AND SPECIALTY MEATS



Fresh Meats• Should be stored at 32ºF (0ºC) to 36ºF (2ºC).• Allow for proper air circulation.• Do not open vacuum packaged meats until ready to use.• Keep meats separate in the cooler and avoid cross-

contamination.• Use as quickly as possible; fresh meats keep well for only two

to four days.

STORAGE OF MEATS



Frozen Meats• Should be stored at 0ºF (–18ºC) or colder.• Wrap frozen meats well to prevent freezer burn.• Recommended shelf life for meats at 0ºF (–18ºC).– Beef, veal and lamb: 6 months– Pork: 4 months (pork fat turns rancid easily in the freezer)

• Defrost carefully in the refrigerator.• Do not refreeze thawed meats.

STORAGE METHODS (CONT’D)

UNDERSTANDING MEATS AND GAME• Smaller cuts of meat are enclosed in Cryovac® air and moisture...

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Transcript of UNDERSTANDING MEATS AND GAME• Smaller cuts of meat are enclosed in Cryovac® air and moisture...