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Questions and Answers
What is the term for the flesh of cattle, sheep, and pigs?
What is the main difference between beef and pork?
What is the purpose of a boning knife?
What is the term for the meat of mature sheep?
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What is the term for the large sections of beef?
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What is the primary function of a cleaver in meat preparation?
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What percentage of muscle tissue is composed of water?
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What is the primary source of flavor in meat?
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What type of connective tissue is broken down by long, slow cooking with liquid?
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What type of meat is typically slaughtered at one year or less of age to ensure tender cuts?
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Study Notes
Meat Types and Composition
- Meat is the flesh of cattle (beef and veal), sheep (lamb), and pigs (pork).
- Meat comprises water, protein, fat, and various amounts of minerals and vitamins.
Beef
- Beef is divided into large sections called primal cuts, which are then broken down into individual steak and retail cuts.
- A "side" of beef is one side of the beef carcass that is split through the backbone, halved into forequarter and hindquarter sections.
Pork
- Pork is derived from pigs and is classified as red meat.
- It is less fatty than beef.
Sheep
- Sheep meat is also known as mutton (meat of mature sheep) or lamb (immature sheep) and is classified as red meat.
- It is a staple food in some parts of the world and is consumed in many regions.
Types of Knives and their Uses
- French knife or chef's knife: for general purpose chopping, slicing, and dicing.
- Utility knife: for carving roast chicken and duck.
- Boning knife: for boning raw meats and poultry.
- Slicer: for carving and slicing cooked meats.
- Butcher knife: for cutting, sectioning, and trimming raw meats in the butcher shop.
- Scimitar or steak knife: for accurate cutting of steaks.
- Cleaver: for cutting through bones.
Composition of Meat
- Water: 70% of muscle tissue.
- Protein: 20% of muscle tissue, coagulates when heated, and becomes firmer and loses moisture.
- Fat: 5% of muscle tissue, contributes to juiciness, tenderness, and flavor.
- Carbohydrates: play a necessary part in the Maillard reaction, which occurs when meats are browned by roasting, broiling, or sautéing.
Structure of Meat
- Muscle fibers: lean meat is composed of long, thin muscle fibers bound together in bundles, determining texture or grain.
- Connective tissue: network of proteins that bind muscle fibers together, tough, and high in connective tissue if muscles are more exercised.
Types of Connective Tissue
- Collagen: white connective tissue that dissolves or breaks down by long, slow cooking with liquid, and acid helps dissolve collagen.
- Elastin: yellow connective tissue that is not broken down in cooking, and tenderizing can be accomplished only by removing elastin.
Different Kinds of Meat and its Source
- Pork: meat from domesticated pigs, typically high in fat, commonly slaughtered one year or less of age.
- Beef: meat from cattle over one year old.
- Lamb: meat from domesticated sheep, its texture is a direct result of what it consumes and the age at which it is slaughtered.
- Carabeef: meat from carabao.
- Chevon: meat from deer/goat.
- Veal: flesh of a young calf, 4-5 months old, considered by some to be the finest meat.
Basic Preparation Methods of Meat
- Washing: generally, the only occasion is when visible impurities are present.
- Trimming: removing excess fat and connective tissue.
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Description
Test your knowledge of meat, including its composition and different cuts. Learn about beef primal cuts, retail cuts, and how a 'side' of beef is divided. Take this quiz to become a meat expert!
