4.1.1 Pre Read.docx

Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors 1](#composition-structure-and-basic-quality-factors) [Composition 1](#composition) [Water 1](#water) [Protein 1](#protein) [Fat 1](#fat) [Carbohydrate 2](#carbohydrate) [Structure 2](#structure) [Musc...

Contents {#contents.TOCHeading} ======== [Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors 1](#composition-structure-and-basic-quality-factors) [Composition 1](#composition) [Water 1](#water) [Protein 1](#protein) [Fat 1](#fat) [Carbohydrate 2](#carbohydrate) [Structure 2](#structure) [Muscle Fibres 2](#muscle-fibres) [Connective Tissue 2](#connective-tissue) [Aging 3](#aging) [Aged Meat 3](#aged-meat) [Types of Meat 3](#types-of-meat) [Buff 3](#buff) [Pork 4](#pork) [Lamb 4](#lamb) [Mutton 5](#mutton) 4.1.1 What is Meat?  **Meat is made up of muscle tissue. It is made from the flesh of domestic animals (such as cattle, hogs, and lambs) as well as wild game animals (such as deer).** Meats will consume more of your time and money as a cook, chef, or food-service operator than any other food.   To prepare meats well and profitably, you must first thoroughly grasp them. Why are some meats soft while others are tough? When there are so many different cuts, how can you differentiate one from another?   How do you determine the best way to cook each cut?   To answer problems like these, it is helpful to begin at the most fundamental level of composition and structure. We next go over grading and inspection, basic cuts, and proper cooking and storage methods. We also go through the qualities of various meats including popular game meats. Only then can we approach the specific cooking methods and recipes offered in the next units in the most effective way.   Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors  ================================================== Composition  ------------ Muscle tissue consists of three major components: water, protein, and fat.  ### Water  Water accounts for approximately **75%** of muscular tissue. With such a high amount of water, it\'s easy to see why shrinking can be a major issue when cooking meat. Too much moisture loss results in dry meat, weight loss, and dwindling profit.  ### Protein  Protein is a vital nutrient and the most prevalent solid component of meat. Protein accounts for approximately **20%** of muscular tissue.   We know that protein coagulates when heated because it becomes stiffer and loses moisture. Coagulation is related to doneness. When the protein in the meat has coagulated to the proper degree, it is said to be \"done.\" Doneness will be covered later in this unit. Higher heat toughens protein after it has coagulated.   ### Fat  Up to **5%** of muscular tissue is made up of fat. Of course, the muscles may be surrounded by additional fat. Many meat animals are being bred and raised with reduced fat content than in previous years due to health and dietary considerations. However, a certain quantity of fat is beneficial for three reasons:   #### 1. *Juiciness*.  **Marbling is fat that has been accumulated into muscle tissue.** This is most typically found in buff but is less common in lamb and mutton. Surface fat keeps meat, particularly roasts, from drying out during cooking and storage. **Barding is the addition of surface fats where they are absent. **  #### 2. *Tenderness*.  The muscle fibres are separated by marbling thereby making the meat easy to chew.   #### 3. *Flavour*.  Fat is perhaps the main source of flavours in meat. A leg of mutton (*raan)* truly gets its flavour from the fat *(charbi)* on it.   The fat in the meat is the main source of flavour. For example, a leg of mutton (*raan)* truly gets its flavour from the fat *(charbi)* on it.  ### Carbohydrate  Meat has a low carbohydrate content. Its nutritional value is negligible because its quantity is so little. It is significant, however, since it is required for the complex reaction known as the Maillard reaction (explained in Unit 1) that occurs when meats are browned by roasting, broiling, or sautéing. Without these carbs, browned meats would lack the desired flavour and look.  Structure  ---------- ### Muscle Fibres  Lean meat is made up of long, thin muscular fibres that are bundled together. These factors influence the texture and grain of a piece of meat. Fine-grained meat is made up of tiny fibres linked together in small bundles. Meat with a coarse texture has a lot of fibres.  ### Connective Tissue  Muscle fibres are linked together by a protein network known as connective tissue. Each muscle fibre is also surrounded by a connective tissue sheath. Understanding connective tissue is essential for the cook for one simple reason: **connective tissue is abrasive.** To successfully cook meats, you must first understand:    - Which meats are high in connective tissue and which are low in connective tissue.  - What are the best methods for tenderising difficult meats.   1. Meats are highest in connective tissue if  - **They come from more worked-out muscles.** Leg muscles, for example, have more connective tissue than back muscles.  - **They are derived from more mature animals.** Mutton from a young goat is much juicier than meat from an older goat. (Young animals have connective tissue as well, but it becomes more difficult to degrade as the animal ages.)  2. **By adopting suitable cooking techniques**, meats high in connective tissue can be made softer.  **Collagen** (white in colour) and **elastin** (yellow in colour) are the **two kinds of connective tissue. **  #### *Collagen*.  Long, slow cooking with moisture breaks down or dissolves collagen, converting it to gelatine and water. Because muscle tissue is approximately 75% water, moisture is always present when meats are cooked. Moist-heat cooking methods at low temperatures are the most efficient in transforming connective tissue-rich meat into a soft, juicy finished product. Consider any of the infamous Indian mutton dishes and the hours of slow simmering they require before being served.    Other factors also help tenderize collagen:  - Acid helps dissolve collagen. Marinating meat in an acidic mixture or adding an acid such as tomato or wine to the cooking liquid, helps tenderize it.  Meat is rich in enzymes. They degrade some connective tissue and other proteins as meat ages at regulated temperatures. These enzymes are dormant at freezing temperatures, slow to operate when chilled, active at room temperature, and destroyed by heat above 60°C.   **Tenderizers** are enzymes that are added to meats by the cook, such as papain (extracted from papaya). When utilising enzyme tenderizers, use caution. Too much time at room temperature can cause the meat to become mushy.  #### *Elastin*.  Elastin levels are higher in older animals than in younger species. Cooking does not degrade elastin. Tenderising can only be achieved by removing the elastin (cutting away any tendons) and mechanically breaking up the fibres, as in: **pounding and cubing** (steak cubes), **chopping** (hamburger), cooked buff **sliced** very thinly against the grain (as in London broil)  Aging  ------ ### Aged Meat  Even after the meat has turned brown, enzyme activity continues in muscular tissue. This further tenderises the meat and develops taste. **Ageing is the process of storing meats in coolers under regulated circumstances to allow for natural tenderising.**    Because high-quality carcasses have enough fat cover to keep them from germs and drying, buff and lamb can be aged. Pork does not need to be aged.   Ageing meat does not simply imply putting it in the refrigerator. There is a distinction between aged and old meat. So that the flesh gets naturally tender without deteriorating, the conditions must be properly regulated.    Types of Meat  ============== Buff  ----- While beef is considered as a high quality meat, cultural and religious sensitivity has led to the unavailability of the meat in India. Meat from a buffalo instead of a cow is used instead in india. Cattle reared in untamed terrains and cattle raised on grass meadows are both part of today\'s huge production systems. Intensive systems range from barn-reared cattle to feedlots with thousands of cattle. Some countries allow the use of growth hormones in feed. Organic buff can also be raised aggressively if the feed is organic. Quality grades of meat are not a concept in India, therefore buying buff from a trusted supplier is most important. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Cream, chilli, garlic, mushrooms, truffle, tomatoes, shallot, tarragon, rosemary, sage, black pepper, curry, paprika, horseradish, soy sauce, oyster sauce, mustard, red wine.  CLASSIC RECIPES Châteaubriand with béarnaise; ragù alla bolognese; chilli con carne; steak au poivre; buff Wellington; buff Stroganoff; boeuf bourguignonne; bollito misto; meat loaf; bistecca all fiorentina; sauerbraten; tzimmes; matambre.  Pork  ----- Pigs, one of the first domesticated animals, were historically bred in backyard sties and given waste food. Although small-scale pig farming continues, most pigs are now grown in highly complex industrial units and given a grain- and soya-based diet. Medication is utilised differently over the world, with certain countries and organic systems prohibiting the use of antibiotics for prophylactic purposes. The technique of upbringing, diet, and pig breed all have an impact on the flavour and texture of the meat produced. Intensively raised pork is the palest and leanest; it occasionally sheds liquid during cooking. Pork raised in the open air offers darker, tougher flesh with a more pronounced flavour and tastier fat. Back fat from pork can be used fresh or rendered, and it can also be salted and smoked. Sucking pig, which is nursed on its mother\'s milk until it is 2-6 weeks old, is a popular treat in many countries. The meat is tender and delicate, and the skin is crisp and crackling after roasting. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Aubergine, cabbage, chilli, tomatoes, leeks, garlic, onions, sage, rosemary, apples, lychees, orange, pineapple, plums, ginger, cloves, mustard, vinegar, cider, soy sauce.  CLASSIC RECIPES Swedish meatballs; porc à la normande; sweet and sour pork; maple-barbecued spare ribs; roast suckling pig; rostinciana.  Lamb  ----- Sheep were traditionally raised for their milk and wool, with meat produced as a by-product. Today, many are kept primarily for meat production, and are raised in grassland and upland environments. Lamb is produced by sheep that are less than a year old; spring lamb is produced by animals that are 3-5 months old. Spring lamb flesh is pale pink and mild, but lamb from older lambs is deeper pink and has a stronger flavour. Although most commercial lamb is grass-finished for flavour, lamb from sheep grazing on salt marshes or shorelines has a distinct flavour. Fat-tailed sheep are raised for the fat deposits on their rump, which are considered a delicacy in the Middle East and Asia. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Yogurt, aubergine, turnips, garlic, dill, mint, rosemary, apricots, cherries, quince, prunes, lemon, raisins, olives, almonds, cumin, coriander, redcurrants, oregano.  CLASSIC RECIPES Koftas; shish kebab; navarin of lamb; kibbeh; lamb biryani; mechoui; lamb tagine; mansaf.  Mutton  ------- In India, goat and mutton are considered the same meat. Mutton is produced around the world from sheep that are more than two years old. It\'s darker, fatter, and harder than lamb, with a distinct \"sheep\" odour. Guests in India frequently notice this sheep fragrance when served lamb and prefer Indian mutton or goat meat than sheep meat. Mutton is used in numerous dishes in Indian cuisine since it is a protein that is suitable for both Muslims (who do not eat pork) and Hindus (who do not eat buff). The rich flavour and robust texture pair nicely with hours of stewing in a spicy vindaloo or curry, and it can also be sliced into bits and barbecued on skewers. Similar to lamb, the most popular cuts are leg and diced meat. Domestic goats have been herded since the Neolithic period, mostly for their milk but also for their flesh and skins. There are breeds that are specifically bred to provide young tender flesh that tastes similar to lamb. Kid (baby goat) is a light, mild, and lean meat that is sometimes cooked as a celebration dish. Meat from elder goats is darker, and meat from wild goats native to Asia and Europe has a considerably stronger flavour. FLAVOUR PAIRINGS Yogurt, chilli, garlic, onion, ginger, mint, orange, peanuts, allspice, cumin, curry powder, fenugreek, jerk seasoning, honey, vinegar, soy sauce  CLASSIC RECIPES Irish stew; mutton biryani or rogan josh; mutton pie; Scotch broth.