Understanding Meats and Game PDF

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, and Basic Quality Factors Composition • Water: 75% • Protein (essential nutrient):...

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, and Basic Quality Factors Composition • 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, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors 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, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors Composition 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. Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors Composition 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 Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors Composition 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. Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors Structure 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 Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors Inspection and Grading 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. Composition, Structure, and Basic Quality Factors 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. COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE, AND BASIC QUALITY FACTORS INSPECTION AND GRADING Quality Grading Beef USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Select USDA Standard USDA Commercial USDA Utility USDA Cutter USDA Canner Veal USDA Prime USDA Choice USDA Good USDA Standard USDA Utility USDA Cull COMPOSITION, STRUCTURE, AND BASIC QUALITY FACTORS AGING 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 Understanding the Basic Cuts Available Forms 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 Understanding the Basic Cuts 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 Understanding the Basic Cuts Available Forms 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 UNDERSTANDING THE BASIC CUTS AVAILABLE FORMS BBasic ASIC Cuts CUTSfor FOR BEEF Beef Forequarter • Chuck • Brisket • Shank • Rib • Short Plate Hindquarter • Full Loin • Short loin • Sirloin • Flank • Round Understanding the Basic Cuts Available Forms Basic Cuts for Beef Basic Cuts for Beef • Understanding bone structure is essential to: • Identifying meat cuts. • Boning and cutting. • Carving cooked meats Understanding the Basic Cuts Selecting Meats for your Operation Specifications • Indicate the following specifications when ordering meat • Item name • Grade • Weight range • State of refrigeration • Fat limitations, or average thickness of surface fat Understanding the Basic Cuts Fabricating Meat • 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 Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods • 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. Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods Breaking Down Connective Tissue • Rib and loin cuts • Always the most tender cuts • Used mostly for steaks and chops Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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. Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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. Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods Breaking Down Connective Tissue (cont’d) • Shanks, breast, brisket, and flank • Beef: Can be broiled if cooked rare and sliced thin (London broil) Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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. Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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 meats low in marbling Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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 Cooking and Handling Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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 Meats Tenderness and Appropriate Cooking Methods 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 Meats DONENESS Dry-Heat Cooking • 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 Cooking and Handling Meats Doneness 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 Cooking and Handling Meats 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 Cooking and Handling Meats COOKING VARIETY MEATS • 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 and Handling Meats Game and Specialty 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 Cooking and Handling Meats Storage of 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 crosscontamination. • Use as quickly as possible; fresh meats keep well for only two to four days. Cooking and Handling Meats Storage Methods 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.