What are the proper cooking temperatures for: Beef (whole/ground): Pork (whole/ground): Veal (whole/ground): Lamb (whole/ground): Poultry: Seafood:

Cooking Methods, Inspection, and Grading Meat, Poultry, Fish Cooking Methods, Inspection, and Grading

Common Cooking Methods Moist-heat cooking cooking methods, principally simmering, poaching, boiling, and steaming, that use water or steam to transfer heat through convection. Used for less tender cuts of meat. Dry-heat cooking cooking methods, principally broiling, grilling, roasting and baking, sautéing, pan-frying and deep-frying, that use air or fat to transfer heat through conduction and convection; dry-heat cooking methods allow surface sugars to caramelize. Used for tender cuts of meat

Braising Combination of dry and moist heat cooking methods, used for tough cuts of meat and poultry to make them tender. Start with browning the meat in a small amount of fat. Sear it on all sides. Liquid is then added to the pan to create a moist cooking environment

Stewing Cooking small pieces of less tender cuts of meat, poultry and fish, but covering them completely with a liquid and simmering slowly, usually in a covered pan.

Slow-Cooking Food preparation method that relies on using low-heat for a long amount of time. Food becomes tender as connective tissues break down. An electric pot (slow cooker/crock pot) can be used for slow cooking and is very convenient as it is geared toward one-pot recipes

Broiling Using radiation from a heat source located above the food. The heat for broiling is usually intense in order to sear or to brown the food.

Grilling A cooking method that uses radiation from a heat source below the food. Grilled foods can be cooked over a variety of heat sources and is a healthy way to cook because melted fat from the food drips away during cooking

Roasting Method that cooks food by surrounding it with hot air. During roasting, the food is uncovered so any moisture released can evaporate

Sautéing Quickly cooking an item in a small amount of hot fat, over moderate heat

Trimming Excess Fat Keep it lean! (guidelines from MyPlate) Trim away all of the visible fat from meats and poultry before cooking Broil, grill, roast, poach or boil meat, poultry or fish instead of frying Drain off any fat that appears during cooking Skip or limit the breading on meat, poultry, or fish. Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies

Inspection of Meats and Poultry All meat and poultry produced for public consumption in the US is subject to inspection by the USDA. Inspections certify that products are processed under sanitary conditions and are fit for human consumption

Grading Grading is voluntary for both meat and poultry, however grading of poultry is very common. Grading is a guide to the eating qualities: tenderness, juiciness, flavor, animal’s age, meat’s color, texture, etc

Grading - Meats Beef – USDA Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner Veal – USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Utility Lamb – USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Utility Pork – USDA No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Utility

Grading - Poultry Birds are graded according to their overall quality USDA A, B or C