Meat and poultry AnimalMeatAnimalMeat Pigsham, gammon, pork & bacon Poultrychicken, turkey, goose & duck Sheeplamb & muttonGamepartridge & pheasant Cowsbeef & veal Internal organs (offal) liver, kidneys, heart etc. Did you know? Most lamb is under six months old. Beef comes from bullocks (females needed for milk). Pork pigs tend to be short and fat. Bacon pigs are long and thin.
Meat Meat is made up of long, thin muscle fibres held together with connective tissue. Cut of meatPart of animalMethod of cooking Shin of beefThe leg (tougher) Long, slow cooking e.g. stewing Fillet, Sirloin or rump The bodyQuick cooking, Frying or grilling
Methods of cooking Cut of meatMethod of cooking Pork chopGrilling Leg of lambRoasting Pork filletStir fry Neck of lamb chopsStewing Sirloin steakFrying It is essential that frozen meat and poultry must be defrosted thoroughly before cooking. Remember they are high risk foods. Lamb and duck can be served ‘pink’ and beef can be served ‘rare’. All other meat and poultry should be cooked thoroughly.
Fish The flesh of fish is made up of muscle and connective tissue. Because the muscles are short and the connective tissue is very thin, fish cooks very quickly. All fish ‘goes off’ quickly, so it is important to carry out quality checks: Smell slightly salty or like the sea. Firm flesh Bright red gills Clear eyes Plenty of scales Shellfish must have tightly closed shells and fresh smell.
Types of fish It cooks quickly and can be used in many different dishes. Shellfish is a high risk food so should be eaten on the day it is bought. Tinned (canned) fish is a good alternative to fresh fish. Oily fishSalmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel White fish Cod, haddock, whiting, plaice, sole, coley ShellfishPrawns, shrimps, scampi, crabs, mussels, oysters