Meat

Types of Meat Beef Beef –Cattle, more than 1 year old –Bright red flesh Veal Veal –Calves, 1-3 months old –Mild flavor, light pink color, little fat Lamb Lamb –Young sheep –Mild but unique flavor –Bright pink color w/ white brittle fat Pork Pork –Meat from hogs –Grayish pink color w/ white fat

Cuts of Meat Wholesale cuts Wholesale cuts –large cuts for marketing –Basically is the part of the animal the meat came from –Listed 2 nd on label

Types of Cuts Retail Cuts Retail Cuts –Smaller cuts (supermarket) –Specific to the meat you are buying –Listed 3 rd on label

Label

Bone Shapes Wholesale cuts have distinctive bone shape Wholesale cuts have distinctive bone shape Nearly identical in all 4 types Nearly identical in all 4 types Clues to the tenderness of the meat Clues to the tenderness of the meat

Lean Cuts Lean Lean –Less than (based on 3.5 oz. serving)  10 grams of fat  4 grams of saturated fat  95 milligrams of cholesterol –Appearance  Less than ¼ in. fat around meat –Beef Roasts & Steaks: round, loin, sirloin, chuck arm –Pork Roasts & Chops: tenderloin, center loin, ham –Veal Cuts: all except ground veal –Lamb Roasts & Chops: leg, loin, fore shank

Ground Meat Beef trimmings Beef trimmings Law- cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight Law- cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight Different types sold- leaner ($$$) Different types sold- leaner ($$$) You may ask to have meat ground up for you at the store (If not available) You may ask to have meat ground up for you at the store (If not available) –Lamb, pork, veal

Inspection & Grading USDA USDA Stamped w/ harmless vegetable dye Stamped w/ harmless vegetable dye Meat Meat –Graded according to:  Marbling (internal fat w/in the muscle tissues)  Age of animal  Texture and appearance of meat Common grades of beef: Common grades of beef: –Prime  Well marbled, tender, flavorful, $$$ –Choice  Most common, less marbling than prime but still tender –Select  Least amount of marbling, least expensive Lamb & Veal Lamb & Veal –Same as beef w/ “good” replacing “select” Pork Pork –Not graded due to uniform quality

Storing Meat Refrigeration/Freezer Refrigeration/Freezer Ground Meat- Ground Meat- –refrigerator 1-2 days –freezer 3-4 months Fresh Meat- Fresh Meat- –refrigerator 3-4 days –Freezer 6-9 months (beef can be stored to 12 months)

Processed Meat Processed for distinctive flavor Processed for distinctive flavor Types: Types: –Ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts Curing Curing –Placing the meat in a mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid and water Smoking Smoking –Liquid smoke for flavoring Drying & Salting Drying & Salting –Preserves meat Combo Combo –Bacon- cured and smoked –Chipped beef- dried, salted and smoked