Meat Selection and Storage Section 19.2 Meat Selection and Storage

Types of Meat Beef Veal From cattle over one year old. Has a hearty flavor. The cuts have bright red flesh. The fat is firm with a white, creamy white, or yellowish color. Veal From very young calves, one to three months old. Has mild flavor. The cuts are light pink in color. The cuts have very little fat.

Lamb Pork Has a mild, but unique flavor. Cuts are bright pink-red color with white, brittle fat. Pork Has a mild flavor. Fresh meat is a grayish-pink color with white, soft fat.

Cuts of Meat Wholesale Cuts: Large pieces of meat into which an animal carcass is divided. Examples: Flank Rib Loin Retail Cuts: Smaller cuts of meat into which wholesale cuts are divided for sale to consumers. Steak Roasts Chops

Using Bone Shape to Identify Cuts Each wholesale cut has a distinctive bone shape.

Which cuts are lean? Beef roasts and steaks Pork roasts and chops All veal cuts except for ground veal. Lamb roasts and chops

Ground Meat Ground beef is made from beef trimmings, the meat attached to the bone. By law, ground beef cannot have more than 30% fat by weight. You may also find packages of ground pork, lamb and veal. If not, you can ask to have the meat ground for you.

Organ Meats Variety Meats: Edible animal organs, such as liver and kidneys. Liver is highly nutritious and tender, with a pronounced flavor. Lamb and veal kidneys are tender with a mild flavor. Beef and pork kidneys are strong flavored and less tender. Chitterlings usually refers to the intestines of pigs, but they may also come from calves. They are thoroughly cleaned and sold whole in containers.

Other organ meats include: Brains Heart Tongue Tripe (stomach lining of cattle) Sweetbreads (thymus gland)

Inspection and Grading Meat is inspected before it can be sold by the USDA. Meat can also be graded according to standards which include: Amount of marbling Age of the animal Texture and appearance of the meat

Common grades for beef: Prime: the highest and most expensive grade. The meat is well marbled with fat. It is tender and flavorful. Choice: the most common grade sold in supermarkets. It has less marbling than prime but is still tender and flavorful. Select: contains the least amount of marbling and is least expensive. It is sometimes sold as a store brand.

Pork is not graded because the meat is mor uniform in quality. Lamb and veal are also graded. The same grades are used, except that “Good replaces “Select”.

Processed Meats About 30% of the meat produced in the United States is processed. Curing: A method of processing meat using a mixture of salt, sugar, nitrate, ascorbic acid and water; extends shelf life and adds distinctive flavor. Meat can be processed into products such as: Ham Bacon Sausage Cold cuts

Other processing methods include: Drying Salting Smoking

Storing Meat Meat requires cold storage.