1. MEAT

2. Meat
Most families plan meals around meat and then select sides to go along
Advantages: Disadvantages:
Flavorful Expensive
Versatile Can be unhealthy
Nutritious

3. Meat Meat: the edible muscle of animals
3 main parts: Muscle, connective tissue, and fat
Major meat-producing animals in the United States are cattle, swine (pork) and sheep.

4. Muscle
Muscle- protein-rich tissue made of long thin cells grouped together in bundles
Lengthwise direction of the muscle: Grain
Cut across the grain, to break up the muscle fibers, which makes it easier to chew
Thinnest in young animals
Thickest in older animals and those parts of the body that get a lot of exercise
The thicker=the tougher

6. Connective Tissue
Connective Tissue: the protein material that binds muscle together into bundles
Also helps anchor the muscle to the bone
Different/multiple types of connective tissue
Elastin- tough, yellowish; does not soften from cooking; therefore you need to tenderize it *methods- pounding, cut off or grinding
Collagen- thin, white or transparent tissue; when cooked turns into a gelatin – moist cooking methods are best for it

7. Fat Meat contains two types of fats
Invisible: part of the chemical composition of meat
Visible
Marbling: small white flecks of fat throughout the meat.
Cuts with more marbling are juicy, flavorful, and tender

8. Nutrition My Plate recommends:
5-6 ounces of protein a day (2-3 oz of cooked meat is about the size of your palm)
Other Protein foods: nuts, beans, eggs
Meat = Excellent sources of complete protein
Also provides:
B vitamins, phosphorus & certain minerals: Iron & Zinc
Cholesterol and Fat : limit in your diet!!!

10. Go Lean with Protein Lean: Less than (based on 3.5 oz. serving)
10 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat
95 milligrams of cholesterol
¼ inch fat around the outside
The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (eye of round, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
Choose extra lean ground beef. The label should say at least “90% lean.”

11. Continued… Keep it lean:
Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.
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. Breading adds calories. It will also cause the food to soak up more fat during frying.
Prepare beans and peas without added fats.
Choose and prepare foods without high fat sauces or gravies.

12. Types of Meat Beef Lamb Mutton Pork Veal: Young beef
Cattle, more than 1 year old
Bright red flesh, hearty flavor, firm texture, creamy white fat
Beef carcasses are classified according to age and sex
Steers are young, castrated males
Heifers are young females who never gave birth.
Veal: Young beef
Calves, 1-3 months old
Very tender
Mild flavor, light pink/gray color, little fat
Lamb
Young sheep, less than a year old
Mild but unique flavor
Bright pink color w/ white brittle fat
Mutton
Sheep over 2 years
Less tender than lamb, stronger flavor
Pork
Meat from pigs less than a year old
Grayish pink color w/ white fat

13. Ground Meat 45% of the beef in the U.S. is made into ground beef
Beef trimmings (less tender cuts of meat, along with trimmings)
Law- cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight
The leaner the meat = $$$ (more money)
You may ask to have meat ground up for you at the store (If not available)
Lamb, pork, veal

14. Variety Meats
Variety meats are the edible parts of the animal other than the muscles.
Liver
Heart
Kidney
Tongue
Tripe (stomach lining)
Brains
Chitterlings (cleaned intestines)
Feet
Ears
Usually inexpensive and rich in many vitamins and minerals.

15. Cuts of Meat Cut: a specific edible part of meat Wholesale cuts
large cuts for marketing sold to retail stores
Basically is the part of the animal the meat came from
Listed 2nd on label

16. Cuts continued… Retail Cuts
Smaller cuts (supermarket) sold to consumers
Specific to the meat you are buying
CHUCK (wholesale), Blade roast, short ribs, pot roast (retail)
Listed 3rd on label

17. Label

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

19. Inspection & Grading
Federal inspectors examine all meat and meat products for wholesomeness, or healthfulness before and after the animals are slaughtered
Meat that passes= Stamped w/ harmless vegetable dye (round purple stamp)
Meat is also graded by the USDA
Graded according to:
Amount of Meat on the animal
Amount of Marbling (internal fat w/in the muscle tissues)
Age of animal
Texture and appearance of meat
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 (store brand possibly)
Lamb & Veal
Same as beef w/ “good” replacing “select”
Pork
Not graded due to uniform quality

20. Meat Tenderness Muscle Movement:
The less movement, the more tender!
Marbling: The more marbling the better!
Fat in marbling melts during cooking, releasing juice and flavor; and it helps to separate the muscle tissues which makes meat easier to chew
Tenderizing Meat: grinding, pounding, cutting, or adding an acid
Tomatoes, sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice

21. Storing Meat Freezer: beef can be stored up to 12 months
Refrigeration/Freezer
Store them in the meat drawer, or bottom shelf
Ground Meat/Variety-
refrigerator 1-2 days
Fresh Meat/Whole cuts/Leftovers
refrigerator 3-4 days
Freezer: beef can be stored up to 12 months

22. Processed Meat
Processed for distinctive flavor (adds flavors and preservatives)
Types:
Ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts
3 methods of processing it
Curing
Placing the meat in a mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid and water
Smoking
Liquid smoke for flavoring
Drying & Salting
Preserves meat
Combo
Bacon- cured and smoked
Chipped beef- dried, salted and smoked

23. Cooking Color Flavor Texture
Red to brown
Pink to white
Flavor
Heat creates chemical reactions w/ in the cut
Texture
Heated meat loses fat and moisture—shrinks
Muscle fibers get firmer
Connective tissue becomes more tender
Cooking meat at too high a temp or for too long will make it tough and dry.

24. Cooking Meat Do not cook meat below 325*F.
Temps that are too low can cause bacteria to grow.
Remember internal temps are just as important to kill any harmful bacteria!
Ground meats should ALWAYS be cooked to the well done stage. (155*)
Medium Rare *F
Medium 160*F
Well Done 170*F

25. Determining Temperature
You cannot rely on color for doneness. The only accurate way to determine doneness is by using a meat thermometer.
To take the temperature, insert the thermometer into the thickest part making sure the probe does not touch bone, fat, or the pan
Insert the probe sideways into thin cuts.
Take meat out of the oven when it is 5 degrees lower than you would like. It will continue to cook as it sits.

26. Cooking Meat Safely Store meats at or below 40*F
Wash hands for 20 seconds with HOT, SOAPY water before and after handling raw meats.
Thoroughly wash cutting boards and utensils used for raw meats before using them to prepare raw veggies or cooked meats.

27. Cooking Meat Safely
Marinate meats in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
Discard marinade used for raw meat or bring it to a rolling boil for 1 minute before re-using.
Reheat leftovers to an internal temp of 165*F

28. Marinating Meat Marinade- 3 basic ingredients Using marinades
steeping in a liquid
Tenderizing
Adding flavor to meats
3 basic ingredients
Oil, an acid, seasonings
Using marinades
Fish- 30 minutes to an hour
Meat and poultry- 6-8 hours (30 min. for some flavor is good)
To cook:
Drain food from marinade
Make a separate batch to baste with

29. Cooking Methods Roasting or Baking Broiling Microwave Pan-fry Stewing
Braising
Stir-frying