1. Meats Chapter 19 Page 321

2. What is Meat? The edible portions of mammals. These mammals contain muscle, fat, bone, connective tissue, and water. Meat provides protein, iron, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, riboflavin, and niacin. Eat 5 to 7 ounces of cooked meat daily. Fat is a problem in meat products, while it adds flavor it also adds unwanted health issues.

3. Beef Comes from mature cattle over 12 months in age. Should be bright red color with creamy, white fat. Usually from steers and heifers. Butchered into a carcass then split into sides and divided into quarters. The quarters are divided into wholesale cuts sent to the meat cutters and then cut into retail cuts. Ground beef can contain no more than 30% fat.

4. Veal Comes from very young beef, 3 months or less. Contains very little fat. Should be light pink and has a delicate flavor. Cuts are significantly smaller than beef.

5. Pork The meat of swine (pigs). Should be grayish pink. Carcass is shipped whole. Many times pork is cured or smoked.

6. Lamb The meat of sheep less than one year ole. Tender and delicate, should be pinkish- red with white fat. Older animals are yearling lamb (1-2 yrs) and mutton (over 2 yrs) Carcasses shipped whole.

7. Variety Meats Edible parts of animal other than muscles. Includes liver, heart, tongue, kidney, sweetbreads, tripe, chitterlings, and pork jowls, tail, feet, ears, and snout. Rich sources of vitamins and minerals. (iron)

8. Inspection and Grading All meat that crosses state lines must be Federally inspected and stamped. Can voluntarily be graded with yield and quality grades. Quality grades are based on marbling. The most common grades of beef sold in retail are choice and select. Prime grades are sold to restaurants.

9. Selecting Meat (Tenderness) Fat or marbling produces quality meat Location of meat from animal – –Bone shapes indicate location T shaped/short loin or back Flat or wedge bones/hip Round bone/arms and legs Blade bone/shoulder area –Areas of the animal that receive the least exercise are the most tender. Tenderness is an indication of whether the meat should be cooked with a moist heat method or a dry heat method.

10. Selecting Meat continued Meat Labeling –3 part format, –the name of meat appears first (beef) –the wholesale cut is next (chuck) –the retail cut is 3 rd (shoulder roast) How much to buy –meat is sold by the pound, bones in, or boneless. Cost per serving – depends upon tenderness and waste (bones) Storing – see chart on page 326

11. Collagen and Elastin 2 types of connective tissue in meat. Collagen will soften when cooked. Elastin will not soften.