2. MEAT MEAT What you wanted to know and more!

3. WHY MEAT? Meat is an important component of the food pyramid because it contains significant amounts of several key nutrients. You need servings from the protein group each day.

4. MEAT CONTAINS: Complete proteins Iron Zinc Fatty Acids B Vitamins ( including Niacin, Thiamin, and Riboflavin)

5. WHAT DOES PROTEIN DO FOR YOU? 1. It builds cells. 2. It repairs and maintains cells. 3. It provides energy.

7. What is meat? Meat is the muscle of the animal. Beef comes from cows. Pork comes from pigs.

8. WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING MEAT: Wholesomeness Quality Appearance Amount per serving Cuts Read Label

9. WHOLESOMENESS By law all meat is required to be inspected by either the federal or state government.

10. Why? Inspection insures that the meat is from a healthy animal and was processed under sanitary conditions. If it passes it will have this stamp put on it.

11. Quality Grading of meat is OPTIONAL. It refers to the flavor, the tenderness, and the juiciness. It affects price but not nutrition.

12. The top 3 grades of meat are: PRIME – Used in fine restaurants. Most expensive. SELECT - Less expensive but not as tender or juicy. CHOICE - Still good but not as expensive as prime. Most frequently used.

13. Appearance How beef looks is an important factor at the meat counter.

14. LEAN should be bright cherry red unless it is cured or smoked. MARBLING is the small flecks of fat throughout the lean. It improves flavor, juiciness, and tenderness. FAT COVER is the fat on the exterior of the meat. It keeps it from drying out. It also adds fat calories and may be trimmed.

15. Amount per serving- How much should I buy?

16. How much should I buy? One serving of meat is about 3-4 oz. raw. If the meat has no bone in it then each pound would give about 4 servings. Examples would be ground beef or boneless steak.

17. Meat with moderate amounts of bone in would require about ½ pound per person. Examples would be pork chops with bones, or roasts with bones.

18. Meats containing large amounts of bone would require up to 1 pound per person. Examples would be whole chickens or turkeys or ribs.

19. REMEMBER - no bone – 4 servings per pound moderate amounts of bone – 2 servings per pound large amounts of bone – 1 serving per pound

20. Meat Labels A meat label has the following information on it… Kind of meat Wholesale cut Retail cut Net weight Price per lb. Actual product price

21. Wholesale cuts of meat Chuck Rib Short Loin Sirloin Round or Rump Fore shank Brisket Short Plate Flank

22. Wholesale cuts of meat- Support Locomotion

23. Tender Cuts supportThe tender cuts come from the support muscles. They are usually more flavorful and also more expensive.

24. Wholesale cuts of meat Chuck Rib Short Loin Sirloin Round or Rump Fore shank Brisket Short Plate Flank

25. Retail Cuts of Meat Retail cuts of meat are made by taking the wholesale cut and dividing it into smaller pieces. Examples of retail cuts would be steaks, roasts, chops, etc. A steak is a piece cut off of a roast. Roasts are bigger than steaks.

26. Less Tender locomotionThese cuts come from the locomotion muscle groups. They are less tender than the other cuts but are usually less expensive and just as nutritious.

27. Tender Cuts Tender cuts come from the support muscles of the animal. Rib Short Loin Sirloin They may be cooked by dry heat methods because they are already tender.

28. DRY HEAT METHODS OF COOKING MEAT 1. Broil or grill 2. Fry (pan fry, stir fry, or deep fry) 3. Pan broil 4. Roast

29. Roasting

30. Broiling

32. MOIST HEAT METHODS Water and slow, long cooking tends to break down the tough strands in meats. 1. Braising 2. Cooking in Liquid 3. Poaching 4. Pressure Cooker 5. Crock Pot

33. Braising

34. Cooking in Liquid

35. Poaching, Pressure, and Crock pot

36. Meat Safety Storing meat –Make meat one of the last purchases at the store and take it home immediately. –Ground meats will stay fresh in the fridge for 1-2 days. –Meats other than ground meats will stay fresh in the fridge for 2-4 days.

37. The best way to thaw meat is in the refrigerator. You can also thaw meat in the microwave if you use it immediately or in cold water Do not leave meat in the danger zone (40- 140 degrees) for more than 2 hours.

38. Cook meat safely to prevent food borne illness. –Do not cross contaminate. –Cook meat to at least 165 degrees F. or higher depending on the type of meat. –To prevent E-coli make sure that ground meat is thoroughly cooked.

39. Meat Thermometer The best way to make sure that meat is properly cooked is to use a meat thermometer. Place it in the thickest part of the meat and not touching bone, fat, or the pan.

40. Other methods of tenderizing 1. Pounding 2. Marinating 3. Commercial Tenderizer 4. Cubing