1. Meat, Poultry, Seafood Organise and Prepare Food

2. Meat ‘Meat’ is the term we use to describe the edible flesh of an animal In Australia we mainly eat the meat of cattle, sheep and pigs Specialty meats are increasing in popularity and include: camel, buffalo, emu, crocodile and kangaroo

3. The meats most commonly used in the food industry are: MeatAnimal Beef Yearling Beef Veal Lamb Hogget Mutton Pork, bacon, ham Venison Cattle (over 12 months) Cattle (under 12 months) Calf Sheep (under 12 months) Sheep (12 – 24 months) Sheep (over 24 months) Pig Deer

4. Meat is usually selected for cooking based on tenderness or toughness Tender cuts of meat are more expensive Younger animals produce more tender meat Tenderness is also determined by the cut of the meat Muscles used the most – the front part of the animal - develop the most connective tissue and are tougher

5. Cuts of Meat

6. Meat is highly perishable – bacteria can quickly develop on meat or in the juices on a board or knife that has been used in the preparation of meat Quality of Meat – Meat should be firm and smooth, it should have a fresh aroma Meat should be moist and have a clear colour – not dry and dark. Flesh should be pink or red (depending on the variety) Fat should be present in small quantities and be creamy white

7. Meat Storage Between 1°C and 3°C Small cuts for up to 3 days Large cut up to 10 days Store Raw and Cooked Meat Separately Store meats on lower shelves of fridge Wrap in plastic and store on trays Use FIFO (First in First Out) stock control Freeze meat immediately Thaw in refrigerator, or microwave Do not refreeze until cooked

8. Meat Preparation TRIM excess fat off of meat – fat adds flavour but most people do not want to eat excessive amounts of fat MINCED meat is made when trimmed meat is put through a mincer Some meats may be SLICED into steaks, chops, fillets, strips, schnitzels and cutlets Some establishments buy the meat already prepared Larger establishments buy larger cuts (more economical) and prepare them Very large establishments would have their own butcher

9. Seafood Seafood includes all edible animals that are found in the sea Includes fish, prawns, lobsters, oyster, squid, octopus, pippies, yabbies Balmain Bugs, crab abalone, cuttlefish, scallops and mussels. Seafood may be classified as fish or shellfish

10. Classification of Fish Colour - White Bream Flathead Whiting Barrramundi John Dory Colour - Oily or Dark Mullet Mackeral Taylor Tuna Atlantic Salmon Shape - Flat Fish Flounder Sole Skate Plaice Turbo Shape - Round Leather Jacket Mullet Bream Tuna Snapper

11. Classification of Fish Habitat – Freshwater Trout Salmon Murray Cod Eel Habitat - Saltwater Flathead Whiting Garfish Mulloway Crustaceans –outer skeleton Lobsters Prawns Yabbies Crabs Balmain Bugs Shellfish Molluscs - shell Oysters Mussels Abalone Molluscs – Bony internal structure Squid Octopus Cuttlefish

12. Storing Seafood Seafood spoils quickly – purchase as needed (should not be kept for more than 3 days) Fresh seafood should be kept lower than other foods at around 1°C until ready to use Freshness can be determined by: –Fresh sea smell – not fishy –Clear prominent eyes – not dull and sunken –Flesh firm and springy –Gills bright red –Skin shiny and bright –Have a natural colour

13. Storing Seafood Whole fish needs to be gutted and scaled right away Once gutted and scaled, fish needs to be washed inside and out Shells of scallops and mussels should close when lightly tapped Seafood should not be left sitting in water

14. Storing Seafood Fish should be frozen immediately when fresh Each piece should be individually wrapped Ideally, seafood should be stored in a separate refrigerator because of strong odors Store fish at the bottom of the refrigerator If seafood can’t be stored at 1°C, it should be stored on ice which can drain away easily when melted

15. Cleaning Fish Seafood is a protein food and deteriorates quickly Hygiene practices must be strictly observed including washing hands, equipment and work areas regularly before, during and after handling The steps for cleaning a fish are –Scale the fish with the back of a knife or fish scaler, working from the tail to the head –Wash and pat the fish dry –Insert filleting knife into the belly and slit the fish to the gills –Remove the gut with your fingers –Wash the inside of the fish to clean of all blood and guts –Scrape blood off of backbone and wash again –If the fish is to be served whole, leave the head and fins on, otherwise remove them before cooking

16. Filleting a Round Fish Filleting is the removal of the flesh from the backbone of the fish – it is different for round and flat fish Hold the head of the fish and, with the filleting knife, cut straight down behind the gills until you hit the backbone Cut along the top dorsal fin from head to tail, turn the fish over and repeat for the other side Using a filleting knife, cut the flesh from the backbone working from head to tail Lift the backbone and cut underneath to remove other fillet Slide the cook’s knife between the skin and the fillet at the tail end and work the knife carefully to remove the skin from the fillet

17. Filleting a round fish

18. Filleting a Flat Fish Flat fish should be skinned before filleting Place the fish flat on the cutting surface and cut through the skin to the backbone just above the tail Lift a small flap of skin gently easing it with the knife Pull the skin gently off the fish from the head to the tail, taking care not to tear the flesh (some flatfish, like flounder) are skinned in the opposite direction) Make a cut down the centre of the backbone of the fish from head to tail Using the flexibility of the knife gradually work the fillet off the ribcage - repeat this process for the second fillet on that side Turn the fish over and remove the other two fillets.

19. Filleting a flat fish

20. Portioning Fish Whole fish - served whole, including the bones – head may be left on or removed Fillets – Only whole fillet is used Supreme – a diagonal cut of a fillet from a larger fish ( barramundi, salmon, tuna) Paupiette small, slightly flattened fillet, rolled up and secured with a toothpick Goujons – strips from a fillet (1cm x 8cm) Goujonette - as above but (. 5cm x 4.5cm) Cutlet – a slice through a whole fish, including the backbone –The cutlet from a round fish is called a darne –The cutlet from a flat fish is called a delice

21. Fish Portions

22. Cleaning Shellfish Most crustaceans require washing Some restaurants keep lobsters alive until required – usually humane ways of killing the animal are used Sometimes crustaceans need to be cleaned and deveined before use

23. Poultry Poultry- the meat of domestically raised birds Most common in Australia is chicken Others include: turkey, goose, duck, guinea fowl, pheasant and pigeon Poultry may be purchased whole, in cuts, or made into mince, sausages, rissoles, etc. Poultry livers are used in pates and terrines

24. Purchasing Poultry Look for: Firm flesh Free from blemishes Good colour Moist Skin Free of unpleasant odors Firm and plump breasts Bones intact (not broken or separated) Free from feathers

25. Storing Poultry Between 1°C - 3°C On drip trays which are changed regularly Frozen poultry kept in freezer Small pieces can be kept in the fridge for no more than 3 – 4 days Frozen poultry must be completely thawed before cooking Thaw in fridge or microwave Never refreeze defrosted poultry – use immediately

26. Preparing Poultry - Step-by-step Trussing 1 - Take a piece of butcher's string about three times the length of the bird. Place the bird on its back, tail end nearest you. Slide the string underneath so that it is cradling the bird in the center if its back. 2 - Now, gently pull the string up the sides 3 -...then around the wings. Pull the strings toward you, close to the breast, so that the wings are held against the body Cross the strings at the base of the breast, then wrap each string around the end of a drumstick Tie the ends of the string together, cinching it tightly so that the legs cross Then, lift the bird so that the tail end is up and wrap the string around the tail. Tie the string, pulling tightly so that the cavity is covered by the tail. Place the bird on its back again and bring the string back to the front, then tie it off. Your bird is now ready for the oven

27. Preparing poultry – portioning The following cutting method will produce eight pieces when completed, which consists of two drumsticks, two thighs, two wings, and two breast portions. Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast side up. To remove the leg-thigh portion, pull the leg away from the body and cut through the skin, down between the body and the thigh to the thigh joint. Bend the leg-thigh portion back until the thighbone pops out of the socket. Then cut around and through the joint at that point to detach the leg-thigh portion from the body. Repeat on the opposite side. To separate the leg and thigh, place the leg-thigh portion skin side down on the cutting board and locate the joint. Using a sharp knife cut directly through the joint, separating the leg from the thigh. Repeat on other leg-thigh portion.

28. Preparing poultry – portioning To remove the wings, place the chicken breast side down on the cutting board and pull the wings out away from the body. Cut between the breast and the wing joint to detach the wing. Cut off a little breast along with the wing, if a meatier wing is desired. Repeat with the wing on the opposite side. The wing tips can be cut off and discarded or frozen to use in stock at another time. Cutting the wing tips off is optional. They can be left on. To separate the breast from the back, cut along the rib cage, starting from the tail end and cutting to the neck. Cut in this manner on both sides and separate the two sections.

29. Preparing Poultry - Portioning The breast can be cut in half by placing it skin side down on the cutting board and using a sharp knife to cut down along one side of the breastbone, through the bone and meat to cut in two sections. The breast can also have the breastbone removed before it is cut in half. For instructions on how to remove the breastbone, research Boning a Chicken Breast. Before discarding the backbone, be sure to remove the two small, tender pieces of dark meat located on the bottom half. There is one located on each side of the backbone. Locate the pieces, cut around them with a sharp knife, and then work the knife underneath them to detach them from the backbone. The two pieces of dark meat are small and sometimes they are too small to make it practical to remove, but if they can be removed, they provide an extremely tender and very flavorful piece of meat.