Muscle Composition

The carcasses of cattle, sheep, hogs and furred game animals consist mainly of edible lean muscular tissue, fat, connective tissue and bones. They are divided into large cuts called primals. Primal cuts are rarely cooked; rather, they are usually reduced to subprimal cuts, which in turn can be cooked as is or used to produce fabricated cuts.

 Shrinkage the loss of weight in a food due to

evaporation of liquid or melting of fat during cooking Marbling whitish streaks of inter-and intramuscular fat Subcutaneous fat also known as exterior fat; the fat layer between the hide and muscles Collagen a protein found in connective tissue; it is converted into gelatin when cooked with moisture Elastin a protein found in connective tissues, particularly ligaments and tendons; it often appears as the white or silver covering on meats known as silverskin

Inspection and Grading of Meats

All meat produced for public consumption in the United States is subject to USDA inspection. Inspections ensure that products are processed under strict sanitary guidelines and are wholesome and fit for human consumption.

Grading
USDA grading provides a voluntary, uniform system by which producers, distributors and consumers can measure differences in the quality of meats and make price-quality comparisons. Quality grades, established in 1927, are a guide to the eating qualities of meat: its tenderness, juiciness and flavor.

Based on animals age and the meats color, texture and degree of marbling, the USDA quality grades are: Beef USDA Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter and Canner Veal USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Utility Lamb USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Utility Pork USDA No. 1, No. 2, no. 3, Utility

Yield grades, established in 1965, measure the amount of usable meat (as opposed to fat and bones) on a carcass and provide a uniform method in identifying cuttability differences among carcasses.

Aging Meats
Wet Aging. Today, most preportioned or precut meats are packaged and shipped in vacuum-sealed plastic packages. Wet aging is the process of storing vacuum-packaged meats under refrigeration for up to 6 weeks.

Dry Aging. Dry aging is the process of storing fresh meats in an environment of controlled temperature, humidity and air flow for up to six weeks. This allows enzymes and microorganisms to break down connective tissues. Dry aging is actually the beginning of the natural decomposition process.

Purchasing and Storing Meats

1. Menu: The menu identifies the types of cooking methods used. 2. Menu price: Cost constraints may prevent an operation from using the best-quality meats available. 3. Quality: Often, several cuts or grades of meat can be used for a specific dish, so each food service operation should develop its own quality specifications.

Purchasing Meats
1. Employee skills 2. Menu 3. Storage 4. Cost

Storing Meats
Meat products are highly perishable and potentially hazardous foods, so temperature control is the most important thing to remember when storing meats. Fresh meats should be stored at temperatures between 30F and 35 F (-1C and 2C). Most commercially packaged meats are frozen by blast freezing, which quickly cools by blasting 40F (-40C) air across the meat.

Preparing Meats
Tying And Trussing

Some meats, especially roasts and whole birds, require tying or trussing before cooking. Tying larger roasts with butchers twine holds loose pieces of meat together during cooking and ensures that the meat retains its shape.

 Barding

Barding is the process of covering the surface of meat or poultry with thin slices of pork fatback and tying them in place with butchers twine. Larding Larding is the process of inserting small strips of pork fat into meat with a larding needle.

Applying Various Cooking Methods

Dry-Heat Cooking Methods Dry-heat cooking methods subject food directly to the heat of a flame (broiling and grilling), hot air (roasting) or heated fat (sauteing and pan-frying). Broiling and Grilling The broiling and grilling process adds flavor; additional flavors are derived from the seasonings.

 Roasting

Properly roasted meats should be tender, juicy and evenly cooked to the appropriate degree of doneness. They should have a pleasant appearance when whole as well as when sliced and plated. Sauting Sauting is a dry-heat cooking method in which heat is conducted by a small amount of fat.

 Pan-frying

Pan-frying uses more fat than sauting to conduct heat. Pan-fried meats should be tender and of good color and have a good overall flavor. Deep-frying Deep-frying quickly cooks foods submerged in hot fat. It does not have a tenderizing effect.

Moist-Heat Cooking Methods Moist-heat cooking methods subject to food to heat and moisture. Moist heat is often, but not always, used to tenderize tougher cuts of meat through long, slow cooking. Simmering Simmering is usually associated with specific tougher cuts of meat that need to be tenderized through long, slow, moist cooking.

Combination Cooking Methods

Braising

Braised meats are first browned and then cooked in a liquid that serves as a sauce for the meat. Stewing Stewing, like braising, is a combination of cooking method. In many ways, the procedures for stewing are identical to those for braising, although stewing is usually associated with smaller or bite-sized pieces of meat.