Meats

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Meat
9/5/2013BAC 102 Culinary foundation Level II (T)
Chef Mehernosh Dhanda

 What is meat?
 Structure of muscle
 Composition of muscle
 “Green meat”
 Aging methods
 Understanding basic cuts
 Bone structure
 Parameters for meat selection
 Cooking meats
 Doneness
 Storage of meats
9/5/2013
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BAC 102 Culinary foundation Level II (T)

Meat is muscle tissue.
It is the flesh of domestic & wild game
animals.
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Muscle fiber – long, thin muscle fibers
bound in bundles.
Connective tissue
• Meats are high in connective if they come from
muscles that are more exercised
• Older animals meat has higher connective tissue
• The types of connective tissue are
 Collagen (white)
 Elastin (yellow)
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 Muscle composition gives meat its characteristic
appearance
 Muscle tissue is approximately:
• 72% water
• 20% protein
• 7% fat
• 1% minerals
 Marbling (fat) adds tenderness and flavor to meat
and is a principal factor in meat quality
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When animals are slaughtered, their
muscles are soft and flabby.
Within 6-24 hours, rigor mortis sets in,
causing the muscles to contract and stiffen.
Rigor mortis dissipates in 48 – 72 hours
while under refrigeration. All meats are
allowed to age or rest long enough for rigor
mortis to dissipate.
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Aging is done to bring out the texture and
flavor characteristic of the meat.
Wet Aging
• Smaller cuts enclosed in Cryovac® (plastic
vacuum packs)
Dry Aging
• Larger cuts of meat exposed to air in
controlled conditions. Can lose up to 20% of
weight during dry aging.
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 Carcasses
The whole animal except
head, feet, entrails, and
hide (except pork, from
which only entrails and
head removed)
 Partial Carcasses
• Sides
• Quarters
• Foresaddles
• Hindsaddles
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 Primal or Wholesale Cuts
 Fabricated Cuts - Smaller
cuts for roasts, steaks,
chops, cutlets, stewing
meat, and ground meat,
or to customer
specifications.
 Portion-controlled Cuts
Cuts ready-to-cook,
processed to customer
specifications.

 Forequarter
• Chuck
• Brisket
• Shank
• Rib
• Plate
 Hindquarter
• Full Loin
• Short loin
• Sirloin
• Flank
• Round
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Organ Meats/Offal
• Items such as heart, kidney, tongue, tripe,
and oxtail are in this category
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1. Identifying meat cuts
2. Boning and cutting meats
3. Carving cooked meats
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1. Consider employee skills: Do you have a person
that can break down meats into needed cuts?
2. Menu: Can you use the bones, meat, and
trimmings in something else?
3. Storage: Do you have ample refrigeration and
freezer space?
4. Cost: Considering labor costs and trim usage, is it
overall less expensive to buy larger or more
ready-to-use cuts of meat?
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 Specifications are important to a
food service operation - they fully
describe the item in exact detail:
1. Item name
2. Grade
3. Weight range
4. State of refrigeration
5. Fat limitations
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Tenderizes connective tissue
Toughens proteins
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 High heat toughens and shrinks proteins
and results in high moisture loss.
 Broiling is very fast which is why #1 is
not contrary.
 Roasts cooked at lower temperatures
have better yields.
 Because liquid and steam are better
conductors than air, moist heat
penetrates quickly.
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Remember that connective tissue is
highest in muscles that are frequently
used.
Long, slow cooking tenderizes collagen.
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 Rib and Loin Cuts
• Very tender, used for roasts, steaks, and chops
 Leg or Round
• Less tender and cooked by braising
 Chuck or Shoulder
• Tougher; generally braised
 Shanks, Breast, Brisket, and Flank
• Less tender; cooked by moist heat
 Ground Meat, Cubed Steaks, and Stew Meat
• From any primal cut; cooked by dry or moist heat
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 Barding
 Larding
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 Marination
 Trussing/tying
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The purpose of searing at high heat is to
create desirable flavor and color by
browning all sides.
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Some sources say to cook from frozen to
avoid “drip loss.”
Most meats are thawed first and then
prepared.
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The internal temperature will continue to
rise after meat is removed from the source
of heat
Because the exterior is hotter than inside,
it will conduct heat to the inside.
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 Dry heat - the meat is done
when the proteins have
reached the desired degree of
coagulation
• Red meat (beef and lamb)
 Rare: Brown surface, thin layer
of gray, red interior
 Medium: thick layer of gray,
pink interior
 Well done: Gray throughout
• White meat (veal and pork)
 From pink to gray-pink to off-
white
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Meat Rare Medium Well Done
Beef 130oF(54oC) 140-145oF(60-63oC) 160oF(71oC)
Lamb 130oF(54oC) 145oF(63oC) 160oF(71oC)
Veal -- 145-150oF(63-66oC) 160oF(71oC)
Pork -- -- 165-170oF(74-77oC)

 Meat is done when
tissues are broken
down enough for the
meat to be palatable.
Most of the time the
meat is well done.
• Low heat, no higher
than simmering, is
essential to avoid
toughening protein in
moist-cooked meat
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Meat products are highly perishable and
potentially hazardous, so temperature control
is highly essential.
Fresh meats should be stored at 32° to 36° F.
Frozen meats should be stored at 0° to 20° F
and well wrapped to prevent freezer burn.
Use as quickly as possible.
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