Carcass evaluation
What is carcass:-
The trunk of animal (sheep ,goat ,cattle)for cutting up as a meat.
1st step in beef carcass evaluation
– To determine CLASS or SEX group
Class:
Based on evidences of maturity and sex condition at the time of slaughter
• Steer
• Bullock
• Bull
• Heifer
• Cow
• Calves and Veal
Kind:
Based on evidences of maturity (but not sex condition) at the time of slaughter
Veal :
meat from a bovine usually less than 3 months old.
Calf:
A young pre-puberty bovine of either sex.
Beef:
more advanced maturity.
Determination of kind is based on :
• lean color (major factor)
• lean texture
• fat character
• bone and cartilage color, size and ossification
• General contour of the carcass
Determination of kind
Veal calf beaf
Lean color grayish pink to dark
grayish pink color
grayish red to
moderately red lean
color
moderately red in
young beef carcasses
to very dark red in
mature beef
carcasses
Fat slightly soft, pliable
fat
flakier type of fat flaky fat
Ribs narrow and very red
ribs
wider ribs with less
red color
Flat ribs
Bone ossification Ossified cartilages in
the sacral and
lumbar regions
Determination of Class
To determine the sex condition consider the following three things
 Pizzle eye
 Cod fat
 Udder fat
Pizzle eye:-
It is a ligamentous attachment of penis to pelvis. It is seen only in males.
Cod fat:-
As a result of castration fat deposit in cod region
Udder fat:-
It is present in heifers or cows.
Steer –
1) a male bovine that was castrated before reaching sexual maturity (puberty);
(2) a carcass that does not exhibit secondary sex characteristics associated with bulls or
bullocks.
Bullocks
An uncastrated or latently castrated male bovine.
‘’Bullocks must be in the A skeletal maturity group, otherwise, they are classified as bulls.’’
Bulls
1) A live uncastrated male bovine;
2) A male bovine carcass in the B or older skeletal maturity group which exhibits masculine
secondary sex characteristics.
Heifer
A female bovine that has not calved.
Cow
A female bovine that has given birth to at least one calf.
Veal and Calves
• Carcasses also classified as steers, heifers, and bull
• But, not attained sexual maturity.
Class Characreristics
Steer Rough and irregular shaped fat deposit in the cod region
A relatively small pizzle eye
A relatively small pelvic cavity
Bullock heavy development of rounds , noticeable crests, thickly fleshed chucks
large pizzle eyes
rough and irregular shaped scrotal fat
Darker, coarser lean texture
Bulls heavy development of rounds, crests, chucks
large pizzle eyes
Rough, irregular scrotal fat
dark red and coarse textured lean
Heifer Smooth, uniform fat in the udder region
No pizzle eye
A slightly larger cavity
More angular than steers, especially in the round, loin, rib, and chuck areas
Cow relatively large pelvic cavity
nearly straight aitch bone (pelvis to accommodate parturition, calving)
Rather large udder (usually removed during slaughter).
Weight and DressingPercentage
Dressed weight also called carcass weight is the weight of animal after being partially
butchered removing all the offals.
It is also called hanging weight or (on the rail).
• Hot carcass weight
Obtained on beef carcasses just before chilling
• chilled carcass weight
Usually calculated from hot carcass weight
• Hot carcass weight is 1 to 2% higher than chilled carcass weight.
Chilled carcass weight = Hot carcass weight x 0.985
dressing percentage = carcass weight/ live weight x 100
Beef Carcass Grading
• U.S.D.A (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agriculture in 1916 ist standard
QUALITY GRADE
It is used to Estimate eating charecterstics,tenderness, flavor
• U.S.D.A (U.S. Department of Agriculture) in 1916 ist standard ,official gradind begin 1927
There are eight USDA Quality Grades for beef:
USDA Prime
USDA Commercial
USDA Choice
USDA Utility
USDA Select
USDA Cutter
USDA Standard
USDA Canner
Eating quality generally is most desirable for “Prime beef” and least desirable for “Canner
beef”.
Marbling= white streak of fat on meat
Marbling score =lean color ,lean texture, lean firmness
Rib eye area=meat along outer side of ribs.
USDA Yield Grades
It estimate beef carcass cutability, which is defined as the combined yield of closely
trimmed, boneless retail cuts (%CTBRC) from the round, loin, rib and chuck. This is an
estimate of the relative amount of lean, edible meat from a carcass. The five Yield Grades
for slaughter cattle and beef carcasses are:
USDA Yield Grade 1
USDA Yield Grade 2
USDA Yield Grade 3
USDA Yield Grade4
USDA Yield Grade 5
QUALITYGRADE DEPEND
ON
 Carcass maturity
age
 Marbling score
Carcass maturity depend
upon bone ossification in
sacral, lumber ,thoracic
region
CARCASS MATURITY AGE
A=9 to30 months
B=30 to42 months
C=42to72 months
D=72 to96 months
E=more than 96 months
MARBLING SCORE
 abundant
 moderately
abundant
 slightly abundant
 moderate
 modest
 small
 slight
 traces
 practically devoid
 devoid
Carcass cuts
Brisket
The brisket consists of the point end and the navel end. This flavoursome cut located
on the underside of the animal below the chuck primal has a coarse and stringy
texture. It contains the breastbone and the lower ends of ribs 1-5.
Chuck
The chuck primal cut extends from the neck to the fifth rib and includes the shoulder
blade and upper arm. It contains cuts such as the blade, oyster blade and chuck
tender. The texture varies from coarse to fine and so does the degree of tenderness.
The chuck has plenty of connective tissues that melt when the meat is cooked.
Flank
The flank consists of a bone-less section located on the underside of the animal
below the loin primal.
Leg
Beef cuts from the leg are located in the rear portion of the carcass, which includes
cuts such as the topside, knuckle, silverside and eye round. Cuts from the round
primal are lean, but not necessarily tender.
Prime Rib (Bone-in) / Ribeye (Bone-less)
The beef carcass has 13 pairs of ribs, but not all of the ribs are included in the rib
primal cut. The first 5 ribs are part of the chuck cut in the front of the animal. The
13th rib is part of the loin. The rib primal contains ribs 6 through 12. A bone-less
prime rib is known as the ribeye. The cuts obtained from the rib primal are very
tender and contain many of the best steaks and roasts.
Rump
YEILDGRADE%
1grade=>52.4%
2grade=50.0 to 52.3%
3grade=47.7 to50.0%
4grade=45.4 to 47.7%
5grade=<45.4%
YEILD GRADE DEPEND ON
12th rib backfat
Rib eye area
% kidney; pelvic, heart fat
12th rib backfat=3/4 of
longitudinal length of rib
muscle
Ava rib fat=.5
Range=.15 to .80
Ava rib eye
area=12.8inch.sq
Range=10.0 to 18.oinch.sq
%KPH fat=ava 2.0%
YEILDGRADE FORMULA
Rib eye area=LxW
2.5+(2.5X12th ribfat)
_(0.32Xribeyearea)+
(0.20XKPHfat%)+(0.0038Xhot carcass
wt)
The rump consists of several loose muscle layers and the large pelvic bone. It is
located between the short loin and the leg and includes the hip section and ends at
the socket of the pelvis.
Shin Shank
The shin consists of a large proportion of bone and a lot of white connective tissue
(collagen), which makes this a tough but tasty cut. This is one of the least expensive
cut and is best to use a moist, slow cooking method to produce a tender and tasty
meat.
Short Ribs
Short rib refers to a small piece that has been trimmed of the main portion of a rib
when the rib section is trimmed into smaller cuts. It is the continuation of the prime
rib towards the brisket (belly).
Shortloin (Bone-in) / Striploin (Bone-less)
The short loin is the most tender of the primal cuts because the muscles in this area
are the least used. The sirloin muscle is the largest muscle and the tenderloin is the
smaller inside muscle. They are very lean, but usually lack the flavor of some of the
tougher beef cuts that contain more fat and connective tissue.
Tenderloin
The tenderloin is situated inside the carcass alongside the backbone, running from
the sirloin to the rump. This meat cut is a long tapered muscle that becomes larger
towards the rump; it is boneless and contains very little fat. The tenderloin is the
most desirable beef cut in terms of tenderness but it is also the most expensive.
Carcass evaluation,grading and cuts

Carcass evaluation,grading and cuts

  • 1.
    Carcass evaluation What iscarcass:- The trunk of animal (sheep ,goat ,cattle)for cutting up as a meat. 1st step in beef carcass evaluation – To determine CLASS or SEX group Class: Based on evidences of maturity and sex condition at the time of slaughter • Steer • Bullock • Bull • Heifer • Cow • Calves and Veal Kind: Based on evidences of maturity (but not sex condition) at the time of slaughter Veal : meat from a bovine usually less than 3 months old. Calf: A young pre-puberty bovine of either sex. Beef: more advanced maturity. Determination of kind is based on : • lean color (major factor) • lean texture • fat character • bone and cartilage color, size and ossification • General contour of the carcass
  • 2.
    Determination of kind Vealcalf beaf Lean color grayish pink to dark grayish pink color grayish red to moderately red lean color moderately red in young beef carcasses to very dark red in mature beef carcasses Fat slightly soft, pliable fat flakier type of fat flaky fat Ribs narrow and very red ribs wider ribs with less red color Flat ribs Bone ossification Ossified cartilages in the sacral and lumbar regions Determination of Class To determine the sex condition consider the following three things  Pizzle eye  Cod fat  Udder fat Pizzle eye:- It is a ligamentous attachment of penis to pelvis. It is seen only in males. Cod fat:- As a result of castration fat deposit in cod region Udder fat:- It is present in heifers or cows. Steer – 1) a male bovine that was castrated before reaching sexual maturity (puberty); (2) a carcass that does not exhibit secondary sex characteristics associated with bulls or bullocks. Bullocks An uncastrated or latently castrated male bovine. ‘’Bullocks must be in the A skeletal maturity group, otherwise, they are classified as bulls.’’ Bulls 1) A live uncastrated male bovine; 2) A male bovine carcass in the B or older skeletal maturity group which exhibits masculine secondary sex characteristics.
  • 3.
    Heifer A female bovinethat has not calved. Cow A female bovine that has given birth to at least one calf. Veal and Calves • Carcasses also classified as steers, heifers, and bull • But, not attained sexual maturity. Class Characreristics Steer Rough and irregular shaped fat deposit in the cod region A relatively small pizzle eye A relatively small pelvic cavity Bullock heavy development of rounds , noticeable crests, thickly fleshed chucks large pizzle eyes rough and irregular shaped scrotal fat Darker, coarser lean texture Bulls heavy development of rounds, crests, chucks large pizzle eyes Rough, irregular scrotal fat dark red and coarse textured lean Heifer Smooth, uniform fat in the udder region No pizzle eye A slightly larger cavity More angular than steers, especially in the round, loin, rib, and chuck areas Cow relatively large pelvic cavity nearly straight aitch bone (pelvis to accommodate parturition, calving) Rather large udder (usually removed during slaughter).
  • 4.
    Weight and DressingPercentage Dressedweight also called carcass weight is the weight of animal after being partially butchered removing all the offals. It is also called hanging weight or (on the rail). • Hot carcass weight Obtained on beef carcasses just before chilling • chilled carcass weight Usually calculated from hot carcass weight • Hot carcass weight is 1 to 2% higher than chilled carcass weight. Chilled carcass weight = Hot carcass weight x 0.985 dressing percentage = carcass weight/ live weight x 100 Beef Carcass Grading • U.S.D.A (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Agriculture in 1916 ist standard QUALITY GRADE It is used to Estimate eating charecterstics,tenderness, flavor • U.S.D.A (U.S. Department of Agriculture) in 1916 ist standard ,official gradind begin 1927 There are eight USDA Quality Grades for beef: USDA Prime USDA Commercial USDA Choice USDA Utility USDA Select USDA Cutter USDA Standard USDA Canner Eating quality generally is most desirable for “Prime beef” and least desirable for “Canner beef”.
  • 5.
    Marbling= white streakof fat on meat Marbling score =lean color ,lean texture, lean firmness Rib eye area=meat along outer side of ribs. USDA Yield Grades It estimate beef carcass cutability, which is defined as the combined yield of closely trimmed, boneless retail cuts (%CTBRC) from the round, loin, rib and chuck. This is an estimate of the relative amount of lean, edible meat from a carcass. The five Yield Grades for slaughter cattle and beef carcasses are: USDA Yield Grade 1 USDA Yield Grade 2 USDA Yield Grade 3 USDA Yield Grade4 USDA Yield Grade 5 QUALITYGRADE DEPEND ON  Carcass maturity age  Marbling score Carcass maturity depend upon bone ossification in sacral, lumber ,thoracic region CARCASS MATURITY AGE A=9 to30 months B=30 to42 months C=42to72 months D=72 to96 months E=more than 96 months MARBLING SCORE  abundant  moderately abundant  slightly abundant  moderate  modest  small  slight  traces  practically devoid  devoid
  • 6.
    Carcass cuts Brisket The brisketconsists of the point end and the navel end. This flavoursome cut located on the underside of the animal below the chuck primal has a coarse and stringy texture. It contains the breastbone and the lower ends of ribs 1-5. Chuck The chuck primal cut extends from the neck to the fifth rib and includes the shoulder blade and upper arm. It contains cuts such as the blade, oyster blade and chuck tender. The texture varies from coarse to fine and so does the degree of tenderness. The chuck has plenty of connective tissues that melt when the meat is cooked. Flank The flank consists of a bone-less section located on the underside of the animal below the loin primal. Leg Beef cuts from the leg are located in the rear portion of the carcass, which includes cuts such as the topside, knuckle, silverside and eye round. Cuts from the round primal are lean, but not necessarily tender. Prime Rib (Bone-in) / Ribeye (Bone-less) The beef carcass has 13 pairs of ribs, but not all of the ribs are included in the rib primal cut. The first 5 ribs are part of the chuck cut in the front of the animal. The 13th rib is part of the loin. The rib primal contains ribs 6 through 12. A bone-less prime rib is known as the ribeye. The cuts obtained from the rib primal are very tender and contain many of the best steaks and roasts. Rump YEILDGRADE% 1grade=>52.4% 2grade=50.0 to 52.3% 3grade=47.7 to50.0% 4grade=45.4 to 47.7% 5grade=<45.4% YEILD GRADE DEPEND ON 12th rib backfat Rib eye area % kidney; pelvic, heart fat 12th rib backfat=3/4 of longitudinal length of rib muscle Ava rib fat=.5 Range=.15 to .80 Ava rib eye area=12.8inch.sq Range=10.0 to 18.oinch.sq %KPH fat=ava 2.0% YEILDGRADE FORMULA Rib eye area=LxW 2.5+(2.5X12th ribfat) _(0.32Xribeyearea)+ (0.20XKPHfat%)+(0.0038Xhot carcass wt)
  • 7.
    The rump consistsof several loose muscle layers and the large pelvic bone. It is located between the short loin and the leg and includes the hip section and ends at the socket of the pelvis. Shin Shank The shin consists of a large proportion of bone and a lot of white connective tissue (collagen), which makes this a tough but tasty cut. This is one of the least expensive cut and is best to use a moist, slow cooking method to produce a tender and tasty meat. Short Ribs Short rib refers to a small piece that has been trimmed of the main portion of a rib when the rib section is trimmed into smaller cuts. It is the continuation of the prime rib towards the brisket (belly). Shortloin (Bone-in) / Striploin (Bone-less) The short loin is the most tender of the primal cuts because the muscles in this area are the least used. The sirloin muscle is the largest muscle and the tenderloin is the smaller inside muscle. They are very lean, but usually lack the flavor of some of the tougher beef cuts that contain more fat and connective tissue. Tenderloin The tenderloin is situated inside the carcass alongside the backbone, running from the sirloin to the rump. This meat cut is a long tapered muscle that becomes larger towards the rump; it is boneless and contains very little fat. The tenderloin is the most desirable beef cut in terms of tenderness but it is also the most expensive.