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General Meat Carcass Information
• Livestock are processed before 2 years of
age
– Why?
• Tender meat
– Older animals are processed but the quality of
meat is older.
• After the
animal is
stunned,
• The carcass is
bled out by
hanging
upside down
on a rail
Primal Cuts
• Are also known as wholesale cuts
• Are the larger sections of a carcass from
which retail cuts are fabricated
• Are the pieces of meat from the initial
breakdown of the carcass
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Wholesale vs. Retail
Wholesale
Retail
• Wholesale cuts are • Retail Cuts are the
those which are
smaller cuts that you
shipped from the
and I buy at the
packing plant to
Grocery Store or
Butchers and Grocers Butcher Shop.
for further Processing
into smaller cuts.
Large Cuts
Smaller Cuts
Sub Primal Cuts
• Refer to the larger cuts of meat fabricated
from the primal cuts of the carcass
• Are cut from wholesale cuts, will fit into
boxes to be sold
• Are vacuum sealed,
boxed and shipped to
stores
• Are typically sold
boneless
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Primal Cuts(Wholesale) - Beef
• Includes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
chuck
rib
loin
round
flank
plate
shank
brisket
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Chuck
• Is the area of the carcass
which extends from the
neck to the fifth rib and the
dorsal to the brisket
– shoulder of beef
• Has varying amounts of tenderness
between the muscles
• Retail cuts: Pot Roast, Short Ribs, Top
Blade Steak, Ground Beef
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Rib
• Is fabricated from the forequarter of the
carcass, ribs 6 through 12 as well as a
portion of the backbone
• Retail cuts, including the ribeye steak, are
often cooked using dry heat cooking
methods
• Is a popular choice of meat
due to its flavor and
tenderness
• Retail Cut: Rib Eye, Back Ribs
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Loin
• Yields the most expensive and tender cuts
of meat
• Includes the 13th rib and all of the lumbar
vertebrae
• Can be divided into the short loin and the
sirloin
• Can be cut into chops,
steaks and roasts including
T-bones, tenderloin fillets,
& Porterhouse.
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Round
• Is the hind leg of a beef carcass
• Is not as tender as other primal cuts due to
extensive muscle use
• Is a popular cut of meat because of its
strong combination of
leanness, flavor, texture
and low price
• Retail Cuts: Tip Steak, Rump
Roast, Round Steak & Roast
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Flank
• Is located directly beneath the loin behind
the plate
• Is a tougher cut with large amount of fat
and connective tissue
• Is usually ground with the exception
of the flank steak or London broil
• Is boneless
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Plate
• Is the ventral portion of the rib connected
to the sternum
• Is also called the short plate
• Is usually a cheap, fatty, bone-in and
tough cut
• Retail Cut: Ground Beef
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Shank
• Is the lower portion of the leg of the
carcass
• Is extremely tough, with excess connective
tissue
• Is usually used in stews with slow cooking
process to break down connective
tissues or ground
• Retail Cuts: Corned Beef,
Brisket, Ground Beef
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Brisket
• Is cut from the breast of the beef carcass
• Is a boneless cut and is ideal for feeding
large groups
• Is popular for its flavor and texture
• Must be cooked slowly at low heat and will
shrink significantly
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Popular Retail Cuts - Beef
Eye of Round Steak
(Round)
Porterhouse Steak
(Loin)
Eye Steak, Ribeye
Filet (Rib)
Round Steak Tip Steak, Sirloin Tip
(Round) Steak (Round or Loin)
T-Bone Steak
(Loin)
Tenderloin Steak
(Loin)
Arm Steak, Arm
Small End Steak,
Chuck Steak
Ribeye Steak (Rib)
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(Chuck)
Popular Retail Cuts - Beef
7-Bone Steak,
7-Bone Chuck
Steak (Chuck)
Brisket
Short Ribs,
Plate Ribs
(Plate)
Ground Beef
Skirt Steak
(Plate)
Stew Beef
Cross Cut,
Shank Cross
Cut(Shank)
Cube Steak
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Pork
Primal Cuts(Wholesale) - Pork
• Include:
1. ham, leg
2. loin
3. shoulder (Boston) butt/picnic shoulder,
shoulder
4. side/belly
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•
•
•
•
•
Shoulder (Boston) Butt/Picnic Shoulder,
Shoulder
Is located on the upper and
lower portion of the foreleg
Is one of the toughest cuts of
pork
Is generally an inexpensive cut
of pork
Can usually be cooked by any
method
Retail Cuts Blade Boston, Blade Roast
(Shoulder)
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Side/Belly
• Is located ventral to the loin
• Is very fatty and usually only has small
strips of lean meat
• Contains the spareribs
• Is usually cut for bacon
• Retail Cut:
BACON!
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Loin
• Is located on both sides of the backbone
• Is the leanest, most tender and most
expensive cut of pork
• Is an expensive cut due to its quality
• Is easily overcooked because of its
leanness
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Loin
• Retail Cuts:
– Loin Chop, Pork T-bone Chop
– Back Ribs
– Blade Chop
Ham, Leg
• Is made up of the rump and hind leg
• Is often cured or smoked
• Is very lean and flavorful
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Popular Retail Cuts - Pork
Blade Boston, Blade Chop
Blade Roast
(Loin)
(Shoulder)
Sausage Links
Sausage
Patties
Cube Steak
Ground Pork
Back Ribs
(Loin)
Spare Ribs
(Side)
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Popular Retail Cuts - Pork
Center Slice, Fresh Side
Shank
Leg Center
(Side)
Portion, Leg
Slice (Ham)
Shank
Portion
(Ham)
Loin Chop,
Pork T-bone
Chop (Loin)
Bacon
(Side)
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Primal Cuts - Lamb
•
•
•
•
Leg
Loin
Rack
Shoulder
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Leg
• Is one of the most popular lamb cuts
• Is most commonly prepared whole
• Is relatively tender and can be cooked in a
variety of ways
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Loin
• Is located between the rib and leg
• Is one of the mildest tasting cuts of lamb
• Contains portions of the backbone as well
as the loin eye muscle, tenderloin and
flank
• Is usually cooked
using a dry heat
method
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Rack
• Is also known as the hotel rack
• Portion of the rib section of a lamb, usually
containing ribs 5 through 12, and a portion
of the backbone
• Can be grilled, broiled
or roasted
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Shoulder
• Is one of the most versatile lamb cuts
• Includes ribs 1 through 4 and the shoulder
of the carcass
• Is fatty and contains a large number of
bones
• Is tougher than the middle meats
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Popular Retail Cuts - Lamb
French Style Sirloin Chops
(Loin)
Roast (Leg)
Rib Chops
(Rib)
Rib Roast
(Rib)
Loin Roast
(Loin)
Loin Chops
(Loin)
Arm Chop
Square Cut
(Shoulder) Whole (Shoulder)
Riblets
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