Looking at Meat, Poultry, and
Seafood

Food Guide Pyramid
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2-3 servings a day
1 serving = 2-3 oz.
Excellent sources of complete protein
All provide B vitamins, phosphorus & certain trace minerals
Meat & Poultry
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Iron & Zinc
Fish
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Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Cholesterol
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All animal muscle contains about the same amount of cholesterol per ounce
Fat
 content varies
Types of fat
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Meat & Poultry
Invisible fat- within the chemical composition of the food
Visible fat
Marbling w/in the muscle tissue of the meat

Have very long, thin muscle cells
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Thinnest in young animals
Thickest in older animals and those parts of the body that get a lot of exercise
The thicker- the tougher
Connective Tissue- protein material that surrounds cells
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Collagen- thin, white or transparent; when cooked turns into a gelatin
Elastin- tough, yellowish; tenderizing methodspounding, cutting or grinding

Very short fibers arranged in layersflakes when cooked
Separated by thin, fragile connective tissue
When heated- gelatin
Fish & Shellfish-----very tender

Beef
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Cattle, more than 1 year old
Bright red flesh
Veal
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Calves, 1-3 months old
Mild flavor, light pink color, little fat
Lamb
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Young sheep
Mild but unique flavor
Bright pink color w/ white brittle fat
Pork
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Meat from hogs
Grayish pink color w/ white fat

Wholesale cuts
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 large cuts for marketing
Basically is the part of the animal the meat came from
Listed 2 nd on label

Retail Cuts
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Smaller cuts (supermarket)
Specific to the meat you are buying
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Listed 3 rd on label

Wholesale cuts have distinctive bone shape
Nearly identical in all
4 types
Clues to the tenderness of the meat

Lean
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Less than (based on 3.5 oz. serving)
10 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat
95 milligrams of cholesterol
Appearance
Less than ¼ in. fat around meat
Beef Roasts & Steaks: round, loin, sirloin, chuck arm
Pork Roasts & Chops: tenderloin, center loin, ham
Veal Cuts: all except ground veal
Lamb Roasts & Chops: leg, loin, fore shank

Beef trimmings
Law- cannot contain more than 30% fat by weight
Different types sold- leaner ($$$)
You may ask to have meat ground up for you at the store (If not available)
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Lamb, pork, veal

USDA
Stamped w/ harmless vegetable dye
Meat
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Graded according to:
Marbling (internal fat w/in the muscle tissues)
Age of animal
Texture and appearance of meat
Common grades of beef:
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Prime
Well marbled, tender, flavorful, $$$
Choice
Most common, less marbling than prime but still tender
Select
Least amount of marbling, least expensive
Lamb & Veal
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Same as beef w/ “good” replacing “select”
Pork
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Not graded due to uniform quality

Refrigeration/Freezer
Ground Meat-
 refrigerator 1-2 days
 freezer 3-4 months
Fresh Meat-
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 refrigerator 3-4 days
Freezer 6-9 months (beef can be stored to
12 months)

Processed for distinctive flavor
Types:
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Ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts
Curing
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Placing the meat in a mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid and water
Smoking
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Liquid smoke for flavoring
Drying & Salting
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Preserves meat
Combo
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Bacon- cured and smoked
Chipped beef- dried, salted and smoked

Preparing Meat, Poultry, Fish &
Shellfish

Color
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Red to brown
Pink to white
Flavor
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Heat creates chemical reactions w/ in the cut
Texture
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Heated meat loses fat and moisture—shrinks
Muscle fibers get firmer
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Connecting tissue becomes more tender

Less tender cuts
Methods
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Simmering
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Stewing
Braising
Overcooking- mushy meat, loses flavor

Marinade-
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 steeping in a liquid
Tenderizing
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Adding flavor to meats
3 basic ingredients
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Oil, an acid, seasonings
Using marinades
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Fish- 30 minutes to an hour
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Meat and poultry- 6-8 hours (30 min. for some flavor is good)
To cook:
Drain food from marinade
Make a separate batch to baste with

Thaw any frozen meat
Clean meat
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Rinse w/ cold water & pat dry
Trimming the fat
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Moist heat- remove skin from poultry
Dry heat- leave skin on while cooking to prevent drying out

Using a meat thermometerinsert into thickest part of meat, away from bones & fat
Fish- “10 minute rule”
(10 min. for every inch in thickness)

Roasting or Baking
Broiling
Poaching
Microwave
Pan-fry
Stewing
Braising
Stir-frying

Chicken-
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Light meat- leaner and milder flavor; breasts and wings
Dark Meat- more oxygen in this part of meat
(more myoglobin) which causes dark color; legs and thighs; higher in fat
Purchasing Chicken- whole, cut up, or in specific parts
“Fresh”- never been chilled below 26 F
“Hard Chilled”- chilled between 0 F and 26 F
“Frozen” or “Previously Frozen”- has been chilled to below 0F

Broiler-fryer
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Most tender & most common
Roaster
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Larger & older than broiler-fryer
Yield more meat per pound
Stewing
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Older, mature birds
Less tender----must use moist cooking methods
Rock Cornish game hens
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Young, small, special breed
One bird= one serving (Mid-evil Times)
Capons
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Desexed roosters under 10 months old
Tender & flavorful, best roasted

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Larger than chickens and have a stronger flavor
Roasting- most common cooking method
The different type of turkeys are categorized by size:
Beltsville or Fryer-roaster-
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Smallest type of turkey
Average weight 5-9 lbs.
Least available type of turkey
Hen-
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Female turkey
Average weight 8-16 lbs.
Tom-
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Male
Up to 24 lbs.

Ducks and Geese-
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All dark meat
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Flavorful yet high in fat
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Usually only sold as whole & frozen

Healthy eating
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Ground Chicken or Turkey
“Ground Turkey Breast” or “Ground Chicken”both meat and skin
“Ground Turkey Breast Meat” or “Ground
Chicken Meat”- only meat (no skin)
Can be substituted for ground beef- healthier yet drier (add more liquid/seasoning)

Edible poultry organs
Liver, gizzard (stomach), and heart
Usually removed, packaged, and stuffed inside bird

USDA- United States Department of
Agriculture
Grade may appear on the package or attached to the wing of the bird
Grade A, B, or C
Grade A is the most common found in supermarkets—
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Practically free of defects
Good shape and appearance
Meaty

Look for poultry w/ good appearance
High Quality Characteristics: plump, meaty, smooth and soft skin, well distributed fat, no tiny feathers, no bruises
Boneless pieces are more expensive
Store in refrigerator for 1-2 days
Freeze for longer storage

Seafood- edible finfish and shellfish
Types and Market Forms of Fish and
Shellfish:
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Finfish- have fins, a bony skeleton, and a backbone
Shellfish- no fins or bones but have a shell
Freshwater Fish- Inland waters such as lakes, ponds, and rivers
Saltwater Fish- (seafood) Waters such as oceans and seas
Today many fish farms are able to raise both

Light color, mild flavor, and tender texture:
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Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Haddock, Halibut,
Perch, Pike, Pollock, Pompano, Red Snapper,
Sole, Trout, Turbot, Whitefish
Dark color, more pronounced flavor, and firm texture:
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Bluefish, Mackerel, Salmon, Swordfish,
Tuna

Drawn- Whole fish w/ scales, gills, and internal organs removed
Dressed or Pandressed- “Drawn” fish w/ head, tail, and fins removed
Filets- Sides of fish cut lengthwise away from bones and backbone (usually boneless)
Steaks- Cross sections cut from large dressed fish (may contain bones)

Mild, sweet flavor
Mainly found in oceans and seas but some from freshwater
Two types- crustaceans & mollusks
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Crustaceans- long bodies w/ jointed limbs/ covered w/ shells
Crabs- Round shell, eight legs, two claws; sold live, cooked, or frozen
Crayfish- (freshwater) “crawfish” look like small lobsters
Lobster- long, jointed body w/ 4 pair of legs & 2 lg. Claws, all covered w/ a hard shell
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Average weight is 1 ¼ lb.- 2 ¼ lb.
Fresh lobster is sold and cooked live
Maine is the most popular place for fresh lobster
Shrimp- vary in size and color, usually sold frozen or previously frozen, raw or cooked
Mollusks- soft bodies covered by at least 1 shell
Clams
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
Squid (calamari)

FDA- Food and Drug Administration &
National Marine Fisheries Service of the US Dep’t of Commerce

Buy from a reliable source
Display of fish
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Be sure that ice is covering all of the fish
Ready-to-eat fish should not be directly next to fresh fish
Appearance and aroma
Fresh fish- shiny skin & mild aroma/ skin should spring back when touched
Shellfish- must be live to be fresh
If fish smells “fishy” it is
NOT good
Store fish in refrigerator
(1-2 days) or freezer immediately
 Do not put saltwater shellfish in fresh water

Fresh- HOW FRESH IS FRESH???
Frozen- usually sold as filets/ must thaw in refrigerator
Canned- tuna, salmon (oil vs. water)
Cured- smoked, pickled, salted

Looking at Meat, Poultry, and
Seafood