Meat Basics
Creative Cooking II
Nutritional Component of Meat
• Water = 75% Protein = 20 % Fat= 5%
• Shrinkage: Occurs when meat loses
water as it cooks
• Marbling: Fat within
• muscle tissue
Fat Cap: fat that surrounds
muscle tissue
Barding: Wrapping lean meat with fat
Larding: Inserting fat or vegetables into lean
meat
Structure of Meat
• Muscle Fibers: The smaller the
muscle fibers are the more tender the meat
• Connective Tissue: Connects muscles to
bones; very tough.
• Collagen: Soft white
tissue that breaks
down.
Elastin: Hard yellow tissue that
doesn’t break down.
Bones: Older animals have whiter
bones; younger animals have redder
bones.
Purchasing Forms
• Primal Cuts: Also called wholesale cuts;
easy to handle and divide
• Fabricated Cuts:
Menu-sized portions
• Whole Carcass
Menu Inspection & Grading
Inspection: Mandatory USDA
Stamp of Approval
Quality Grade:
Prime, Choice, Select.
Yield Grades: Numbers 1-5 indicate the
amount of useable meat on beef and lamb.
Meat Handling & Storage
• Fresh Meat: Should be stored in the
refrigerator at 41 F or below
• Frozen Meat: Should be stored in the
freezer at 0 F or below.
Cuts of Meat
Pork
•
•
•
•
Loin
Shoulder Butt
Spareribs/Belly
Ham
Lamb
• Shoulder
• Shank/Breast
• Rack
• Loin
• Leg
Veal
• Shoulder
• Shank/Breast
• Rack
• Loin
• Leg
Beef
• Chuck
• Brisket/Plate/Flank
• Rib
• Loin
• Round
Processing Meat
• Curing: Preserving meat with salt, sugar,
spices, flavoring, and nitrates
• Smoking: Exposing meat to the smoke of
fragrant hardwoods such as hickory.
• Irradiation: Exposing meat to medium
doses of radiation to delay spoilage.
Tenderness
• The location of the muscle on the animal
determines the tenderness of the meat.
• If it is an area that receives little or no exercise
then it will be a tender cut.
– Rib
– Loin
• If the muscle is from an area that receives more
exercise then it will be a less tender cut of
meat.
– Leg
– Shoulder
Principles of Cooking Meat
DRY HEAT
MOIST HEAT
Dry-Heat Cooking
• Used for Tender Cuts.
– Warning: It can toughen and dry out meat
over extended periods of time.
– Examples:
• Steaks
• Rib Roasts
Moist-Heat Cooking
• Used for large, less tender cuts.
– Warning: pay close attention to how much fat
is in the cut of meat. Adding too much
additional fat can make the final product
greasy.
– Examples:
• Brisket
• Chuck Roasts
Determining Doneness
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cooking Method
Type of meat
Internal temperature
Color of the meat
Size of the piece
Amount of time cooked
Taking Internal Temperature
• Insert the thermometer at an angle, into
the thickest part of the meat.
• Avoid taking the temperature in fatty
areas.
• Avoid touching or getting near bone.
• Meat is done when it reaches its proper
internal temperature for at
least 15 seconds.
Color of Cooked Meat
• Rare: Browned on the surface, with a red center; A thin
outer layer of cooked meat appears gray.
• Medium Rare: Browned on the surface with a thicker
outer layer of gray.
• Medium: Browned on the surface with an even thicker
outer layer of gray and a pink center.
• Medium-Well: Browned on the surface with a thick
outer layer of gray and a center that is barely pink.
• Well-Done: Browned on the surface and gray on the
inside.
Roasting Meats
Hot, dry air is used to cook food.
-Do not add liquids or cover the meat
during cooking.
-Baste meat in natural
juices or a seasoned
stock
- Place meat fat side up when cooking it.
Barding Meat
• Wrapping meat with fat prior to cooking;
Tie it with twine; Remove fat and twine a
few minutes before meat is done to allow
browning.
Seasoning Roasted Meats
• Trim heavy fat coverings down to a thin
layer.
• Season meat several hours prior to
roasting.
• Season meat again after it is done.
• Season the meat’s juices and serve with
the meat.
• Sauces and Gravies: Deglaze the pan
and combine the drippings with a
thickening agent and a demi glace
Broiling & Grilling Meats
• The shorter the cooking time, the higher the heat
needed.
• The thicker the cut,
the longer the cooking time needed.
• Vary the cooking temperature by moving the
meat to different areas of the grill.
• When grilling red meats, make sure the heat is
high enough to brown the surface.
Sautéing & Pan-Frying Meats
Heat the pan before adding the fat
Use the correct amount of fat
Never overcrowd the pan.
Turn or move the meat as little as possible.
Braising & Stewing Meats
Pat the meat dry prior to browning, especially if it
has been marinated.
Dredge the meat in flour just before cooking to
improve browning.
Do not use more liquid than is necessary.
When meat is done, it should be fork tender.
Make Lean & Variety of Choices
Meat & Beans
5 oz.
Recipes for meat lab
Beef & Pepper Stir Fry
Grilled Beef Kabobs
Steak Burritos
Glazed Ham Slice
Southern BBQ Pork Chops
Pork Tenderloin Roast