• • • • • •
•
•
•
~ • • 0 • • • • • • • • • • e
*
M e a t is muscletissue. It is the flesh of domestic animals (cattle. ho~s, and lambs) and of wild ~ame animals (such as venison).
Meat is the mainstay of the American diet. As a cook, chef. or f()od sen icc operator, vou will be spending more ofvour time and moucv Oil meats than on
,U1\ other food.
It is important, t hr-u , to understand meats t1lOrOllg'hh in order to cook them well and profiiahlv. \\'11\ .msome meals tende-r and some tough?
H<l\\ cnu
\OU tell
OtiC cut from .motlu-r when there are so m.mvr How do
\Oll determine the best way to cook each cut?
In order to answer questions like these, it is helpful to start at the most basic level of composition and structure. \ire will then proceed to discuss gradin~ and inspection, basic cuts. and appropriate cooking and storage me-thods. Onlv then will we be able to best approach the individual cooking methods and recipes presented in the Iollowinu chapters.
1. Describe the composition and str uct urc of meat and tell how it relates to meat selection and cooking methods.
2. L'se the federal meat inspection and grading svstcm to help
YOU select and purchase me-ats.
3. Explain the significance of aging meats.
4. Idcntifv the primal cuts of beef, lamb, veal, and pork, and list tlie major fabricated cuts obtained from t'ach of thern.
5. Sele-ct appropriate cooking methods for the most i
I1l portan t meat cu ts, based on the meat's tenderness and other characteristics.
6. Determine dorieness in cooked me:u.
7. Store meats far maximum shelf life.

1'111'1 Three l\Iml. 1'011 lily, and Fish vl uscl« tissue consists of rlue e major components: w.ur-r, protein. and lat.
\\'ater is about 7:-) percent of muscle t issue. \ridl such a high perccIllage of wa i e r in meat. YOU CIII see \\IF
\11 ri u IW/!,F CIlI be ,I hig problem ill cooking meat. Too m urh nro i st n rr- loss m c a ns dry meat. loss or \\eight. aile! loss of profit.
Protcill i-, .m i m porr.u u n n ni cn t
.m
d the m ost a hun­ e!:1l11 solid IIl~lIITi,t1 ill IIW'It. .vbou: :!O percellt of mus­ cl« tiSSIW is prot ciu.
,\, \\(' learned ill Ch a p tc r -L p ro t ci n fll({,!!,'/I/({In wh cn it is hcatcd. This mca n s it becomes fi rmr-r .i u d loses iuo ist n rr-. CO~lgldatioll is rc-l.u e-d to dOIICIH'SS: when pro uin h,IS coagllLlled to t lu: de-sired degree. the mc-a t is said to he "d o n c ." Don enc-ss wi l l be di,­ cllssl'd later ill this chaptcr.
Too high hc.u III IIgli
I'll I protein,
LIt .uco
u u tlor IIp to :) perccnt of m usclci isvu«.
O( co n rst. t h cr« ca n he IllOIT Llt'lllTollnding the Illllscks. .\ bed ClrClSS CIII 1)(' ~IS milch as :)0 per­ cc-u t Iat.
IkclllSl' of lua l t h and dietan' co n ccin«. IILIll\ me-at animals are being bred and raised wit h ,I lm\(T fat content t h.m in past Years. :\eHTtheless. a ccrr.uu
.uu o u n t of LIt is (lesir,lble for three rc',I,ons:
1, Jlliciness.
JI({/!JIillg is tat t h.n is deposited wit h i u the n i u s­ rl« t isxuc-. The juicin e ss \\T enjm in \\TII-IIl~lr­ hied beef is clue more to fat than to m oist urc-.
Su rf:«« fat protects the mt'at-especiallY roasts-front drying out during cooking as \\e11 as in stor'lge. Adding surface fats where they arc lacking is c:t1kcl
/!l1I di
11[.;.
2. Tenderness.
Marbling st'par~1tes muscle fibers. making them easier to chew.
3. Flavor.
Fat is perhaps the main source of nann in meat.
,\ well-marbled Prime (top grade) steak tastes
"beefier" than the same cut of ,I lower grade.
Mea t contains a yen small a m o u n t of c.ubo hvd ra tc,
From the sru u d po i n t of n u t ri t i o n , its quantity ix xo small that it is insignificant. It is important, however. because it pLt\S a ncccssarx part ill t lucomplex reac­ tions that take pl~ICT wh e u uuat s :II'C' browu c-d bv roasting. broiling. or saut('ing. \\'itIIOllt this C:lrlw­ hvd r.n c-. the desirahk flavor .t u d appear,lllce of browned IlH'ats \\'OI11d not be .nh
it-vc-cl .
lcn n meat i s co mposc-d oflollg, t h i u m u-,cl« fil)('r, bouu d togethcr ill liu n d lcs. Thne detcTlllilll' till' In­
11111' or glllill of a piece 0(' lllLlt, Fille-gr:lilll'd 11le~lt i,
COlliposed of small li lxr-, bou nrl ill slllall hu n d l.«.
CO~ll,('-It'xtllred me,lt h ns large libel'S. fecI t h c 1I11 s u r l.u«: 01 a tenderloin "tcaK. .u i d comp<lll' i rsxm oot h u-xt u r« to the rOllgh cut sllrLlc'(' of lnixkr-t
(li hot rom r. n m d.
\Illsck libel'S .ucl io u n d log(,ther ill ~I 1Il'l\lotK of pi
( l ­ re-ins c:dkel ((JII 111'1 t n« lilllln..
-\lso. (':1111 1111I'ck l i l n: i-,
Imercd ill a shr-arh 0(' con nc-ct ivc: t ivsu«.
1\ is nT\ i m po rta n t 1'01' t h« cook to uu drrsr.m d con uc-ct ivr t ix-.u« Irn: one h.rsir IT,ISOIl:
((Jllllfllii,l' tissu>
II
IOIl,!.!.h To look mells Slll('('",llIlh, vc iu xhot ik l KIlOW
\Yllilh llll':lls ~IIl' high ill con nc-ct ivc- tiSSII(' a n d whirh <lIT 1(,,1.
\\klt <lIT t h c- hl'St \la\,s to m.ik« tough Illl',lh t cnd«r.
1. ,\lmll (/II'II/glinl/II ((JIIlIl'lli,11' t iss n: if a. Thc\ IOll1(' from m uxclcs th:11 :IIT more 1"CT­ ci-cd. \ll1,cles in the leg,. iot cx.un plc. h avc m o rv ro n n ect ivct i sxuc: t hun m u srlcs ill the b.uk. b. Th cv come Iro m older an i ma ls. Veal is len­ de rer than meat from ~I \ oung steer, which in turn is tenderer than nu-a t from all old bull or CO\l'. (Young .uumals have con uectivc tis­ sue , too. but it becomes harder to break down as the animal ages,)

Chapter Tell Understanding Meats
2. Meats high in connective tissue can be made more tender bv using proper cooking tech­ llIqlles.
There are two kinds of connective tissue: col­
111.£,"1'11, which is white in color, and elastin, which is vellow. a. Collagen.
Lo nu. slow cooking in the presence of m oi s­ t u r« breaks dOll'n or dissolves collagen bv t uru inu it into gelatin and wate-r. Of course, m usr l« tissue is about 70 percellt water. so moisture is alwuvs presclIt whe-n me-ars are cooked, Except for ve-rv large roasts, howcve.',
101lg cooking 1)\ d d rv-h c.u mc-t h o d has the ddnger of evapordtillg too much moisture and drving out t h c med!. Tl rcrc-Iorc. moist-hrn!
(()o/;ill/-,: methods allow 11'1II/Ji'mlllrl',1
IIII' niost l'/fi'IC liiltjor IIII'IIillg II 1111'111 high ill co n n crt nr tissu: into a tenrlrr. [uic; jill ish I'd [noilur',
Other f,lctors also help tenderi/c' collagell:
.Icid helps d i sxo lvc- collagen. \Iarin'lting m c-a t ill
,III acid m i x t u re. or addillg' an .ui
d xuch a'i lomato or wi n« to the cookillg liquid. helps lellderi/(',
[-11:.11111'1 arc u.u u ra l lv pre'iCII1 in meats.
Tl u-. lncul, clown 'iome con uc-ctiv.: t issuc: and or h ci p ro ui n ,
,I'i m c-u t ages (SlT IIgill/!:, p, I')H), These en/lllll'S arc in.ut iveat fl'l'l'/­ ing temperatures, slow dctillg u n clcr rcfrigcr­
.u
io n . act ivca t room t c m p cra t u rc. .m
d destroyed hv lu-.u .ibov« 14lr F ((i(J(:).
1'I'I/lll'Ii:1'1'I .uc: ell/ln1t'S surh as pdpaill
(l'xlr,ICled lro m papal'a). which .uc addcdlo
IIlcah ))\ t lu- cook or injccl(,(] iu t o the animal
Iw!oJ(' sbllghll'r, Lxerci'il' calT wlun lIsing l'n/lllIl' lelllkri/crs, T'HI ]ollg all C\,P0'illIT dt rOOI]} tcm pc-r.u ur« call m.ik« the me-at IILHk­
'iirdbh m uxhv. b. Elastin.
Older .m i m.i ls h.iv« d higber p ro p o r t io n of c-Iasriu t h.u i vOLIllgTr a nirnnl-;
Elastin i s
1101 hro ke-n d owu in cookillg.
Te n de riz i n p em be accomplished o n lv bl n'"/oililli!. tli« elastin (cutting awav a n v ten­ dons) and
III mr-rha n unl lv IJll'lIklll/-,: II/I IIII'
[ibers, as in
POllllding and Cllbing (cubed steaks I.
(;rinding (hamburger).
Slicing the cooked meat verv thin against the gralll (as ill London broil).
Cooks and food service operators are assisted in their evaluation of meats bv a federal inspection and grad­ ing system.
I. Inspection i s a P,'I/IIIIlIltl'e O!WhIlII'\OIllI'III'II. not of quality or tenderncss. It means i h ar the .uiimal was n o t d isca se d and the meal is clean .uir! fit for hu man cou st unpt iou .
2. It is in dirurcd by a rou nd stamp (Figure 1(J.I ),
3. It is rc qu i re-rl Ill' Ic-clcru l LI\I-all meal m ust be inspected.
I. Grading i'i ,I qnnlit» de'iigllalion,
2. It is inclic<lted hy a shield stamp (Fig-me I(J,~),
3. II i'i 1101 requirrt! IJ.1 IlIlI'. (Sollie p<lckers use
<I
Ini­
7'1111' ,!!,TI/llill,l!: IIIII'III
.m cl gin' different hr.m cl
11,IIlIC'i to dilTelTIII gr<lde'i, I{eliabilill' of piiv.u« gr<ldc, dep('IH]'i oil i h« rcp ut.u io u or the p<lCkeL)
QU,t1ill gradillg i, h,!See! on ih« tcx uu c. li rnn ns«. ,1L1d color or t i«: IClLl mc.u. the agT or m.u n ruv of lite .u n­ mal. and t lu Illarbling (th« Idt vvitl iiu t lic: lca n ).
USDA inspection stamp for meat.
USDA
USDA grade stamp for meat.

/ Part Three AIm/, Poulirv, and Fish
All these factors must be considered together.
For example, old, tough meat can still have marbling, but it would rate a Jaw grade because of the other fac­ tors, Table 1 o.
I summarizes l'SDA meat grades. ve a l , lamb, and pork. This softening is caused by
mzymes in the flesh.
(;IFI'II
meat is meat that has not had enough time to soften. It is tough and relatively flavorless, Because it takes several davs for meats to reach the kitchen from the slaughterhouse, green meat is seldom a problem, except when meat is frozen wh ile still grecn.
III addition to qual itv grading, beef and lamb are graded according to how much nsable m e a t in pro­ portion to fat t l n-v han'. Th« meatiest grade i,s Yield
Crude I. Poo r.-xr yield (m uch exterior
1';11) IS Yield
(;rade 0.
Pork is yield gTaded [ro m 1 to 4. but m ost pork is sold already cut and trimmed.
Veal, wh ich has little LIt. is n ot yield graded.
SOOll ~dll'!' slallghter, an .unuial« muscles sli/fen. due to chcm iral changcs ill the llrxh , This stilllll'Ss. called ri,!!,lII mortis, gr;\(lu~lIh disappe~lrs.
Soflenillg ukcs :~ to
I c l a v s for beel. less t i m c : for s m u l l c - r carcasses like
Euzvme action continucs i n muscle tissue eve-n after m e a r is no louger grccn. This t cudc-rizcs t 11l' flesh e-ve-n morc and de-ve-lops more flavor. Holding nll·a!.'; in coolers u n dc r co n uo llc-d co u d it i o ns to provide ti mc lor t h is natural tt'ndni/ing is calkd 1I,!!,·illg:.
Recf and l.nnb can he- aged. Iwc;ulse high-qual­ ity carcasse, han' cnongh LIt rovrr to protcct t hc m l ro m bacteria and lro m dn'ing. \'cal has no I~ll covc-r, so it is not agcd. Pork docs not relJuire aging.
The three IIl<ljor types ot ~Iging .uc: descrilwd as
Iol low»:
1. Dry
Aging d()cs n o t mc-a n j u s: ~torillg mc.u i u your refrigerator. FhNI' i,l II rlillnn/ll'
Characteristics
USDA Meat Grades
Beef
Ilighl's[ qllalin. higlH'st
]J1i' ,. liniiu-c! slipph.
Iligll ill qll.tli[\. gelln~tlil
[('lIdn ~llld jllic\
,\1)(111­ d.uu slippil. \\ideil uvc-r l ill I()od sl'l'\ice as wr-ll ~ls in rct.ul.
Le~11I Illeat.
1101 as line or uuckr. Ecol1omic;tl. Can
1)(' tend('!' and Il.tvcuIu! if
(oo].,(,d r.uc-Iullv. Used in
1ll,111\ in-a iu u i.mnl Ioocl
SCI \ i, e ()I)('\'~llions.
Leasl Ileqllenlil nsed in rood
St'\'\ in', Higill'si or these ,gr~ldes an' sOIlll'­ times lIsn] ill in st it u­ tional rood sen ir«.
Lowest or Ihese gr~ld('S are used by C<Il1IWrS .uul processors.
I'ri me
( .hoicr:
Sch-n
S[;IIIlLtrd
( .onuucrci.rl
Ltilit\
Cu ttcr
Canner
Veal
1'1111 J('
Choin'
( ;ood
Standard
1'1 i]i l\
( :1111
Lamb
1'11111('
( .hoi.«
Cood
I I iI i [\
( :1111
Pork
1'01'].,
IIs(·d ill lood Sen in' is vciv
COllsisll'nl In qllalil\ and is 1101 qual il\ gr<Ided. lt is inspcrn«!
1'01'
\\ho]esllmeness and graded I'll Yield.
Note: Qualitv varies wi t h i n grades. For example, tile best Choice beef is close to Prime. while the lowest
Choice beef is close to Select,

/ 199
Temperature must be ca refu llv monitored, Air flow and humiditv must be controlled, because bacteria will grow on cut surfaces if there is too much moisture, Ultraviolet lights are sometimes used in aging coolers to kill bacteria and mold,
To speed aging. meat can be held at a higher temperature and h u m icl itv for a shorter time. Ultraviolet lights to con nol bacte­ ria are espe ciallv important in fast aging, Most fast-aged meat is sold on the retail market rather than to food sc-rvicc establishments,
The modern trend is to brenk down carcasses iu i o sma llrr cut s ,1lH\ wrap them ill air- and moisture-proof pb,tic hags,
This is called CI)'01I([(
I/gi/lg, The \\Llpping pro­ tects meats from bacteria and mold and pre­ vents weight loss due to dr\ iug. (Howe-ve-r.
Cryovac-agcd meats oft en !o,e more \lTight i u cooking t h au do drv-aged m c.uv.I Of co ursc. meats in Crvovar must be refrig<T,lted,
Agiug incre,l,es u-n dt-r n cxs .iu d Ilavo r. An of!
Llste ix not characterislic oj aged inc.u. 110 II/!'Ill
i i i
{osll'll/llli/nl, il jJlII!Jolih II, So mr-t imv 11ll',ltS in
Crvov.ir lLI\T a 1I111,tl' anlllL\ II'hCll first o!lcl'l'd, hu: this dis,lppe,lrs quick lv.
Aging costs InOllCV. Slor,lgc cosls, \leight losses due to drying, he-avie-r t rim mi ujz due 10 dried ,\I1d dis­ colored surfaces. all add 10 the price of 'lgTd !l1eal
(althollgh Crvovar aging costs less than cirv aging) ,\s a meat piuchnxe-r. vo u
II ill have: 10 decide hO\I' m uch q u al i t v is worth ho« milch cosl for
10111' p.ut
iru la r eSIahl ixh m eu t. eat cuts an' hased on two Iacto rs:
1. The muscle- and bone structure of the meat.
2. l'ses and appropriate cooking ructh ods of val' i­ ou- parts of the animal.
Food service suppliers mal' follow a set of speci­ fications c al le-rl Institution Meat Purc h:iseSpecifica­ tions (IMPS). (LvfPS, including numbers and names of cuts, are the same as the Nat io n al Association of
Meat Purveyors Specifications, or :\A\lPS.) :\11 cuts are described in detail and listed hv number. This simplifies purchasing, since I'OU can order by number for exactlv the cut I'OU want.
Beef, lamb. ve-al, and pork mav be purchased ill some or all of 111e,,<' lorms.
The clrclss is t h« whole animal. minus entrails, lie-ad. f'cel. and hide (cxccp t pork, wh irh has only t h c­ c-u t ra i ls ,IIHl h c.id remove-d). \\'1101c carcasses art' r.uc-lv purchased 1)\ food sc-rvirc- operators, because of t hc <kill .n u l labor rcqu irc-d in cntting and bt'culse of till:' problem of t ot a l ut iliz.uio n.
TII<'sc' represcnt t lic- first ,tc'p in breaking d own a elrel'S,
,\g;lin. thDe l<lrg<'1 cur-, arc
IHl longcr frc<jllc'nlh
Ilsnl ill food ,c'ITicc, Fell't'!' t'sLtlllisllluenls .uc: Clllting t luir ovvn uu.u-;
1. Ikt'l i-, ,plil lirst Ihll>lIgh 'he h,\I k bo n« ill\O
,ides, Sides an' dilidcd hC'tllt'l'l1 thc l~th u ucl
I :\th rihs il110 fornjlurtc'I .u ul h iudqu.uu-r.
2. "ct! and la m h a rt: not sp li: i n ro sidcs biu .irc­ d ivi d c-cl ])('[\I('('n iil», 1 ~ and 1:\ i n t o Iorcsaddl« and hin<!-;;trldle,
,\ IH'\I (,lItliug s tvl c: h<ls IWCll dCl'clo[led for l.uu b. III t h i-, nu-th orl. II\(' fore'addlc and h i nd s.uld k- ;11(' d i, i drcl ;t1ln t luI :\111 rib, For mo n: i n lo rm.u ro u . 'l't' the cli.ut ol l.nu h ruts on
Il;lgt' ~1t), Tl\(' I\('\1 Silk rut-,
;11\1\ t l u: t r.ulit io ual
,tIll' arc ,11<liLlbk, ,I('cordillg It) t h c cuxr o m crs '
1\1'('<ls,
3, Pork c.ncassc-s
,UT u o t divide-d ill this way. Thcv are cut dirc-ctlv i n t o prim.il CUI, (below).
These .u« Ihe pruu.uv d ivisiou s of quarter,. fOl('sad­ d le s. h iu rlx.ulcl lc-,
.in d carcasses, These cuts
;11'1' still used 10 some e-x te-n t in food se-rvice, hc-rnu-«t h c-v
1, Arc- smul] enough to be manageable in many food service kitchens.

200 / Pari Tin!'!' ,\]f'(JI,
and
2. Arc still large enough to allow a varie tv of differ­ ent cuts for ditTerent uses or needs,
3. Are easier to utilize comple te lv than quarters or halves.
Each pri ma l m av be [abricated, or cut up and trimmed. in several different wavs. Thev are alwavs the starring point for smaller cuts, For this reason it wil! benefit vou to be able to idcntifv each one, Study the charts and photos in Figures 10,3 through 10,6,
(Please note that the lamb chart in Figure 10,5 shows the traditional cuts. not the new cuts mentioned pre­ viouslv.) Learn the names of the prirna ls. their loca­ tion on the carcass. and the most important cuts that
Chuck, Square-cut
VEAL
Neck
Jowl PORK
Leg (Sirloi-: off)
Breast
Meat Board.)
Primal (wholesale) meat cuts. (Courtesy National Live Stock and
LAMB

Chapter TPII Understanding Meats
come from each. Then, whenever vo u wo rk with a piece of meat, try to ide-n tifv it exactlv and match it with its primal cut.
Primal cuts are fabricated into smaller cuts for roasts, steaks. chops, cutlets, stewing meat. grouno meal. and
,,0 forth. according to individual customer requirements and, if applicable, IMPS/NAMPS speci­ fications.
The amoun t of trim and exact specifications can have many variatious. For example, a beef primal rib is trimmed and prepared for roasting at least nine dif­ feren t wavs.
Portion control ruts are reach-to-cook meats, cut according to customer's specifications. Steaks an d chops are o rd e rc-d either by \ITight per steak
Beef hone structure, (Courtesy National Live Stock and
Meat Board.)
I. Neck bone
2. Backbone
2a. Feather bone
2b. Finger bone
2c. Chine bone
3. Tail bone
4.
5.
9.
Blade bone
Arm hone
6. Fore shank bone
7. Breast hone
8. Rib cartilage
Ribs
I
Pelvis lOa. Hip bone lOb. Rump or aitch bone
II. Lp~ or round hone
12. Knee cap
13. Hind shank bone
BEEF
Primal (wholesale) cuts and their bone structure. (Courtesy National
Live Stock and Meat Board.) (Continues)

202
Pari Three Meal, POll Illy, and Fish
FORE SHANK
LAMB
VEAL
LOIN
I I
LEG (FRESH OR SMOKED HAM)
(Continued)
PORK

Chapter Ten Understanding Meats I 203 or hv thickness. Portion control cuts require the least work for the cook of all meat cuts. Th ev are also the most expensive per pound of all categories of cuts. h.IIO\lillg the bone structure of llleat animals is essen­ t i.rl lor:
1. Identification of meat cuts.
The disr inctivr- shapes of the boncs are often the best clue to the iden rific.u ion of a cut. 1\ote how till' shapes of thc hones in Figure 10.1) help vou r rccognirion.
2. Boning and cutting meats.
BOlles arc o It c-n su rton n clc-r! In flesh. YOIl will nee-d to k n ow where t hrv ,LIT
C\'CII if vo u can't sec them.
3. Can1ing cooked meats.
S;LIll{' ITaSOIl as fill uumhcr
<)
St ur lv the ch.ut o it hr: heel,skeletoll in FigLIlT lOA
.u
ir l lealn t h« name-s olt iu: major l io n c-s. Theil co m­ p,IlT the charts ill Figllre 10.:-l. Yo u wi ll sec t h a t the lio n cs t ruct u rvs for a ll the a n i m a ls arc iclc-u t ica l
(exce-pt for pork, which Ius more than 1:'1 ribs). Eve-n the names are the same.
(b) Lamb boneless shoulder, rolled and tied.
(c) Lamb arm chop.
Typical primal and fabricated cuts of beef, lamb, veal, and pork. (Courtesy IBP, Inc., Dakota
City, Nebraska, and the National Live Stock and Meat
Board)
(a) Lamb square-cut shoulder, whole. (d) Lamb blade chop. (Continues)

/ Pari Three Xlea], POll!II)', and Fish
(e) Beef chuck, boneless, separated into blade, clod, and arm.
(h) Beef rib steak.
(f) Pork butt.
(i ) Veal rib roast.
(g) Beef rib, roast ready. (j) Lamb rib chop.

205
(k I Pork rib half and loin half roasts.
(n) Pork rib chops.
II) Full pork loin (includes rih). (0) Beef loin.
(m) Pork tenderloin. (p) Beef short loin. (Continues)

206
II
(q ) Beef T-bone steak.
(t ) Beef boneless strip loin.
(r) Beef porterhouse steak.
(u) Lamb loin roast.
(s) Beef tenderloin, trimmed. (v) Lamb loin chop.

(w) Pork loin chops.
Chapter Ten Understanding Meats
(z) Lamb, whole leg.
(x I Beef outside (bo uorn ) round.
(aa ) Beef knuckle. untrimmed.
(y) Beef round steak. (bb) Beef inside (top) round. (Continues)

/ Pm1 Th ree Meat. Poultrx, and
(cc) Lamb foreshank.
(eej Beef flank steak.
(dd) Beef shank cross cuts.
(IT)
Veal breast.

Chapter Ten Understanding Meats
209
Beef Primal Cuts and Fabricated Cuts
Primal Major Bones
Common Fabricated
Cuts
Primary Cooking
Methods
Forequarter
Chuck (square cut) Ribs I-j
Bladc bone
Backbone (including chine and feather bones)
:'\cck bone-s
Arm hone
Shoulder clod
Triangle
Boneless inside chuck
Chuck tender
Chuck short ribs
Cubed steaks
,SIC\l incat
Gl'Ollnd chuck
!\oneless briskr-: and corned lx-rl lniskct
Ground lwd
Rih
Rib bones
Rib cUliLlg"
Bn'asl l x nic
Shank
S[e\l'IlH"\1
Grolll\(! heel'
Note: Squ.ur-cut chuck. brisket. and <h.uik. in one pic( (', arc callcd aov-rut rliurk,
Rihs (i-l:2
Backbone (chinc and
1c,1I!\('r bOI\('s)
Rib roasls ("prilllc rih ")
Rih ,teak,
Shor: ribs
,SIl<lrl pLII(' Rib hones
IIp ot lnc.rst bOI\('
Rib cartilagc
Short ril»
Sle\l nu.u
(;rmlnd heel'
Hindquarter
(FiliI loin)
Sirloin
Fbllk
Rib 1:\
Ib, 1...1 " u u:
Backbonc
[cl
Hill hOIl(' (part or pehis)
Tip oj rib I~) iinr-. lc'II!H'1 ho!H's, lill,~cr
!H1IH',", l'l'<' IIO\('
I
I I
Full tenderloin (to 11.!\e [,'nd"I!oill in one piece, It InIIS[ hc striplwd out of loin hdore !oin is spill into <liort loin .mr l sirloin)
Club sl(';lks l-bon« ,sle;1 ks
!'orterhonsl' ,le'lk,
Strip loin
Stnp !oin steak,
Short lenderloin
Top sirloin hili [
BtHIOI]] sirloin b[[11
Butt tcnder!' ,in
Flank ste'lk
(;round beet
ROllnd Ronnd lleg) bou«
.viuh bone (part of pclvi-:
Shank hone
T;lil bone
Knuckle (sirloin tip) l nsid« (top) round
Outside rbottorn ) round
E\'e otrouud (parr of ourvid« round)
Rum p
Hind shank
Moivt
\Joi,t heat
\Ioist he.u
\Ioist hcal
\(oist
[)n
[)n he;1I h",lt
\[oi,t heat
]\(',11 hc.u he,ll
(",('plion: ibn I... s\('ak cookcd
'IS I Olldoll hroil)
\Iolsi luu .uid dry
Note 1: Finger ho ncs are the short horizontal bo n e s attached to those r h iue bones that have no ribs attached, Thr-. are the stem, of the T', in Tvbones.

Lamb Primal Cuts and Fabricated Cuts
Primal Major Balles
Common Fabricated
Cuts
Foresaddle
Shoulder Ribs l-ef or l-?i (see note 2)
Arm
Blade
Backbone (chine and leather bones)
:"Jeck bones
Rib bOlles
Sre,lsI ho m:
Shank bOlle
Sholl lder roasts
Shoulde-r chops
Stew me-at
Ground lamb
Breast and shank
HOld r.uk Ribs :)-12 or 1;-1:\
(see norc2)
BacKbollc
Rihle ts
Brc.i«
Ste\l' me.u
( ;rtlllllll lamb
Rib rudst (r.uk )
(:n
111'11 roast
Rib cbops
Hindsaddle
LOIn (\lith or
\I u hout ll.m k )
Rib 1:' (optional: sec uotr2)
IbcKbone (rhinr-. Ic.u hc-r bones, fillger bones)
ItlcKholle lail bo n«
Pe-lvis (bip hou«.
.u trh bOlle}
Rounr! houc­
Hind <hank lo m roast
Loin cbops
1 "('~ roa"l
Leg chops
Suioiu c]J()ps
Sklilk
Note: J Iotel LI'K .uid loin .u
t.ulu-rl .uc ealkd 1111111) brill;; Ilsed llIosth Ii,,' c!J()ps,
Primary Cooking
Methods
Mots: heat and drv heat
\Ioist heat
])/\ beat
\Ioist l.c.u
Note 2: I .unb (Oll'Sdddks are divide-d IWIII('ell nbs!
.uu
l :i, unlike- bed .uul
n',d, which an' d ividcd belll'l'l'n ribs .i and Ii. Thus, the rack or rib "'<lion o( lamb has S ribs:
]WC( and leal, 7 rills. In the nell. option.il xtvl« olcnlling, the
Cd lCd'S is dilided in to loresaddk and h inds.rd dlr- ,Iller the 1 :1111 rib, ,1I1d t lu- 100e­
.S<lddk IS dil ided 1WI\IlTn rihs:i .mr! Ii. Th« r.vk rhus conldius rillS Ii-I :"
Veal Primal Cuts and Fabricated Cuts
Primal Major Bones
COII/II/on Fabricated
Cuts
Foresaddle
Shoulrlc: (square rut )
Breast
Shank
Hotel rack
Ribs
1-:-)
Slade bone
Backbone (chine and
Ie-at her hOlll's I
Neck bones
Arm bone
Rib bones
Rih cartilage
Breast bone
Shan K bone
Ribs h-12
Backbone (chine and feather bones)
Shoulde-r ro,\sls
Shoulde-r chops
Shoulde-r (I, Id steaks
Culx«! steaks
Ste\l nll',iI
(;round le,d
BOllelcss hrea,sl
Cubed sIC,IK,s
Ground veal
Sh.m
k lTOSS ow, (osso buco )
Rib roast (raCK}
Rib chops
Note: Hotel rack plus connecting portions of breast is called a brarelet,
Primarv Cooking
.Hethods
\Ioist heat and drv heal
"(oist heal
\loisl heal
])/\ he.u and moist heat

Clroptn ]pn Understa nding
Veal Primal Cuts and Fabricated Cuts (Continued)
Primal Major BOlles
Com mon Fabricated
Cuts
Hindsaddle
Loin (wirh
(J)' without Ilauk l
Rib 1:)
Bdckbonc (chine.
1e;ltlWI hou c«. lillger bouc-)
S;lddle (loin roast )
Loi
Il chops
Leg BdcK!Jonc
Tail bOlle
Pclvix (hill l ir n u.
.iirrh l x n u)
Round bOI\('
Hind <h.u.], l.('g ],()~l.
....
h
Sc;doppilw or cUllels
Sh.uik ITO." ClliS (Os.", huro )
Sole: l loul r.uk .uu
l loill ;111;ICh('(1 ;11'(' c;dlcd nrrtl Imc]«: u"'d 11l'''11I I()J chops.
Primary Cooking
Methods
Drv heat and moist heat
Dn heal
\)oi"l hc.u
Pork Primal Cuts and Fabricated CUb
Primal
Bo.sloll buu loin
II;Ull
Iklll
Major B01/es
S;llOlIldl'l (.\1[11) 1)()Jw
S;hallk bOlli'
BLldl' hor«: (rib boucs, h.u], .uir l
[\('ckl)()J\(s .u c rCIIIO\(,d
I
Rill IH)J}('"
\"tT n ou .'~) lb, kIH)J\(' t rh iuc.
1e;IIIIII bOlli'S.
JillglT !)(HlC .... 1
Hip I)()JH'
.vitch l x n u: l.,'g bOIH'
I l ind shan], bOI\('
", )J\('
Rib bOllI'''
1~J( ',1,1 bOlle
""Ill'
" Oil
I'
FOOl 1)0111"
Common Fabricated
C1/t,· hl'slt .urd '1lwkl'd p irni.
J lock,
(;rOlllld I)ork
.l..)~lll""~lg{'
111('<11
['>lIll '\C,I k,
Sh, >1d<lcr 1" ';1'1'
!bi" ('lllok"d
I
(,['()JIlld pork
S~l\lSag('
1I1(\ll l.oill rO;lsI l x un .uid rib chOI)S
BOI1<'Ie,,, IOIIl
Cou n nv-xt , k- ril
»,
(:anddidll-sl I Ie bacoll
(smoKed)
Frl's h ham
.S;mokl'd ham
! bm sll'dk"
B;lcon
Frl',11
.i
nd s;dt Luback
S;d I pork
Lnd
JOII'i bacon
Primary Cooking
Me/hods
\!oisl lH'dt
[)n IW;II .uu l Illoisl
Itl';11
I
)I,\, lH'al .uid n ioixr
1\(';)1
DII ]W,II .n
« l IIIOi'l hCdl
I)n 11<';\1 and IllOl'l hCdl
\(oisl hC,11
({"l'd ,IS cookillg' lats ) vloist and drv heat vloist heat
Note 3: Pork ha" mort' than 13 ribs (unlike Iwd. l.uub, .urd leal) due to special blecdillg to develop long loins.

212 /
Part Three
(lnd Fish
\Yh('lhcr IOU !JUI' wl i ole (dl(',I"e" Llhri( ,I(ee! cut «, or dl1\lhing in betwc e n. depeJ1(j.; on Iour factol':
1. l l ow m ur h nJe~II-(,lllliiH!; vkil l do v o u or 1'0111' sl,tfT hdY('~
3, (:,In vo u u-«: ,til Clll, .m d 1c~ln t ri n: OJI 10111'
111('1111~
4, \Ahich lo rm gilT' Y()\1 t h c 1)["1 11,,//11'1 /1 or Ii II n.
<lfter [Igllrillg ilJ I<lhor eo,I'~
1\/Cdl plln ('\
"I', e,11l 1I"lld)II' Clil Il\('dl In"J"(' ce',1101111­
«till 111,1I1 food ,cl"\'iee 0!J(Tdlol" 1)('(,<lII,e il\("l <!e,d ill
LII':2,(' vol uuu. (:,ll'<d"'(" " I plil1l,tI ClII' c(),1 It,,,, per pOll Ill! IILIII Ldll'ic,lled 1111'. l nu 11ll'1 11'.11" moi« 11',1'\('
(Idl .u u l hOllc) .r
n d
11]('1 IC(lllilC 1110\(' !;J!,,)\ (llhiell
(''''1,111011('1), [loII('I('!', 'OIIH' "p,'!',II()I' ,I ill d" ,0111C
1>!I!lcir 01111 (lIllillg, llt'p('J](lll1g ()[] ho« t h cv elll
~11l'\lCr
Ihe /0111' ql\(',lioll' ,ill()I,' l'1\('1 1('1'1 \lldl 1'111­ tillg their 0\111 ruc.u gi\(', iI\("1ll gT<',II('1 C"llIl'o! 0\('1 qu.il itv.
S(lIlle (,olnprollli,c,
<I\('
;l\;liLlllk, If lOll IId111 lll(' qll;lIil\ o[ Ire,llh CIlI 'Ie<lk,. [()r e";llnpk, lOll
1I1igill huv !JOIIC!c'" ,trip lo in-, .u
u l cu t 10[11' (11111
,Ie<lks 10 (lId('!', \"lll I]('e<! n ot 11111 prillLti loin"
\\'11('[1 IJlI\ iilg IIICll. I ()II
1\ ill Ile('<! 10 illdu ,11(' til(' JoI­
IO\lillg 'IH'l ili"lli"ll<
I. Item lIallle,
IJlcliu\c J\IPS :,\,\\Il'S n u m l x-r
;Ippli,
. r l i h
EX;llllpk: I,:) Ikd Short Loi n. Rq.!;IILII
2. Grade,
FX<lllIpk: t',S, Ch oicc:
(\'011111,1\ ;Ii,,, \\,11l1 !" '!)('lih dj\j,ioll ()I gl<ltk.
-ucl: ,I' i h« upp('r lJ~tll
01 1111I('r
II~tll of C,S,
Clj()i( (',
I
3, Weight range: I'll ['0,1,1, aucl l<lrgc cu t-.
Polliol/ "ughl (lllltirl,'lIll\ 1lIlIllwllli: !"I,IC,lk, ,mel chop"
4, State ofrefrigeratioll: chilled orfro7.ell'
5, Fat limitations: average thicklless of swia ce fat.
Example:
inch '1\'er'lgt'. I inch l1l<lXillllllll.
(Doe, not applY 10 \cal. i
I, II 1('I](1cTI/l" «)111]('l\i\(' li'SIIl', if 1Illliqll]'(' I,
1I]'(',el1l ,11](1 lll"kiil:'; i, ,),,\(,
) It IOllgill'I]' prl)!t,jlj h"11 111(,,1" 10\1' III ('OI1IICI'­
II\(' li,Slle CIII II<' 11l[1',.',11 ,I[I'! dn i l cooked ,II
"''C'l'"in'h hig!I !Iell' 1(11 lil" 1"11'.'"
Iligll 1ll',ll :()Ii\.;!t"II'
.i n d ,III il[k, I'I "111[1 ,[lid r,',ltlh ill (,,,,,',,ill' m o i -t u r« \,,", 11\\'1
I ' [ ( ) I I'
!()\\-IIl,I!
I
""kille; ,h'IIIid 1)(' 1!I,' ,'.','('I},'I <II '11,11 III "
I'll [11<1,1 [1[',11' ')(lkil1g Illl·I1tO<!,"
)
!\I'llilill,e; ,('(III' I" II(' d
C"lltl',Hlicli()ll II) llil' rul«: lh c Il',h' III IILII I <l1l'lltll< IlIoi!ed
1[\('<11
,t,IIS {('II­ d,'l j, 1It,II II [, dlllH' IJllid..II, II LIke' i im« I'll i hc:
1)(',11 I()
II('
I
"11<!llIl"d 10 II\(' ill\(·r'lol' ()I' i h«
11)(';11, '" till 111,idc
11('\('/' e;('I' ICI\ l i o t . \11',/1 l noikt l 1\1,11 d"II<' h()\\,'\( I, i111..,1\ I" I" <ill,
J.
R"<I'h ("I>k('d ,111,,\\ [11111" 1,11[11\' II,I\(' IWII( I lield, 111<111 t l u i-« 1I>,[,I,'d ,II 111'...11 11,',11, 111,11 I'
111('\ ,hlillk I"" ,111<1 1",(' I"" 111(11'\111 c.
-l. Ik«lu,l' liqllid ()I' Q'·'1111 i-. d 1)('lll'I co n du: 1"1' "I he,ll t hu n .u r, III oj" 11(';11 }"'I]('II';II(', nle;ll
1[1liekll. Th,Tl'r"ll'. 10 <lloid O\lTCO()killg, I1IC,11
-lrould Ill' ,illlllH'I'l'd, uc-vcr hllikd,
RCIIH'll1ll1'! 111'.11' o u n cc t iv« li"'II(' i, hi~iI",t
[II llltt v­ c\," 111:11 :11" I11CI]" Ilc'lll"11111 l'"cITi,cd .u
u l III 111(11"
111,11111(,
.u n n i.i
Il'lllk ,Iei,illl ,II IiI,' prilleip;t1
«)"klll~
IIIC'lllCJlh
(1J!1[1111] II ill 11](' I<lhk of' 1l1(',11 11[1' 'II, :.!IIIII, YOII
-ho ulcl (11'\1'11 :1 JI,II1<'!'1I or IClld,'1 l i l l ' , "Hlkc<! pri­ ni.uil. III tin 11l';11: ,Iighth
1('"
1('I](kl .u tcooked
"<lllll'tilll'" hI dn .m d SOll1<'lill]('" In jjj"j'l 1]('<11; and lc,hl lellder (lit.;. (ooked ;dlll(hi ,tlll,II' hI 1l10i,1 he<it.
/, Rih alld loill
ClitS.
\h,dY' IIIF leildcle'l (III', 11'('(lll1ostlY for roast"
,t(',lls, and c11()P',
81'1'1
({lirl
1111111, ]',"(;III,l' t!lese meats are ortclI t'att'I1 rarc 01 Illl'llilll1l donl', Ihe rib al1c11nin ;11T

used almost exclusive lv for roasting, broiling, and grilling,
Veal a nd porl: Pork is generally eaten well done, and veal is most often eaten we ll done, although mu nv people prefer it slightly pink in the center. Therefore, these meats are occasion­
,111\ braised, n ot to develop tenderness hut 10 help preserye juices. Veal chops. which are ve rv l ov,: in fat, may he hroiled if great care is taken not to overcook them and d rv t he m out. A safer approach is lO lise a method wi t h fat. such as sauteing or p,1l1-frYing, or to lise moist he-at.
2. Leg or round. llc«]. The cuts of the round arc less u-nde-r and
,U"(' used mosilv for braising.
Iligh-grade Prime or Choice ro uu ds can also he roasted. The roasts .uc: so brge i h.u , roasted
.u low temperatures for a long time, the heef's own m o i st u re helps dissolve ("ollageu. Inside round (lOp round) is favore-d for rO,lS1S because of its sile and relative tenderl)('ss.
Beef round is yen kal!. It is hest ro,lsted r.uc-.
Lack of Etl makes wc-ll-rl on« rounrl Llsle d rv.
\ "el/!. lainb. a u.l I)(II/;' These 111C,lls ;lle Iro ru
\()lIng animals .mr l rhrrc-Io rc .u« tender enollgh
10 ro.i-t. legs m ak ce"cellenl ro.ist s. since brge 111US­ clcs wit h few scams .uid un iform grain ;dlm\ ea,\ slicing and aurartive portions.
Figure 10.1 shows the muscle- suuctu r« o it h« round seen in cross sc-rt i o n . A rc n t c-r-ru t ,te;lk
Iro m a whole round or heel'. Iamb, veal, or pork has this same b;\si("slrUrlUH'.
Chapter Ten L'nderstanding Mf([ts /
3. Chuck
01' shoulder.
Beef chuck is a tougher cut that is usuallv braised.
'nil, !([II/Ii, a ud fiOrI!, These are most often braised hut are
Hllll1g enough to he roasted or cut into chops for hroiling. Sh ou lcle r roasts arc not the most desirable because rh ev consist of manv small muscles rnnning ill diffe-rent direr­ tions. Therefore, thev do not produce au rnctive,
,olid slice"
4. Shanks, breast, brisket, and flank.
These are the least tender ru t s. C\Tn on \Ollllg" a n ima ls. <1IHI ;IH' alIllo,t a 1\\",1\ , cooknl 1)\ ll1oi,t h ea t.
Sh an ks .u« vcrv desirahle [o r braising ;\IHI
SinlllHTing, SillCl' their high colbg(>n ro n t c-n t i.s ro nvv rt cd into much geLllill t h.u gin's b o dv t o
\lr;li.sing liq u i d s
.i n d gO()(! ("ltilq.~" qualitv lo t h c:
11](';\l.
Heel' flank ste,lks
CIII
1)(' broiled (,IS Lo u d o n broil) if tl]('\ arc (ooked Lire .u n] cut alTOSS the gr,lin i n t o t h i n ,lin's, TlIi, ruis t lu: co n n c-rt ivc­ tissue in to chc-w.ihlc- pieces (.sec mcchnn ical
[('11­ clcriv.uinu . p. I~)I),
5. Ground meat, cubed steaks, and stew meat.
These can co m« 1"rOl11 .mv prima l cu t , The\
;11(' uvu.i
l lv made from rrimm i nu«. ;tlllwllgll wl i o !r: ch u ck s arc sonH"inH" grolllHI i n t o chopped mr-a t. (,rolllHI II \('a I .u rrl cu lx-rl '1(';11.., ra u he cooked 1)\ dl'\ or IllOis! 1\(',11. <inr« t h c-v han' lxeu nurh.m ira ll, lcll(kri/ed,
S[('\\' m cat is, or
COllrsl'. ('(){)ked 1)\ l1loi'l hrat.
."
'".
..
\
~'
..
'
. lnside (top) round
Leg or round bone
Outside (bottom, round
Location of the muscles in a whole center-cut round steak of beef, veal, lamb, or pork.

214 /
Three Meat,
and
:'Ieats high in fat, such as Prime be ef or lamb, arc generally cooked without added fat, such as hI' roasting or broiling.
Meats low in Ia i. such as veal, are often cooked with added fat to pren'nt dryness.
Sauteing, pan-Ining. or braising arc generall\ preferable to broiling for veal chops that arc cooked well done,
Fat can he added to le-an llIeah in two ways: a.
Tying slices of fat, such as pork Iui­ hack,o\'l'1 meats with no n at n ru l fat cove-r. to prote(l tl nm wlrile- roasting. b. Lardiug, Insening strips of fat wi t h a l a rcl­ ing nccdle into meats low in marbling,
These t\\O techniques were de\'l'loped in Europ« whe-n mc a t s were m urh le<IU(T .u
i cl not ,IS ten­ d cr. They are not often used wit h to duvs ten­ de']', grain-fed meats, Tl u-sc: urlm iqucs arc use-ful, however, whe-n cooking 1<:,111 game such as yen
ISOII.
Other goals arc a. Developing flavor. b. Preventing excessive shrinkage and u u t rie-u t loss. c. Den'loping appearance,
You will oftcn have- to compromise to get a lin l­ a n ccd rr-su l t. For example. prelilllin,ln l nowu­ illg of a ro,lst at high heat illCleasn shrink,lge but may be desirable lor sOll1e roast, to de\clo{l flavor and appearance.
Tl u: purpose of scaring meats at higb heat is to create desirable flavor and color by browning the meats' sur­ faces. It \\as long believed that searing the surface 01 meat ''seals the pores." keeping in juices,
This does not actually happen. Meat does not have pores but is an open network of fibers. Think of the surface of a steak as resembling the cut end of a thick rope. There are no pores to seal. It is true that heavy browning creates a kind of crust on the surface of the meat, but this crust is no more waterproof than an unbrowned surface.
Roasts cooke-d from the start at a low tempe r.i­ tu re retain marl" juices than roasts that are seared at high heat first.
Steaks. chops, and cutlets cooked vcrv quickly at high heat ret a in more m o ist u rcat first because the i nt cnsc- heat i nstan rlv e\'apOralcs tilt' juices from the surface of the meat and forces in um.tl juices further into the meat. This permits bro\\ning. lxr au «: mois­ ture wo u ld Crl',ltl' steam and i u h i liu browning.
HO\\T\l'r. o v c r c o o k r « ! steaks will
1l(' c l r, v
1I0t t he: stl',lk \\ ,IS Sl"IITd. h c - t licr or
Dropping meat into boiling wate-r doesn't "se-al t lu­ pOrt'S" either. \\'hal .un
ml lv 11.Ippl'ns is this: Mauv pro­ t ciu-, d issolv« ill cold \\,It('I, \\I)('n heated. these pro­ tl'in, coagulate and bl'C'OUI(' 11(1)1 01 ,nun Oil the snr­
1',1(,(' 01' the wu tc r. \\'Iwn nl<';Jl i-, pl.l(('t! into hoiling' w.urr. some of the prote-in COdgUi<tt('S i n-id« t h.u meat
.u u l 1101 as IIl11ch is carried out ol the nW,11 \\illl L1w lost moisu ue-. I'rolouged cooking \\ill -Jnuil, Il)(\lt d' IIIlHh if ,urll'C1 in boiling w.ucr as if swrted in cold \\,It('l,
Some VHIITes rccou mu-n d cookillg xo n u- ILle,lts fio n r t ii « fro/ell sla[e. wi rh ou t thawing, ill order to cI i ut i­ u.u.drip 10" that occurs during defro'ilillg,
110\\'('\('1, it i-. lI,u,III\' l n-t ur to t l i.i« l icIo rc: cooking', h('C,IIIS(' of t111' folio\\illg n',IS(IIIS:
I, Froz c-u
III('dl'
[r i-«-
1111 mo i-t ur « l r r n n (it'fl(lSLillg but l o-«: nHlIT during Clloklllg, 1111' I()«II l(lS, is about the sallie ,IS lor tha\\(,d LlIl"IIS. Bl',idl's, t lu: [lcrtl'pt i011 ofjuici nc-ss dcpcu ds as nuuh or
Inure on tilt conrcn r than on moisture content.
2. Cooking frozen meats com pl ica tcs the cooking proct'ss aud requires adjustments in plocedlllT,
It is possibl« fill' roasts to he cooked on the Ollt­ side hut still be fr oz e n in the center. FrO/('11 steaks, too, arc more di lficul t to cook 1'\('1t!\ than thawed ste'lks. Thawed me-ars. OIl t l i« ot l u: h.uid, are handled like fresh me.u
».
3. Cooking frozen meats requires ('\.t LI ('11lTg\, .uid enert," is expensive. A hard-frozen I(I<I't m.iv take three times as long to cook a"
,I I h,l\\ l'el roast.
The meaning of the term "d o n e n e ss " depends on whc thc r the cooking method uses dry heat or moist heat.

215
1. Dry
Meat is "done" when the proteins have reached the desired degree of coagulation (see p. 52). as indicated by internal temperature.
Meat is "done" when con n ec tive tissues have hroken down enough for the meat to he pa lat­ ahle. With a few exceptions, meat cooked by moist heat is always well doric.
The ohjecl of drv-h c a t cooking is to arh i evv the d cs i rcd degree of <loneness (protein coagulation). while xt i l] preserying natural tenderness .mdjuirine-ss.
As rue-at cooks, its pigmeuls change color. These color changes indicate degret's of doncness.
Hal meat (heel' and l.uu h) changes from red
10 pink to grey or gTe,-hrown.
Rarc-: luown cd surlacc­ i b in lave-r of cooked (grn) meat red i n u-rior
:\Iedillm: thicker layer of gn" pin I... in t ctior
Well done: grey througllOut
(Of course, there are stages in hetween.)
merit (veal and pork) changes Irr n n pink or grn'-pink
10 white or off whi l e-. J I is gClltT,JliI cooked we-ll dOllC', although munv CUI, of n',JI
IILII 1)(' cousidered done whe-n xt i l] slightl, pink ill the cTnler.
I)ork m ust be cooked long enough
10 c-Iiruin.ur­
IIIe cLlugn of trichinosis. a disease caused bva para­ site thai live-s in muscl« tissur-. This parasite is killed at
137°F (:jHC). hut
10 he "dc pork sb ou lcl he cooked to at least 150- Li5 F (lili-(iWq, At this stage, pork is only medium to me-diiuu IITll done. :\cIOSI people pre­
Ic-r pork to be cooked slighll' more than this. On the other hand, it is not n ecessarv to cook pork to 185°F
(8:jcC), as older guidelines said. At this temperature, pork is ove r coo kr-d and dry. Perhaps the best done­ ness range is 160-170 cF
(71-77°e).
Determining doneness IS one of the most difficult and critical aspects of meat cooking. Anvo n e can put a steak on the grill or a roast in the ove n . But it takes experience and skill to take it off the fire at the right time.
Color change cannot he use-d by the cook to test d ou e n css. because it would be necessary to cut the n re ar . Piercing the meat and e:o.:amining the color 0[' the juices is not a re liahlr- me-thod.
Testing the interior of meat
1\ i t h a me-at thermometer is t h c- most accurate nu-t h ocl of testing d o ne-n c ss.
Thermometers arc of
11\'0
IYpcs: sta ndard, which art' inserted before roaslillg and left in the roast; and
which .uei nscru-d
;\1 all' lime, read ,IS soon as the needle stops 1ll0011lg. .m d pul led o u t ,
\\'h,lIc\Tr t hc-rm omr-trr I'OU lise. uurl«: xure it is «lra n and sa nitar; before inserling it ill t lu: meal.
The tip of the t hc-rmo nu-tcr should be i nscrt cd into the ccn t e r of the thickest part of the flesh. n o t touching fat or bone. Table 1O.:! gin's i n t crn a l t c-ru­ peratures of meats .u various degrees or <loneness,
In gelleral, t h e Anuri cn n na d i t i o n o! e;lIing we-ll-clo n c or ovrrr o o k ccl 111t'a!' i, dl'(re;lsing. a n cl ruo rv pcople .uc: c,ltin,g
IIlC;11 cooked LIlT. For ckcade,. lllC,I!' cooked \0 ,III in u-rna l u-mpc-rn ture- or
I 10 F (ljOCI Ilelt' ca ll cd
1',\],('. but by toduv's st.m­ d.ud-, this is ruo rc like medium. Current prefercnccs arc reflected in tilt' temperatllres gi'ell in Table IO,:!.
It should be stated t hut tl«L'.S, Lkparlillcllt 01
Agric ulturc- and ot h e r ;lgencies caul ion t h.u llleals ilia" contain hurmful bacu-ria and parasites. ,\lthough su rd ic-s ;IIT still heing d o u c. rhv:«: agl'llcies suggest that meats should he cooked
10 at lc;ISt llt) F (60'"C) i u order to he co m p l ct cl v
<.i l «. Ih c: l'SDA requires that beef precookcd for food senice sa le- (surh as pre-
Meat
Red'
Lamb
Veal
Pork
Interior Temperatures of Cooked Meats
Rnre Medium
IgOOF (54"C)
I gO°F (5rC)
140-1-Ei'F (GO-63'C)
145F (63'C)
14:1-150F (63-6G'C)
Well DOlle
16UF (7ICI
160F (71C)
160F (71 'C)
16:J-170F (74-77°C)

/ P({/1 nUN ,\[('([!. POUf!I)', and Fish cooked roast beef for sandwiches) be heated to an internal temperature of at least 14.1 F (6:1'C:) when it is processed.
Whether or not 140°F (60 C e ) is the l owc s t safe tellqJCr,ltulT for cooking meats. it is not re al lv ac cu­ r.ur to call it rare. In any case. tastes varv Iro m region to reg'ioLt. You should be guided by the preferences of
\'( JU I' customers.
Internal temper,uIIIT co n t i n ucs to rise e-ven aftel' the m ca r is ITIllO\('d lro m the ovc n . This is because the o u tsiclrof "lasting meat is inside. h o t ur than the
"l h is heat co n t i u ur-x 10 IlC conducted i u t o t hc me-at u n t i l the heat is e<jIl,t1i/('d th rouglio ur t h e roasl.
C,IIT\-O\Cr cooking em raise i n t crn a l t cm pcru­ t urc-x lro m ,-, I· (:\ C) [or small ru rs 10 a, m urh ;IS
F
(!4 (:) IOL
\CI\ large ro a st s , xuch ;IS ;I SI("lIl1,llip rou n d. l "l.d r;IlIge is I OF 10 1:-, F ((iC to :-; (:) 101
'1\I'LI,ge rO,I,I" lx.i«: telnperallllT change depellds Oil t h«
SI/(' oj t h« CIII and Oil tlu- ove-n u-mpcr.u urc.
1i1'l/III"1 1/11/1/1///1111 iI/I'
/1,'1'11 ,1'1/1'1/ il/I/'I'I/I/I 11'I1I/iI'llI­
II/IF /I
/IJ-/" l
(1)-,) (:1 lul cru. dnlll'lf Il'IIdlli/.!:, I.I'! t lt:
1/1//11 IIIII/d /" 1/1 )IJ uuuut,, IW//I/F If/llllC'" For c-x.uu pl.-. a bed rib roa,t cooKl'd L,ILI' ,11<lltid Ill' LI'llImcd lro n: t h c ove-n wh cu t h c Ihl'!III<1I1l{'II'1 le,llIu ho u t ll:i-I:.!O'F (l(i-1~)<:).
C'llIl-IIII'1 c<I(IKillg IlilllJling t l u- r cm pc-r.u u rc to I~W F (:-)4 (:) .t lt cr t luroa"t ILl' stood liJl ~~O m in utc-s.
The slIlall -i,«: or sle;IKS .urd cllop, lllaKes lI,illg;I t l ur­
1I1<1111<'11'! i m p r.ut il
.i
l . ll u- C<lOK muvt del){'lld <In hi, or Ill'! SI'Il'I' <II t or uh .
\11'at gl'ts liLIIII'! '" il (<I<lK" I'rl'"illg it !ighlil wit h t l n: ringer II ill i n d ir.u« iI' dOIH'ness, I'rcss l ln
<Til lIT of Ihe leall p.Lrl. not Ill{' Ell.
NIIIF, Fec\-; ,oft. gin's to pressllre. though lIot as solI ,md jellYliKe as raIl Illeat.
,\Il'dil/llI, Feds IIllHll'I;IIc\Y [irLII .ILld resilient.
'prillgs h;Ick readily \,IK'Ll JlLcssed,
\1't1f dllill', Feels firlll. does nol gill' 10 PITSSlllc',
There ;Ire 1ll,111\ clLlrts Ihal gin' rO;Islillg tililes per pound of meat. I fmlT\ e1'. Ihest' can onh' be appro"i­ nlate and should 1)(' u,ed ill estimating and planning cooking times. not in delerlilining doneness.
There are malll LIllors other than \I'eight and o\en temperalllres that determine COOKing time:
1. Temperature of meat before roasting,
2. Amount offat coyer (fat acts as an insulator).
3. Bones (bones conduct heat faster than flesh, so boneless roasts cOOK more slowlv than bone-in roasts of the same "eight).
4. Siz c. t\Ve. and contents of oven.
5. :\umber of times oven door is opened,
6. Shape of the cut (a flat or IOllg. thin cut cooks more qu i.k
lv per pound than ,\ round. compact
<'II t ) ,
You can sec \1'IIy roa,..,ting rcq ui rr-s e"pCrll'IlCl' au d jtldglll{'lll. To he rctlll .ucu ra tc- .mcl use-ful. a COIll­ plete ro,lslillg chart t!LII lOOK a]] v.niahlc-s i u to co n si cl­ r-r.rt i o n . illc!udillg n l l meal cut s. sin's, O\CIl telllfwra­ uuc-, .u u l so OIl. woult l l xt h.xi.«: o['a xm a l l hook.
Poi n t Ii .ihov« is a Kn poin«. [I is t h« 11Iir/!II!',IS of
,I CUI. 1/1)1 ill "'I'ig/;I. I!LII d rr crm in c. cooKillg lillW­ t h« t i mc: IHTded lor lite h c.u 10 1H'lll'ILlie to lite (TII­
II']'. l l a ll a po rk loi n IO,ISIS ill .ihr n u I!](' s,llIle time ,IS a wh o p ork o i n , CIl'II Ilwllgli i t "I'igh, l c : l h . i l l
IIILIC!l. Th c t h irk ncsx is i h« SOllIlC. a,
Perlt,lp" 11](' i n oxt usc-Iul roasling t inuch.nt
s ;II(' t l i o-«: "'U Itl;IKe vou rxc-l l. \\"hell YOU rcgularl\ ro,lsl t l u:
"nile (III' ill 11](' <.u u c: w.rv wi t h lite x.uut- cqui pmcu r.
'lIld \OU l i nr l i h.u t l uv alll"aYs taKc lite SOIlIlC lime. the-n
\(111 i l L "
11'1' t h o-«: t i nu« as i n d irat ors o l t!olleIH'ss,
\Iall\ I()()d '1'1 \ i( I' O!H'LIIOrs 11'l\c d c-vclo pc-cl ch.uts
!J,I'I'd 01] t h ci: ()\l11 1l1,IClil,(,', .u u l t h c-
C()JT('([ tiIIH" arc int lir.ucd ou t l u-ir im liv id u.r] Il'cqll' C,\I(I-,
\1<-at cooked !)\ moist lu-ru iCOOKed "Til d o n c-, and
.ut u.il lv IH'\OIH! wc-Il d o u c-. DOIlI'II(',S,' is i n d ic.u cd hv
LI'Lldl'l'IIC''', not 1)\ lelllpeLlllln',
Pi«: cill,l!, \1 il It ~I tlle~11 rorK is lite USll,1! le,1 lor donc\\<.''', \\heLl the pIOIl,l!,S of Ibe rork go ill ,lilt!
,Iide (JIll I"hill, tIl<' 11\(',lt is doue,
Lml Il'IIIIH'Lltlllc,-no higher titan ,illllll('I­ illg--,\II' 1'''('llli,t! 10 a\'oid touglIellillg plott'ill ill nloi,l-cooKed IIlC'lls. (hen lelll!H']'atun', 01 ~,-Ji) F to
3tH) F (!:!() C to j;-l()C\ arc usualll,"llicil'llt to main­ taill ,I ,illllllt'l.
Tlte qualit\' of the finislted prodtlCl dcpend, not onll"
011 proper selection ,lIld COOKing' of me~lt,.
but on proper storage as \ITI\. Fresh mt'al is highly perish­
~lbk.
Thc high cos I of me~Il makes it essential to avoid spoibgc,

1. Check in purc hascs on a rriva l to e n su re that purchased meat is of good qualitv,
2. Do not WLlp tightl\', Bacteria .uid mold i h rivc in moist, stagnant pLtCl'S, Ai r circulation i n h i bit s their growth, Store loose lv, but cover cut xu r­ faces to prcn'nt e,ccs,in' drving.
3. Do not OpCll Crvov.ic-wrappc-d mealS until re~\(h' to ns«.
4. Store .u :\~ F to :)(i F (O'C 10 ~ c.i. \/eat dol'S
Il<ll
II<'('/l' lin Iii .rbout ~S F (-~ CJ,
5. J\.('('P Ine~I\, ,cp~lr~lled ill cooler (a ncl OIl 1101'1..­
Llhk) to avoid cross-con t.u ui n.u iou .
6. I',e a, soon ~I, po s-.i
b l«. Frc,h IllC~II, ke('p \1'('11 lor o n l v ~ to1 d.iv-; (,!ollnd n\('at, kcep eve-n less wcl l. I)('c<lu,c ,0 m urh su ri.uca]'('a is n;po,cd 10 b'lcleri,1. Cu rcd
.i n d xm o k rd prod­ ucts may keep lip to a 11'('('1..,
Frc-q urn: dc]in'ril'S are hc-t u-r i h.m long sloLlg('.
C!wjJ{PI'Ten ['lIdn:s{Olldillg ,\!Pa{s /
7. Do not trv to rescue meats that arc going bad by freezing them, Freezing wi]! not improve the q u.il
i tv of spoi li ng meat.
8. Kt>ep cooler, clean,
1. \\'rap fro/en mC,lts wc-l l to plT\enl frcczcr bUD1,
2. Store .u 0 F (-IS C) or colder,
3. Rot at« st"ck-fir'il in, Ii rs t out. Fro zcu lllcats do not kcep illllcfillileh, R('conllll('IHkd xh rl l l i lc-. .u ()
F ( - I S ( , ) . lor l x-cl. vcu l . and l . u u h :
(i months: lor pork: f m o n t h s (pork LII t u rnx r.m cid ea,ill ill the J'IC('f(T),
4. Ikllo,' (,<lrl'illlh, !'('llllH'lillg
III thc rcl"rig(T<ltor i, hcs\. Ikfr<l,tillg <II 1""!\1 \('lllplT,llliIT CII('Olll­
<lg(', h<l<lcri,t! grO\lll1,
5. [)o n o t
1l'iI(T/e 111,111('(1 Ilwa"', Rcfreczillg
111­
(T(',ISes lo,s olquulitv.
6. (\.cep In'('/er, clcan .
-
CO,lglILllioll marbling cOllnl'Ctin' t isxuc­ collagen cl.rst i n ilhpl'lliO!l
,~'I'~I(liI1g' l(l'ld gla(k gT('('
I
I Ille,11 aging
( :1"1'1 l\
.u l nxt i n n inu \"',11 l'lIldLISl'
SpcciIIC<I,i'l1l' prim.rl ru t-,
LdJii(,II('d (III, porli"l1 (ollll,,1
(11'" h,m!lIlg l.u dillg d"Il\'lICSS
C<IITI-O\TI cookillg
1. \Lilll !Jl'Opil' ,155I1IIH' t h.u IIH' leanlT
,I uuat i s. the Il('ll('l i t i" Do 1"11 agTl'(': r,pbin,
2. \\'hal is cn n u crt i vc li"lll';' \\'11\ i-, i\ i m po ri a n t for the cook 10 unde-rstand couuc-r tive tissue-?
3. Flank steak (been is verv high in con uectivc tis­ sue, yet it is often broiled and served in thin slices as London broil. HO\I' is this possible?
4. You are in charge of a large h ospi tal food ser­ vice. Why might you choose L'SDA, Select grade beef for making pot roast and stew?
5. \\'111 are portion control meats so widelv used in food service. even though their per-pound cost is higher~
6. Call vo u cxp l a i n 11111 \(',11 l o i n . <I lelllki cu t , is
,Ollleli\II(', hr.u-c-cl. wh i l. le~11 sl1OUldcl, <I less lelldcl (,III, l '
'Ollll'lillll's ro,t,tl'(l:'
7. \\hich of the follOll'ing cuts would vo u be more likc lx to brai se i \\'hich might vo u roast? Beef chuck, lamb shanks, veal r ib, beef rib, pork shoulder, corned beef brisket, ground pork, beef strip loin, lamb leg,
8. Table 10,2 indicates the internal temperature of rare roast beef as L)O'F (54°C), Whv, then. wo u l d YOU re m ove a roast rib from the ove n wh c n the temperature on the meat thermome­ ter reads I L'j'F (46'C):­
9. \\'hl are \I'eight/time roasting charts inadequate for determining the doneness of roast meats?