Meat, Fish & Poultry:
PROTEIN-BASED FOODS
Foods I: Fundamentals
Meats
• Meats beef, pork, lamb & veal
• COOKING:
– Before cooking, red meats should have a bright
red color.
• Grey or brownish color means the meat is bad.
• NUTRITION:
– The number of servings in a pound of meat
depend on the amount of fat, gristle and bone.
– Red meats = lots of iron
– White flecks of fat in the muscle tissue is called
“MARBLING.” More marbling = better
• Ground ROUND has the lease amount of fat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7-_ka3DAuY
Quality
 Grading is optional
 Grading is done by the USDA
 Top 3 grades:
 Prime
 Highest, most expensive, well
marbled, tender, flavorful
 Choice
 Most common in grocery, less
marbling, but still tender and
flavorful
 Select
 Least amount of marbling and
least expensive, sometimes sold
as a store brand
Tough or Tender
• Meat tenderness
is influenced by
– Amount of muscle
(The more muscle
the more
toughness)
– Amount of
marbling (The
more marbling the
less toughness)
Less Tender Cuts Can be
Tenderized
• Mechanically
– Grinding
– Pounding
• Chemically
– Acids
• Tomatoes, sour cream,
yogurt, vinegar, lemon juice
– Meat Tenderizers
• Salt + papaya enzymes
Hamburger = Ground Beef
• Regular = 30% fat (the
maximum allowed by
law)
• Chuck = 15-20%
• Ground Round or
Sirloin = Less than 15%
• Lean = less than 10
grams of total fat with
less than 4.5 grams of
saturated fat per
serving
Steps to Success
•
•
•
•
•
Defrost safely in the Refrigerator or Microwave
Rinse with cold water
Pat dry with a paper towel
Trim off fat
Marinate for less than 24 hours
– (discard marinade)
• Cook according to tenderness.
– Tender Cuts can be roasted or broiled
– Other Cuts need moist heat.
Lengthy Cooking at High
Temps Causes:
• Shrinkage
• Tough
• Dry
Question…
• Which of the following meats is cooked
most efficiently in the microwave?
A. Pot Roast
B. Battered Chicken
C. Stuffed Pork Chops
D. Sausage Links
ANSWER: D – Sausage Links
Poultry
• Poultry  Chicken & turkey, goose & duck
• STORAGE:
– Frozen chicken should be thawed in the refrigerator
– Fresh, whole chicken can be stored in fridge for 2-3 days
• COOKING:
–
–
–
–
Poultry is usually TENDER, so use DRY cooking methods
Roasting poultry in a bag shortens cook time
Wash & stuff turkey loosely right before cooking
Stir-fry is a QUICK way to cook boneless chicken in under 10
min.
– A whole turkey is done when it reaches the correct INTERNAL
TEMPERATURE
• Take from thickest part of the thigh
• NUTRITION:
–
–
–
–
Boneless, skinless chicken breast is LOWEST in fat
Also, boneless breasts offer the most servings
Light meat = less calories than dark
REMOVE SKIN to reduce fat content
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5sxus2B3so
2.08
Question…
• Pork usually comes from YOUNG
animals. Do you think this makes
the meat tough or tender?
• ANSWER: TENDER
Fish
• STORAGE:
–
–
–
–
Fresh clams & oysters in fridge for 2-3 days
Fresh fish & shellfish in fridge for 1-2 days
Fresh fish will have bright bulging eyes & SHINY skin
Spoiled fish will have a strong fish odor
• PREPARATION:
– Fish should be cooked for a short period of time
– Fish is tender because it has little connective tissue
• NUTRITION:
– Fish fillets have the lowest saturated fat of all other meats
• Fish fillet = one side of fish without the backbone
– Deveined shrimp have intestines removed
– Fresh finfish have gills that are red in color
• FINFISH live in fresh or saltwater
– Ex. FLOUNDER
QUESTION…
• Which of the following is a crustacean?
A.
B.
C.
D.
CLAM
CRAB
MOLLUSK
OYSTER
ANSWER: B. crab
Crustaceans include shrimp, lobster and crab…
Meat, Fish & Poultry
• TIPS
– After cutting raw meats, the cutting board
and knife should be washed and sanitized.
– To be sure meat is fully cooked, you
should measure the internal temperature.
– Meat can be stored in the refrigerator or
freezer.
• FACTS
– Older animals have TOUGHER meat and
more FAT
Meats
Moist Heat
Dry Heat
• Simmer
• Braise
• Stewing
• Fry
• Roast (Bake)
• Broil
• FOR TOUGH CUTS OF
MEAT
• FOR TENDER CUTS OF
MEAT
•
•
•
•
•
Shoulder - braise
Rump Roast - braise
Round
Chuck
OLDER ANIMALS
• Loin
• Rib – broil
• YOUNGER ANIMALS
*Grinding meat tenderizes it by breaking down
the elastin in the meat.
Portion
Sizes
Benefits to the Body
• Excellent source of
complete protein
• Major source of
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Iron
Zinc
Phosphorus
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Avoid the Evil Hitchhikers
• Choose lean
meats as much
as possible to
avoid the
saturated fats.
• “Go Lean with
your Protein”
Too Much of a Good Thing
Can be Bad
 Most people need
about 5.5 ounces
of food from the
protein group a
day
 Meat, poultry, fish,
dry beans, eggs
and nuts
 2-3 oz will fit in the
palm of your hand