Chapter 36: Meats
1. Compare collagen and elastin.
Collagen is thin, white, transparent tissue
found in tendons. It softens to gelatin
when cooked. Elastin is tough, elastic, and
yellowish and is found in ligaments and
blood vessel walls. It must be pounded,
cut, or ground to tenderize.
2. Describe the two kinds of fat
in meat.
Meat contains visible and invisible fat.
Visible fat includes the fat that surrounds
muscle and small white flecks of fat called
marbling that appears within the muscle
tissue. Invisible fat is part of the chemical
composition of meat.
3. Compare beef with veal.
Veal comes from calves that are one to three
months old. Beef comes from cattle more
than one year old. Beef has hearty flavor,
bright red color, and creamy white fat,
whereas veal has mild flavor, light gray-pink
color, and very little fat.
4. How are wholesale cuts and
retail cuts of meat different? Give
examples of each.
Meat is first divided into large wholesale
cuts, also called primal cuts, which are sold
to retail stores. The retailer divides
wholesale cuts into retail cuts, which are the
smaller cuts you find for sale.
► Example: Wholesale—chuck from the
shoulder area; retail cuts from chuck include
blade roast, short ribs, and arm pot roast.
5. Compare the prime, choice,
and select grades of meat.
Prime is the highest and most expensive
grade. It is well marbled, tender, and
flavorful. Choice has less marbling than
prime but is still tender and flavorful. Select
has the least marbling and is the least
expensive.
6. Why is meat from the loin more
tender than meat from the chuck?
The more movement an animal’s muscle
gets, the more developed it is and the less
tender the meat from that area is. Because
muscles along the backbone get very little
movement, meat from that area is more
tender than meat from other parts. Loin
cuts are from the areas that get little
movement while chuck cuts are from
muscles that get a great deal of movement.
7. While buying meat, a consumer was trying
figure out which cuts might be the most
tender. How might this be determined?
Bone shapes can be a clue. Blade bones
have less tender meat, and rib and Tshaped bones have more tender meat.
8. How does marbling affect
tenderness?
Marbled fat melts during cooking,
penetrates muscles tissue, and
separates fibers, making meat easier
to chew.
9. How can less tender pieces of
meat be tenderized before cooking?
The meat can be ground, pounded, or cut into
smaller pieces. Cooks can also add acids or meat
tenderizer.
10. Explain the fat percentages in different
kinds of ground beef.
► Ground beef—no more than 30% fat (least
expensive, shrinks the most)
► Ground chuck—15—20% fat (flavorful, juicy
hamburgers)
► Lean—less than 10% total fat (costs more)
11. What are variety meats?
Give examples.
► The
edible organs and extremities of beef, veal,
lamb, and pork, such as liver, kidneys, chitterlings,
pig’s feet, tripe, brains, heart, tongue, oxtails, and
sweetbreads.
► 12. Describe three ways that meats are
processed.
► Curing is treating meat with salt or a salt
solution. Smoking is exposing the meat to
wood smoke (or liquid smoke) to preserve
and flavor it. Cooking the meat is a third
processing method.
13. Are all process meats ready
to eat? Explain.
► No;
only processed meats that have been
precooked are ready to eat.
► 14. How does pasteurization affect
meat?
► It extends the shelf life of the meat.
15. Name three different kinds
of convenience meats.
► Canned
meat entrees, frozen entrees, and
ready-to-cook meats, such as preformed
meatloaf.
16. How can a cook save money
when shopping for meat?
► Decide
how much meat you need, and buy
only that amount.
► Choose the cut that looks the leanest.
► Remember that tender cuts are usually more
expensive than less tender ones. Learn to
cook less tender cuts.
► Compare the cost per serving of different
cuts.
► If you find a bargain not on your shopping
list, change your plans.
17. How long can each of these
meats be stored in the refrigerator?
► A)
Liver _____one day___________
► B) Ground meat ____two days_____
► C) Pork chops ___three to five days_
18. How does meat change
when cooked?
It becomes firmer, fat melts, and connective
tissues soften, making the meat tender,
juicy, and flavorful.
19. Why should cooks avoid
overcooking meat?
Overcooked meat is tough and dry as
well as difficult to cut and digest.
20. How should meat be
prepared for cooking?
Rinse under cold water and pat dry with a
paper towel. Trim any visible fat, using a
sharp knife and cutting board. Fat is easier
to trim when meat is very cold or partially
frozen.
21. How is meat marinated?
Mix ingredients in the marinade, including
an acidic ingredient. Pour mixture over the
meat, cover, and refrigerate for no more
than 24 hours.
22. How does a cook know when meat
is done and ready to eat?
Use a meat thermometer, since
doneness is hard to judge visually.
23. What is the difference between
broiling and grilling meat?
Broiled meat is prepared in the oven, while
grilled meat is prepared on a grill.
24. How do you roast meat?
Place the meat fat side up on a rack in
a roasting pan. Season as desired.
Insert an oven-safe meat
thermometer. Roast dry and
uncovered at 325 degrees F. Remove
from oven when thermometer
registers five degrees lower than the
desired internal temperature. Let the
roast stand for 15—25 minutes before
carving.
25. Describe three ways to prepare
less tender cuts of meat.
► Broil
meat by placing the broiler pan so the
meat is 2—5 inches from the heat. Broil
until the top is brown and the meat is
slightly more than half done inside. Turn
and complete the broiling on the other side.
► Grill meat by placing the meat on the grate
and turn regularly to cook through.
Brushing with sauce adds flavor.
► Roast
meat by placing fat side up in an
open, shallow roasting pan. Use a meat
thermometer and do not add water or cover
the pan. Remove from the oven when the
thermometer reaches the desired
temperature. Let stand 15—20 minutes to
allow the juices to set and for the roast to
be easier to carve.
► Fry
in an uncovered, preheated skillet with a
small amount of fat. If you cover, the meat
cooks in moist heat and loses crispness and
flavor.
► Pan-broil meat that is 1 inch or less in
thickness. Use medium heat and do not
cover. Turn occasionally and pour off fat as
it accumulates.
► Braising
is good for large, less tender cuts
of meat. Pat dry so the meat browns easily.
Brown slowly on all sides in a large heavy
pan. After browning, drain off excess fat
and add enough liquid to cover the bottom
of the pan about ¼ inch deep. Keep under
the meat to prevent burning. Simmer on
low heat until tender.
► Pressure-cooking
cooks the meat in moist
heat and tenderizes it under high pressure
in a short period of time. Refer to the
cooker’s manual and follow instructions.
► A slow cooker is ideal for less tender cuts.
The meat is cooked at a low temperature
for a long cooking time. If the lid is
opened, the cooking time is lengthened.
► Microwaving
meat is not good for uneven
cuts. Include standing time. The meat will
not brown as a result of cooking but a sauce
or gravy may help.
26. Why doesn’t meat cooked in a
microwave oven develop a brown
crust?
Since microwave ovens cook with moist
heat, meat will not have the crisp, dark
brown crust and characteristic flavor of
meat cooked in dry heat.
Terms
1. Cold cuts—Processed slices of cold
meat and poultry.
2. Collagen—Thin, white, transparent
tissue found in tendons, between
muscle cells, and between muscles.
3. Connective tissue—Thin sheets of
protein material that bind muscle
fiber into bundles.
4. Cut—Specific, edible par of meat,
such as a steak, chop, or roast.
5. Doneness—The point at which meat
has cooked enough to make it flavorful
and safe to eat.
6. Elastin—Tough, elastic, yellowish
connective tissue found in ligaments
and blood vessel walls.
7. Grain—Lengthwise direction of
muscle.
8. Marbling—Small white flecks of fat in
meat; may appear within muscle tissue.
9. Meat—Edible muscle of animals,
typically cattle, sheep, ad pigs.
10. Muscle—Tissue made of long, thin
cells, sometimes called muscle fibers,
that are bound into bindles with thin
sheets of protein material.
11. Processed meats—Meats changed
by various methods to add flavor and
help preserve them.
12. Retail cuts—Cuts of meat
for sale.
13. Variety meats—Edible organs and
extremities of beef, veal, lamb, and
pork.
14. Wholesale cuts—Large cuts of meat
sold to retail stores.