Beef, Poultry, and Seafood
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A single serving of beef provides nearly 50%
of the Daily Value for protein
A 3oz. Serving of lean beef contributes to less
than 10% of calories to a 2,000 calorie diet.
Lean beef
 There are more than 29 cuts that meet the
governmental guidelines for “lean”
 Lean has less than 10g of total fat
 4.5 g or less of saturated fat
 Less than 95 mg of cholesterol
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You need 5-7 oz. from the
meat, poultry, fish, dry
bean, egg and nut group
daily.
Protein is the main
nutrient found in meat.
The main functions of
protein are:
 Build and repair muscle
tissue
 Replace muscle tissue
 Make antibodies
Meat from a cow is called beef
Meat from a Calf is called veal
Meat from a pig is called pork
Meat from a young sheep is
called lamb
 Meat from a mature sheep is
called mutton
 Meat from chicken, turkey or
fowl is called poultry
 Liver, brains or heart is
referred to as variety meats
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Meat come from the muscle of the animal.
It is government inspected for wholesomeness
Locomotion meats
 Tough
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Support meats
 Tender
 Most nutritious
 Best flavor
 Costs the most
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Marbling is the small
amount of fat
throughout the meat
which provides
tenderness, flavor and
moistness
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You can produce tenderness in less tender
cuts of meat by
 Marinating with acid
 Pounding
 Moist heat cooking
 Commercial tenderizers
 Grinding
 Scoring
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Meat label
 Kind of meat
 Primal
wholesale cut
 Retail cut
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Grain-finished
 Cattle spend most of their time grazing in pasture
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and then 4-6 months in a feedyard
Fed a scientifically and healthy diet of corn,
wheat, and soybeans
May be given FDA- approved antibiotics or
growth promoting hormones
May be given vitamins and minerals
The cattle has access to clean water and room to
grow and roam
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Grass Finished
 Cattle spend their entire lives grazing on pasture
 May be given FDA- approved antibiotics or
growth promoting hormones
 May be given vitamins and minerals
 Can be difficult to produce year round in North
America due to changing seasons and weather
conditions
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Naturally Raised
 Cattle can be grain- finished or grass-finished,
look at the label for details
 Have never received antibiotics or growth
promoting hormones
 May be given vitamin and mineral supplements
 Must be certified by USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service
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Certified Organic
 Cattle can be grain- finished or grass-finished, as
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long as the feed is 100% organic
Have never received antibiotics or growth
promoting hormones
May be given vitamin and mineral supplements
Must be certified by USDA’s Agricultural
Marketing Service
Look for the official label
Steaks are thinner cuts while
roasts are a thicker cut
 Fresh meats will usually last in
the refrigerator for 2 to 4 days.
 The safest way to thaw frozen
meats is in the refrigerator
 Next best way is by
microwaving OR
Under cold running water
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USDA
Stamped w/ harmless vegetable dye
Meat
 Graded according to:
▪ Marbling (internal fat w/in the muscle tissues)
▪ Age of animal
▪ Texture and appearance of meat
Common grades of beef:
 Prime
▪ Well marbled, tender, flavorful, $$$
 Choice
▪ Most common, less marbling than prime but still tender
 Select
▪ Least amount of marbling, least expensive
Lamb & Veal
 Same as beef w/ “good” replacing “select”
Pork
 Not graded due to uniform and consistent quality
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Color
 Red to brown
 Pink to white
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Flavor
 Heat creates chemical reactions w/ in the cut
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Texture
 Heated meat loses fat and moisture—shrinks
 Muscle fibers get firmer
 Connecting tissue becomes more tender
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Marinade seeping in a liquid
 Tenderizing
 Adding flavor to meats
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3 basic ingredients
 Oil, an acid, seasonings
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Using marinades
 Fish- 30 minutes to an hour
 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
Salt is added at the end of cooking
A thermometer is the best way to
ensure properly cooked meat
 A thermometer should be placed
in the center of the meat, away
from the fat and bone
 Cooking methods
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 Dry heat
 Moist heat
Undercooked ground beef can
result in E. coli
 To reduce the fat in ground beef
after cooking, rinse with warm
water
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Less tender cuts
Methods
 Simmering
 Stewing
 Braising
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Overcooking- mushy meat, loses flavor
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Thaw any frozen meat
Clean meat
 Rinse w/ cold water & pat dry
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Trimming the fat
 Moist heat- remove skin from poultry
 Dry heat- leave skin on while cooking to prevent
drying out
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Roasting or Baking
Broiling
Poaching
Microwave
Pan-fry
Stewing
Braising
Stir-frying
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Using a meat thermometer- insert into
thickest part of meat, away from bones & fat
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Make sure it has reached it’s internal
temperature
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Fish- “10 minute rule” (10 min. for every inch
in thickness)
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Refrigeration/Freezer as soon as possible after purchasing
If you plan to freeze your beef, think ahead and re-package into
right size portions
Place meat packages on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator on a
plate to catch the juices
Refrigerate leftovers promptly after serving
Ground Meat refrigerator 1-2 days
 freezer 3-4 months
Fresh Meat refrigerator 3-4 days
 Freezer 6-9 months (beef can be stored to 12 months)
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Boneless meat
provides 4 servings
per pound
Some bone or fat
provides 2 to 3
servings per pound
Large amount of
bone or fat provides
1 to 2 servings per
pound
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Chicken 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
Most tender & most common
Roaster
Larger & older than broiler-fryer
Yield more meat per pound
Stewing
Older, mature birds
Less tender----must use moist cooking methods
Rock Cornish game hens
Young, small, special breed
One bird= one serving (Mid-evil Times)
Capons
Desexed roosters under 10 months old
Tender & flavorful, best roasted
 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-
▪ Smallest type of turkey
▪ Average weight 5-9 lbs.
▪ Least available type of turkey
▪ Hen-
▪ Female turkey
▪ Average weight 8-16 lbs.
▪ Tom-
▪ Male
▪ Up to 24 lbs.
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Ducks and Geese All dark meat
 Flavorful yet high in fat
 Usually only sold as whole & frozen
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Healthy eating
 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)
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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
 Practically free of defects
 Good shape and appearance
 Meaty
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 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:
 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:
 Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Haddock, Halibut, Perch,
Pike, Pollock, Pompano, Red Snapper, Sole, Trout,
Turbot, Whitefish
Dark color, more pronounced flavor, and firm
texture:
 Bluefish, Mackerel, Salmon, Swordfish, Tuna
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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)
Fresh- HOW FRESH IS FRESH???
Frozen- usually sold as filets/ must thaw
in refrigerator
 Canned- tuna, salmon (oil vs. water)
 Cured- smoked, pickled, salted
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Mild, sweet flavor
Mainly found in oceans and seas but some from freshwater
Two types- crustaceans & mollusks
 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
▪ 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)
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FDA- Food and Drug Administration &
National Marine Fisheries Service of the US
Dep’t of Commerce
Buy from a reliable source
Display of fish
 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
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Store fish in refrigerator (12 days) or freezer
immediately
Do not put saltwater
shellfish in fresh water
If fish smells “fishy” it is
NOT good
• In your kitchen groups, cut out a large fish out of
construction paper
• Make scales on the fish. On each scale there should be
a fact.
• Each member in the group needs to come up with 5
facts. Put your name or initials on your facts
• Use the textbook to get your facts starting on page 560
• Break the chapter into Nutrients, Types, Buying and
Storing and Cooking methods.
• Each person should contribute at least 10 facts from
each section.