Foods & Nutrition
Looking at Meat, Poultry, and
Seafood
Section 1
Section I – Meat Composition and Quality
Nutrition
MyPlate

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2-3 servings de a day
1 serving = 2-3 oz.
Excellent sources of complete protein
All provide B vitamins, phosphorus & certain
trace minerals
Meat & Poultry
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Iron & Zinc
Fish

Omega-3 essential fatty acids
Nutrition
Cholesterol

All animal muscle contains about the same amount
of cholesterol per ounce
Fat

content varies
Types of fat

Meat & Poultry
Invisible fat- within the chemical composition of the food
Visible fat

Marbling
w/in the muscle tissue of the meat
Makeup of Meat & Poultry
Have very long, thin muscle cells
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Thinnest in young animals
Thickest in older animals and those parts of the
body that get a lot of exercise
The thicker- the tougher
Connective Tissue- protein material that
surrounds cells
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Collagen- thin, white or transparent; when cooked
turns into a gelatin
Elastin- tough, yellowish; tenderizing methodspounding, cutting or grinding
Makeup of Fish
Very short fibers arranged in layersflakes when cooked
Separated by thin, fragile connective
tissue
When heated- gelatin
Fish & Shellfish-----very tender
Inspection & Grading
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
the top grade because it contains the most marbling (mostly sold to restaurants).

Choice
Most common, high quality, high marbling, but not as much as prime.
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Select
has less flavor and more connective tissue than choice/prime. It is less expensive
and nutritious. It has less marbling.Lamb & Veal

Same as beef w/ “good” replacing “select”

Not graded due to uniform quality
Pork
Label
Section II – Types of Meat and Storage
Types of Meat

Beef-cattle over 1 year of age with bright, deepred color and creamy-white fat. Hamburger is
ground beef. In the package, it is red on the
outside and bluish on the inside. The outside has
been exposed to air.
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Veal-immature cattle, not as tender as beef
because there is very little fat.

Lamb-young sheep under 1 year of age.
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Mutton-older sheep over 1 year of age. It is less
tender with stronger flavor than lamb.
Types of Meat
Pork-young animal, tender meat, grayish pink or darker color,
and firm with a small amount of marbling.
Variety Meats-organ meats including liver, kidney, heart,
tongue, tripe (stomach), brains, sweetbreads (thymus gland).
Processed Meats-more handling than merely cutting. Some
are ground with seasoning added such as sausage. Some are
cured or treated with salt, nitrates, nitrites, and sugar. This
retards spoilage, gives meat special flavor, and a pink color.
Some are smoked to help preservation and add flavor.
Cured Meats-corned beef, chipped beef, ham, bacon, lunch
meat.
Cuts of Meat
Wholesale cuts

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large cuts for
marketing
Basically is the
part of the
animal the meat
came from
Listed 2nd on
label
Types of Cuts
Retail Cuts
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Smaller cuts (supermarket)
Specific to the meat you are buying
Listed 3rd on label
Storing Meat
Meat is best preserved by refrigeration,
freezing, canning, drying (jerky), and curing
with salt and other agentsGround 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)
Bacon/lunch meat and cooked-smoked sausage
should be used within five days after the package is
opened.
Spoilage
Don't defrost meat at room temperaturethe surface will start to spoil before the
rest of the meat has thawed. Thaw in the
refrigerator.
Signs of Spoilage
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uncooked meat color will change to a dull,
grayish brown
usually has an off-odor
If it is in an unopened package, it will feel
slippery when opened.
Cooking
There are four important variables to consider when cooking meat:

1. Heat
Dry vs Moist

2. Temperature
Initial Temperature
Cooking Temperature
 1.Rare-the exterior is cooked/crisp but the interior is
slightly cooked with bright red color for beef and lighter
red for lamb.
 2.Medium-the inside is slightly pink between rare and
well-done.
 3.Well-done the meat is cooked completely showing no
red.

3. Moisture

4. Type or cut of meat
Cooking Less Tender Cuts
Less tender cuts, those cuts of meat found near the
movement of the legs, can be tenderized before heat
is applied.
Mechanical methods such as pounding, grinding, and
cutting are methods which break/cut fibers and
connective tissue.
Acids found in tomatoes, sour cream, vinegar, and
lime juice can be added during cooking or as a
marinade in which meat is soaked before cooking.
Commercial meat tenderizer contains an enzyme
that digests/breaks down muscle fiber. It comes
from plants like green papaya, pineapple, or fig.
Cooking
Color
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Red to brown
Pink to white
Flavor

Heat creates chemical reactions w/ in the cut
Texture
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Heated meat loses fat and moisture—shrinks
Muscle fibers get firmer
Connecting tissue becomes more tender
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ViUx0x
ui8Q&feature=youtu.be
Bone Shapes
Wholesale cuts
have
distinctive
bone shape
Nearly
identical in all
4 types
Clues to the
tenderness of
the meat
Lean Cuts
Lean

Less than (based on 3.5 oz. serving)
10 grams of fat
4 grams of saturated fat
95 milligrams of cholesterol

Appearance
Less than ¼ in. fat around meat
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Beef Roasts & Steaks: round, loin, sirloin, chuck
arm
Pork Roasts & Chops: tenderloin, center loin, ham
Veal Cuts: all except ground veal
Lamb Roasts & Chops: leg, loin, fore shank
Ground Meat
Beef trimmings
Law- cannot contain more than 30% fat
by weight
Different types sold- leaner ($$$)
You may ask to have meat ground up for
you at the store (If not available)

Lamb, pork, veal
Processed Meat
Processed for distinctive flavor
Types:

Ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts
Curing

Placing the meat in a mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate,
potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid and water
Smoking

Liquid smoke for flavoring
Drying & Salting
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Preserves meat
Combo
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Bacon- cured and smoked
Chipped beef- dried, salted and smoked
Preparing Meat, Poultry, Fish &
Shellfish
Moist Heat
Less tender cuts
Methods
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Simmering
Stewing
Braising
Overcooking- mushy meat, loses flavor
Marinating Meat
Marinade
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seeping in a liquid
Tenderizing
Adding flavor to meats
3 basic ingredients

Oil, an acid, seasonings
Using marinades
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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
Cooking Meat
Thaw any frozen meat
Clean meat

Rinse w/ cold water & pat dry
Trimming the fat
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Moist heat- remove skin from poultry
Dry heat- leave skin on while cooking to
prevent drying out
Doneness
Using a meat
thermometerinsert into
thickest part
of meat, away
from bones &
fat
Fish- “10
minute rule”
(10 min. for
every inch in
thickness)
Cooking Methods
Roasting or Baking
Broiling
Poaching
Microwave
Pan-fry
Stewing
Braising
Stir-frying
Poultry
Chicken
Chicken
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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
Chicken
Broiler-fryer
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Most tender & most common
Roaster
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Larger & older than broiler-fryer
Yield more meat per pound
Stewing
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Older, mature birds
Less tender----must use moist cooking methods
Rock Cornish game hens
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Young, small, special breed
One bird= one serving (Mid-evil Times)
Capons
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Desexed roosters under 10 months old
Tender & flavorful, best roasted
Turkey
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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
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Smallest type of turkey
Average weight 5-9 lbs.
Least available type of turkey
Hen
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Female turkey
Average weight 8-16 lbs.
Tom
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Male
Up to 24 lbs.
Ducks & Geese
Ducks and Geese All dark meat
 Flavorful yet high
in fat
 Usually only sold
as whole & frozen
Ground Poultry
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)
Giblets
Edible poultry organs
Liver, gizzard (stomach), and heart
Usually removed, packaged, and stuffed
inside bird
Inspecting & Grading
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—
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Practically free of defects
Good shape and appearance
Meaty
Buying & Storing Poultry
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
Seafood
Seafood- edible finfish and shellfish
Types and Market Forms of Fish and
Shellfish:
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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
Types of Fish
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:
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Bluefish, Mackerel, Salmon, Swordfish,
Tuna
Market Forms of Fish
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)
Shellfish
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
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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
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Mollusks- soft bodies covered by at least 1 shell
Clams
Mussels
Oysters
Scallops
Squid (calamari)
Inspection & Grading
FDA- Food and Drug Administration &
National Marine Fisheries Service of
the US Dep’t of Commerce
Buying & Storing Fish & Shellfish
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
If fish smells “fishy” it is
NOT good
Store fish in refrigerator
(1-2 days) or freezer
immediately
Do not put saltwater
shellfish in fresh water
Market Forms….
Fresh- HOW FRESH IS FRESH???
Frozen- usually sold as filets/ must
thaw in refrigerator
Canned- tuna, salmon (oil vs. water)
Cured- smoked, pickled, salted
Foods & Nutrition
Looking at Meat, Poultry, and
Seafood