Beef from cattle

Venison from deer; other game incl. wild boar, moose, and elk.

Veal from calvesPork from hogs

Mutton from mature sheep

Lamb from young sheep

Meats sold in the United States are always inspected

by federal agents of the Food & Drug Administration (FDA)… from live animal to

the grocery store case. Inspection stamps appear on the meat itself, often in

the form of a edible, purple vegetable dye. Both safety

and quality are determined.

After each animal is slaughtered, the carcass is cut into halves or quarters

called primary cuts. It is then

hung to age for 48 hours- 21 days.

The hanging position lengthens

the fibers and creates more

tenderness. If left to age longer, the

meat becomes darker and more flavorful… but

more expensive.

The meat continues to be inspected throughout this process.

After aging, the carcass is cut again… this time into large wholesale cuts.

Grocery stores often buy these cuts, and butchers cut them up as customers

place their orders.

Some call these second cuts ‘primal’ cuts, as

well.

Fabrication is the cutting of wholesale cuts into retail cuts of meat. The

customer or restaurant can order their steaks cut ½, 1, or 2” thick OR get a 4, 5, or 20# roast… as they desire. Most retail cuts are packaged and sold to

grocery stores for individual customer purchasing.

Arm Brisket Shank

Chuck Blade Shoulder

Plate Belly, Bacon

Spare or short ribs

Flank Hamburger

Rib Loin Sirloin

Round Rump/Butt

Ham

Steaks and Roasts

Less tender top round

Most tender bottom or

eye of round

When cutting or purchasing steaks (T-bones, rib, loin,

round, sirloin, etc.) the larger section of meat at the top side of the bone is less tender. The

smaller eye or bottom section is the most tender.

Hamburger or ground beef is made by grinding up less tender meat and

scraps of meat and fat. It is sold by the percentage of lean meat to fat: 85/15 means 85% lean red meat and

15% fat per pound. The lower percentage of fat means ‘healthier…

but less flavorful’.

A rib eye steak is VERY tender.

When the eye is left whole and not cut

crosswise into steaks… it is called the tenderloin.

This is the small but very best cut of meat. It is also the most expensive cut.

Before roasting trim the tenderloin. The

silverskin, which is the tough membrane that

surrounds the tenderloin, and the fat or gristle is cut away.

Tying a roast with string

ensures even cooking and

helps keep the shape of the

meat.

Medallions or the French term

Noisettes (nwah-ZET) refers to small, usually round, boneless and tender cuts of

meat.

The term butterfly means to cut the piece

of meat lengthwise, nearly in half, so it

opens out and lies flat. This speeds the

cooking process.

This is a butterfly chop..

The term kosher is meat or poultry that

has been slaughtered to comply with

Jewish dietary laws.

Tongue

Chitterlings (CHIT-lins) (intestines)

Kidneys

Tripe (stomach lining)

Variety or offal (OH-fel) meats are edible animal organs…extremely high in nutrients,

but high in calories and cholesterol also. Prices may be low if demand is low. For

some people, eating these foods is like an episode of FEAR FACTOR!

Sweetbreads (thymus glands)

Liver

Heart

Brains

Muscle fibers are long, thin muscle cells. They are

thinnest (and most tender) in parts of the animal that get little exercise. They thicken (and are less tender) in older animals and parts that get a

lot of exercise.

The primal or wholesale meat cuts on an animal are very large cuts of meat.

Can you rationalize which cuts of this beef carcass are tender,

and which are less tender?

1. COLLAGEN is a thin, white connective issue that will soften in

moist-heat cooking methods.

2. ELASTIN is a yellow connective tissue that will not soften. It must be pounded, cut, or ground to make it chewable. This

might be done by pounding with a utensil called a meat tenderizer.

The amount of connective

tissue increases as

an animal ages and when the animal gets a

lot of exercise.

If the butcher or carver cuts the meat WITH the

grain, the fibers remain long in each piece and difficult

to chew.

If you cut ACROSS the grain, however, the long fibers are cut into short pieces. This makes them easier to chew.

Always carve across the grain for tenderness!

Suppose these arrows represent long fibers in the meat running in a

horizontal direction…the grain.

VISIBLE FAT is found under the skin of the animal, in the belly parts, and

surrounding the large muscle portions. Cook meat “fat side up” to allow the flavor to melt down through

the meat while cooking.

MARBLING is the white flecks or streaks that appear within the

lean meat. Abundant marbling is associated with tenderness.

TALLOW is a type of hard fat that thickens and coats the mouth when cooled. It is found primarily in venison, mutton, and lamb.

1. Braising

2. Cooking in liquid (stewing)

3. Steaming

4. Using a lid/cover

1. Roasting (no lid and and on a rack)

2. Frying

3. Grilling/broiling

4. Deep fat frying

Moist-heat cooking methods soften

connective tissue and less tender cuts of meat. Use water,

broth, or tomato juice for liquid, plus

a lid.

In addition to the utensil called a meat tenderizer (a mechanical tool that is used

to pound meat and break up elastin tissue), several forms of chemical meat

tenderizers are also used.

MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE (MSG) is an artificial enzyme that comes in a powdered form and can be sprinkled or rubbed on meat as a tenderizer.

PAPAIN is a natural enzyme found in fresh pineapple, papayas, and tomatoes. Cooking meats with these foods cause the meat to become more tender.

A marinade is a liquid made from oil, and acid such as vinegar or wine, and herbs and spices. The meat may be soaked in it prior to cooking, as the acid breaks down

the collagen and adds flavor.

To bard meat means to tie a layer of fat on top or around it to moisten and flavor it while cooking. Bacon is often used.

A spice rub or dry marinade may be applied to the meat before cooking to improve

appearance and flavor.

Searing meat means to quickly brown it in a very hot skillet prior to

usual cooking methods. Searing, although it does not seal in juices as once believed, does improve

flavor and appearance.

Deglaze the pan after cooking the meat by adding water or liquid, and

swirling it around to loosen the food particles on the bottom. The liquid becomes the jus (ZHEW). If

the jus is thickened with cornstarch, it is called jus lié

(zhew-lee-AY). Jus thickened with a roux is called pan gravy.

Charcuterie (sha-COO-tree) is French for ‘cooked

flesh’, and refers to specially prepared pork

products including sausage, smoked ham,

bacon, pâté, and terrine.

Sausage is plain or seasoned ground pork,

game, beef, veal, poultry, fish, shellfish, and even

vegetables… usually forced into a casing made

of animal intestines or synthetic materials.

Sausages:Bockwurst (BAHK-wurst ); white; veal Cajun or milder French Andouille

(ann-DO-ee)German pork bratwurstMexican or Spanish chorizo (chuh-REE-zoh) Hot dogs or WeinersItalian sausage with garlic and fennelPolish kielbasa (keel-BAH-suh)Knockwurst (NAK-vursht) with garlic PepperoniScrapple (sausage and cornmeal)Vienna sausages (short, canned)

Forcemeat is a mixture of lean ground meat and fat that is forced to combine, in a

food grinder. It is then forced through a sieve to make a very smooth paste. It can be made into a rich mixture called a pâté,

and baked in an earthenware mold called a terrine. A pâté de campagne (pah-TAY de

kom-PAN-yuh) uses cured meat.

Foie gras (FWA-gra) is the liver from a fattened goose or duck, and may be used in a pâté. Mousseline (moose-us-LEEN) is a

delicately-flavored forcemeat made from veal, poultry, or fish. When shaped into

dumplings and poached in a rich stock, they are called quenelles (kuh-NEL).

Pâté en croûte (pah-TAY on kroot) is forcemeat wrapped in dough. Galantine (gal-en-TEEN) is wrapped in chicken skin.

Pâté

Quenelles

Pâté en croûte

Processed meats have undergone

some sort of additional

treatment to either extend shelf life or

create a distinctive

flavor.

Drying and salting meat: jerky

Curing meat (with a mixture of salt, nitrite, ascorbic acid, etc): ham is an example

Luncheon meats

Sausages, often smoked

This pork chop looks yummy, but if cooked improperly could be responsible for illness and even death.

Trichinae worms are parasites, living in the

muscle of hogs. When the infected meat is eaten by humans, the worm then

infects the human muscles. Trichinosis is

accompanied by arthritis-type symptoms.

e.Coli is a bacteria that lives in the digestive

system of a healthy animal. The bacteria may come in

contact with the meat. If the meat is then undercooked and eaten, the bacteria is

transferred to the human. It can cause death.

Cooking meat until no pink remains destroys both trichinae and e.coli. Even slight overcooking, however,

may cause meat to be less-juicy and less-tender.

Like meat, poultry is inspected by the federal government. The grades

are:

USDA AUSDA B

USDA C

Factors that determine grade are the shape of the carcass, ratio of meat to

bone, amount of feathers, and number of cuts or

broken bones.

Fresh poultry has a short shelf life, but can be frozen. It should never be gray in color or have a pasty feel,

and odor should be minimal. Never store uncooked

stuffing in a raw bird. Cook all poultry thoroughly.

Chicken and turkey have both white and dark meat. White meat is leaner with a mild flavor.

Ducks and geese have only dark meat, which is more flavorful but higher in fat. The

part of the bird getting more exercise is darker, such as the legs and thighs of a chicken. Free-range poultry is

raised in large yards where the bird can get more exercise, and there is more dark meat.

Game birds that do more actual “flying”, have more dark meat. Wild game might include quail, pheasant, wild turkey, ducks,

geese or turtledove. Domesticated birds have far more white meat.

The method used for cooking poultry depends

on the age of the bird. Young birds can be cooked in dry

heat, such as grilling, frying, and roasting.

Older birds and game birds are less tender, and need to be cooked in moist heat. Use a lid and add liquid or gravy during cooking.

Stewing, or boiling older birds is common.

Chicken is often dredged in flour before frying to

form a coating and seal in juices.

Trussing a bird means the legs and wings are tied to the bird’s

body, so the entire bird will cook evenly and stay moist.

Deboning poultry means to separate the meat from the bone and cut the

bird into pieces. Clean work surfaces and equipment carefully to

avoid cross-contamination.

Chicken can be purchased whole to save money;

you cut it up yourself OR you can purchase it already cut up

OR purchase just the pieces you

want.

GIBLETS (JIB-lets)are the edible poultry

organs, including the liver, heart, and

gizzard (a digestive organ).

The skin on the poultry is high in

fat content. For that reason, many

people remove the skin before eating the poultry. In the picture to the

left, the chicken breast has been

halved, boned, and skinned.

Giblets and the neck are often packaged separately in the cavity of the raw bird;

cooked, and used in the stuffing.

Cooking does not stop immediately when food is

taken from the heat. This is called carryover cooking, and the larger the item the

more heat it will retain.

Poultry should be cooked à point (ah PWAH), all the

way through but not overcooked. Allow meat or poultry to rest after removed

from the oven. This allows time for carryover cooking and allows less juice to be lost

during carving.

Flat and round fin fish can be divided into two categories by the color of their flesh…

Light or white fish have a mild flavor, tender texture, and low fat. They

include catfish, cod, flounder, haddock, halibut, perch, pike, pollack (PŎL-luck), pompano (POM-pa-nō), turbot (TER-bet), red snapper, sole, trout, and

whitefish.

Darker fish flesh has a more pronounced flavor, firm texture, and higher fat content. These

include bluefish, mackerel, salmon, swordfish, and tuna.

CRUSTACEANS have long bodies with jointed limbs

covered with shells, including crab, crayfish,

lobster, and shrimp.

MOLLUSKS have soft bodies covered by at least one shell, including clams, mussels, oysters, scallops, and

squid. Removing them from the shell is called ‘shucking’.

Purchase fresh fish by appearance and a mild, fresh aroma. Eyes should be clear and full; gills should have a

red or maroon color. Inspection is not required, but generally Grade A

fish are for cooking; grades B and C are for canning.

Live crab/lobster should be moving around; lobster tails should curl under when picked up; clams, mussels, and

oysters should be tightly closed.

Oyster in the shell

FILET (fil-LAY) is a procedure to remove bones or a piece of fish

“without bones”.

Scaling fish means to remove the hard and inedible scales from the skin. To gut a fish, make a slit in

the belly OR cut off the head and pull out the insides.

Click on this fish icon to see a demonstration on Asian speed-cooking of snake & fish

Gently pull off heads. Pull off legs and then peel back shell OR peel back shell and then remove any remaining legs.

Peel off shell and then remove tail if desired.

Make a shallow slit down the back to expose the vein (digestive tract).

Pull out the intestine with your knife,

fingers, or toothpick.

De-veining shrimp means to remove the digestive

tract.1.

2.3.

4.

5.6.

Fish is very tender. It should be cooked until it flakes easily and is

opaque in color. All cooking methods can be used… grilling, frying, and

deep fat frying, boiling, steaming, etc.

Fish may be canned in oil for flavor, or water to cut calories. It can be preserved by pickling, smoking, curing or drying. Lox is

a fish that is smoked and cured, and commonly served with bagels.

Fish can be cut into goujonettes (goo-sha-NET)

or small strips OR paupiettes (pō-peeEHT) thin rolled

fillets filled with stuffing.

En papillote (en paw-pee-YOTE)

is a moist-heat cooking method, well

suited for fish. The fish, vegetables, herbs, etc. are

encased in parchment paper and baked, or

steamed in foil.

Seafood Newburg is lobster, crab, or shrimp in a rich sauce made from butter,

cream, egg yolks, sherry, and seasonings.

Jambalaya (jam-bo-LIE-ah) is

a Creole stew made from rice or pasta, shellfish, and vegetables.