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Learner guide

Prepare meat dishes SITHCCC014

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Version number 2.0

Copyright 2016

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Contents

Overview ........................................................................................................ 3

Section 1: Select ingredients ......................................................................... 3

Section 2: Select, prepare and use equipment ............................................ 47

Section 3: Portion and prepare ingredients .................................................. 55

Section 4: Cook meat dishes ....................................................................... 75

Section 5: Present meat dishes ................................................................... 89

Glossary ..................................................................................................... 103

Please note the following condition

This Didasko learning resource should be used as a training tool for students and trainers. While the information contained within addresses the elements and performance criteria, and the knowledge and performance evidence of individual competencies it remains the responsibility of the training organisation to ensure it meets training framework requirements and to provide additional documentation where necessary.

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SITHCCC014 Prepare meat dishes

2016 Edition 3

Overview

Most of us are relieved that the days of meat and two veg are long gone. Thanks to our multicultural society, we get to enjoy a range of foods from around the world (Asia, Africa and the Caribbean) and we feast on modern European cuisine as well as continuing to enjoy traditional Aussie dishes. There are so many choices!

That’s not to say we don’t enjoy our meat. With the exception of people who can’t eat meat for health, religious or personal reasons, the majority of people will expect to be served meat.

Meat has its origins in pigs, cows, sheep or even more exotic animals such as buffalo or kangaroos.

Each carcass can be divided into a number of cuts which are then prepared in a range of ways.

There are lots of ways to produce delicious meat dishes. It’s just a matter of knowing which cuts to use and how to cook them.

Let’s look at what you will learn on completion of this unit.

Section 1: Select ingredients

Section 2: Select, prepare and use equipment

Section 3: Portion and prepare ingredients

Section 4: Cook meat dishes

Section 5: Present meat dishes

Section 1: Select ingredients

In this section you will learn the following.

• How to determine food production requirements. • How to calculate ingredient amounts. • How to identify and select meat products and other ingredients.

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2016 Edition 4

A systematic approach to cooking Commercial kitchens are busy and demanding. To deal with the pressure of work and kitchen conditions, you must take a logical, systematic approach.

In this unit you’ll learn the six stages of preparing and cooking meat dishes using a systematic approach.

Click on the pictures to see what they are.

Stage 1: Confirm food production requirements.

Stage 2: Get the ingredients.

Stage 3: Get the equipment ready.

Stage 4: Prepare the ingredients.

Stage 5: Cook the dish.

Stage 6: Present the dish.

We will look at each of these stages in detail throughout this unit.

STAGE 1: CONFIRM FOOD PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS

Food production requirements tell you how to produce a dish according to your organisation’s standards. You find this information in food preparation lists and standard recipes.

Click on the pictures to see the information you need to confirm.

Deadlines

How long does it take to prepare, cook or complete?

Portion control

What size servings for breakfast, lunch, dinner?

Quantities to be produced

How much does the recipe yield? How many portions (or servings) does it produce?

Special customer requests

What does the customer want? Well done? No sauce?

Special dietary requirements

What are the culinary characteristics, restrictions or sanctions? Low-fat, gluten-free, kosher.


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Ingredients and equipment

What do you need? How much of each ingredient? Do you have everything?

Step-by-step procedures/methods

How exactly do you make it? What preparation and cooking methods do you use to retain optimum nutritional value?

Presentation standards and techniques

How do you plate it up? What crockery, garnishes and service equipment is needed?

You’ll find the answers to all of these questions in the establishment’s standard recipes or by listening to the customer’s request.

Why should I use a recipe? A recipe lists the equipment, procedures and ingredient quantities you need to prepare and cook a dish. It tells you everything you need to do and prepare from start to finish.

Recipes sometimes contain very specific (and complicated!) processes, so it’s important that you follow them.

Click on the icon to find out why.

Following the recipe exactly produces a consistent end product which is perfectly portioned every time, no matter who makes it.

The success of many dishes depends on the correct ratio of ingredients, flavourings and liquid. Changing ingredient quantities changes these ratios which can significantly change the flavour, texture or appearance of the final product.

Recipes list steps in sequence for good reasons. You’ll find tasks such as marinating meat, preparing stuffing, crumbing cutlets and mincing meat at the start of the recipe. Why? Because you need to carry them out before you combine the ingredients or begin cooking.

Completing steps in the correct order is the most logical, efficient and economical method of production. Not only that, it achieves the best results!

Hot tip

Read the recipe to make sure you have everything ready. You don’t want to be halfway through preparing a dish and discover something you need is unavailable. Be time efficient. Plan and organise food preparation tasks.


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What’s a standard recipe? A standard recipe is much the same as a normal recipe with a few extra details that allow management to calculate portion costs and the total cost of ingredients to make the recipe.

Click on the tabs to identify the information contained in a standard recipe.

Recipe number

Photograph or detailed diagram of the finished product

Dish menu position (entrée, dessert, etc.)

Portion cost

Cost of each ingredient

Date it was last tested and costed

Selling price

Plating and garnishing instructions

Production method

Food cost percentage


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What if you need to increase or decrease the portion? Standard recipes aren’t always written for the exact number of portions you need. If you require fewer or more portions, you can adjust the recipe by multiplying or dividing all the ingredients accordingly.

Click on the tabs to see how it’s done.

Increasing portions

You have a recipe for 10 portions (2 L) of beef and lentil soup, but you need to make 80 portions (16 L). To convert, multiply all the ingredients by 8 to get the required amount.

80 ÷ 10 = 8, so all ingredients are multiplied by 8.

Decreasing portions

You have a recipe for 10 portions (2 L) of beef and lentil soup, but you may only need 4 portions. In this case, divide each ingredient by 2.5 to work out the required amount.

10 ÷ 4 = 2.5, so all ingredients are divided by 2.5.

Hot tip

Take care when adjusting a recipe. It’s easy to make errors. Check that all calculations and units of measurement are correct. It only takes one miscalculation to make a disaster!

Calculating correct ingredient amounts Most meat varieties require some form of preparation prior to use. Tasks such as cleaning, trimming, boning and portioning reduce the quantity of actual meat available for use in the recipe.

The types of tasks to be completed depend on the format in which the meat is purchased. Whole tenderloins, for example, are sold as either 'unpeeled' (the fat and silverskin (glossary) remain), or 'peeled' (the fat is removed, but silverskin remains).

Alternatively, it may be delivered already prepared and cut into portions, ready for use. This makes it very easy for you to calculate quantities and portions when selecting ingredients.


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STAGE 2: SELECT THE INGREDIENTS Before preparing ingredients, get everything you need from the storage areas so it’s ready for use in your work area. Refer to your recipe for a complete list of the ingredients you need.

Choose fresh, high quality ingredients to ensure your dishes are tasty and meet food safety requirements. To do this, you need to know the characteristics of different types of meat and the quality indicators to look for. You’ll learn what these are over the next few screens.

Note

Follow stock rotation requirements when it comes to selecting ingredients. FIFO is a good guide: First In, First Out. Always check use-by or best-before dates. Never use any product which is past these dates.

A quality dish needs quality ingredients If your ingredients are of poor quality, you can expect your end product to taste the same. Always choose fresh ingredients that meet quality standards.

Click on the tabs to find out what these standards are.

Meat

• Colour should be appropriate for the meat type: pink to bright red for beef, light grey to pale pink for veal, bright pink to greyish pink for pork, pink to dull red for lamb.

• Flesh should show no signs of bruising, be firm, moist and have a texture appropriate to the meat type and cut.

• Temperature of fresh meat should be between 1 and 5 °C and frozen meat between -18 and -25 °C.

• Packaging should be sealed and show no signs of damage or tampering. • Frozen meat should have no signs of freezer burn (glossary). We'll look at specific quality indicators for each type of meat later in this section.

Fruit and vegetables

The quality of fruit and vegetables can vary depending on what you are using them for. For chutney you may need green tomatoes. For salads you may need ripe, firm tomatoes, and for soups, stocks and sauces you may need over-ripe tomatoes.

Always check that the quality meets organisational standards and suits the dish you are preparing. Here are some general principles.

• They should be fresh, crisp, with good colour and a fresh, pleasant smell. • There should be no signs of insect damage, wilting, bruising, shrivelling, blemishes or

mould. • Bulbs and tubers should have no sign of sprouting or greening on the surface.


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• Leafy vegetables should have compact leaves and no sign of wilting or discolouration around the edges of leaves.

• Any packaging should be sealed and show no signs of damage or tampering. • Frozen fruits and vegetables should have no signs of freezer burn.

Dry goods

Dry goods include flours, dried herbs and other seasonings, rice, pasta, pulses and grains.

• Dry goods should be stored correctly and show no sign of damage or tampering. • There should be no sign of exposure to moisture or unusual clumping of dry goods. • They should be stored in clean containers with tightly fitted lids to keep them safe from

vermin like rodents (rats and mice), weevils, flies and ants. • There should be no other impurities, e.g., dirt, other ingredients or pieces of packing

that may have fallen in. • Goods should not be passed their best-before or use-by date.

Dairy and eggs

Dairy products are the group of commodities derived from dairy farming. They include milk and all products that come from milk including cream, butter, yoghurt and cheese.

• Dairy products and eggs should not be passed their best-before or use-by date. • They should look, smell and taste appropriate for the product type. • Egg shells shouldn’t be cracked or broken.

The importance of correct stock rotation There are certain stock rotation procedures you must comply with when selecting ingredients from stores.

These procedures exist to minimise stock loss by ensuring that old stock is used before new stock. They also ensure that the stock you select is of good quality and safe for consumption.

Click on the icon to find out why this is important.

When you receive new supplies of stock, place them at the rear of the shelf, behind any existing stock. If you place new stock in front of existing stock, the old stock may never get used. Instead, it'll slowly deteriorate or expire and eventually need to be thrown out. A waste of resources and money!

When unpackaged food and leftovers are stored, kitchen staff must label or code them with the food type and storage date. This ensures that all goods are not stored longer than is recommended for quality and safety reasons.

When you select ingredients, choose the oldest stock first. Remember to check stock date codes, rotation labels, use-by and best-before dates to ensure the stock is safe to use.


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What if the ingredients are too old to use? Check with your supervisor, chef or manager before disposing of old, deteriorated or expired ingredients.

Many establishments record stock which is thrown out on a wastage record. This helps track how much money the business is losing due to storage problems, over-ordering or over-preparation of menu items.

Choosing the right cut There are some general terms used throughout the industry that relate to how a carcass is broken down. Knowing what these terms are will help you select the right cut for your meat dishes.

Click on the tabs to work down from the largest cut (carcass) to portion cuts.

Whole dressed carcass or simply ‘carcass’

This term refers to the complete body of the beast after slaughter with the head, tail, fur, skin, hooves and intestines removed, and is ready for butchering or cooking. Pork is an exception as the carcass usually has the intestines and head only removed. If requested, the pig’s head can be left on. Whole carcasses are rarely purchased because the full carcass weight makes handling difficult and many businesses can’t fully utilise all components, increasing wastage and costs.

Side

This represents the first stage in breaking down a carcass, referring to one side of the carcass, which has been split lengthwise along the backbone. This is usually performed at the abattoir with the use of an electric bandsaw. The spinal cord is removed.

Quarter

Sides are further broken down by cutting them into two lateral pieces called quarters. The rear section is called the hindquarter and the front section is called the forequarter. The precise place where the side is divided depends on the animal. For example, beef is usually divided between the 10th and the 11th rib while pork is usually cut between the 6th and the 7th rib. It is these quarters that wholesale butchers typically purchase from the abattoir.

Primal cuts

Primal or primary cuts are the first cuts after the side has been divided into quarters. All of the bones and muscles remain intact and are not separated. Obviously, the primal cuts and the names given to them vary according to the animal. Depending on the size of the animal, the hindquarter will typically be divided into two to three primal cuts while the forequarter is left whole or cut into two primals.

Secondary cuts

Secondary cuts are obtained by dividing primal cuts into smaller portions. The individual major muscles are separated from each other and often the bones, and then trimmed of excess fat. When secondary cuts are trimmed of all surface fat, silverskin and sinew, they are referred to as being 'de-nuded', as in de-nuded topside. They are then ready for trussing and cooking or breaking down into individual portions such as steaks, chops and so on.


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Primary and secondary cuts are used in many catering establishments because they are small enough to be manageable, large enough to give a variety of different cuts for different uses, and easier to utilise than sides or quarters.

Portioned cuts or restaurant cuts

These are ready-to-cook portions, prepared according to the requirements of the recipe. They can be prepared on site from primary or secondary cuts or purchased from wholesale butchers to the exact size, quantity and specifications desired. Portioned cuts require the least amount of work by you as a cook; however, they are also the most expensive per kilo to purchase of all meat cuts because of the labour gone into preparing them before they reach you.

Bone in/bone out

This simply refers to whether the bone is left in the cut or portion or cut out. For example, you can purchase a leg of lamb with bone still in place or de-boned.

What is meat? What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘meat’?

You have 30 seconds to list as many types of meat as you can.

Click start to begin.

List as many types of meat as you can in the space below.

How did you go?

For most, the answer begins with beef, lamb, veal or pork.

This is not surprising since they're the most common meat varieties purchased and consumed in Australia. However, there are many other varieties available. Let's look at what they are on the next screen.

Different types of meat Click on the pictures to see the different types of meat. You'll learn more about each one throughout the remainder of this section.

Common meat varieties

• Beef • Veal • Pork • Lamb


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Fancy meat

Fancy meat is a term used in the Australian meat industry for all the edible organs (offal) of various animals. It includes animal off-cuts and products that cannot be classified as meat (skeletal muscle), including the head, tail, feet and marrow bones.

• Brains • Kidney • Liver • Tail • Sweetbreads • Spleen • Heart • Tendons • Tongue

Game

• Boar • Buffalo • Crocodile • Emu • Hare • Kangaroo • Ostrich • Rabbit • Venison

Common meat varieties Click on the tabs to learn more about the common meat varieties.

Beef

Beef is the name given to the meat we get from mature cattle, from about two years of age. Live beef cattle are classified according to breed, age, sex (glossary) and diet: all factors that have a direct effect on the quality, tenderness, flavour and price of the meat.

Veal

Veal is taken from calves usually culled at three months of age. Depending on the age of the calf, the meat can vary in colour from creamy white with just a hint of pink through to a greyish pink.

According to recent changes in labelling requirements, meat can only be labelled ‘veal’ or ‘Category V’ meat if the cow was aged eight months or less at the time of slaughter. Any meat taken from a cow aged between eight and twelve months is ‘Category Z’ meat.


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Pork

Pork is the name given to the flesh from domestic pigs. Pork falls into two categories.

1. Pedigree pork or free range pork which is usually tastier but more expensive.

2. Pork from pigs raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) (glossary) which is usually cheaper.

What is the difference between pork and bacon? Not a great deal.

Bacon, like pork, comes from the carcass of domestic pigs. Bacon is taken from the belly or sides of a pig, sliced into thin strips and then cured (glossary) and smoked.

Lamb

Lamb is a young sheep aged less than 12 months. As sheep age, their meat becomes tougher and over 12 months of age is called mutton. You will be able to buy mutton for fewer dollars per kilogram, but the end product will not be as tender!

The flesh colour from lamb is quite pink and deepens to red with age.

What role does diet play? Diet (glossary) plays a huge role in the taste and the cost of the end product. Some methods of feeding cost more and take longer. This cost is passed onto the butcher who in turn charges your organisation more.

Click on the tabs to find out more.

Grain fed

Details Advantages Disadvantages This method requires cattle be fed a grain concentrate for a set period of time. Cattle finished using this method have higher fat levels with the fat more evenly distributed.

Normally less expensive Available year round

Lower in nutrients Not as good for the environment

Grass fed

Details Advantages Disadvantages Cattle raised in the pasture are known as grass fed beef. Grass feeding produces leaner beef that is typically richer in nutrients.

Higher in nutrients More expensive

Lot fed

Details Advantages Disadvantages These are cattle fed grain for a minimum of 100 days. It's not the high energy diet of the grain fed animals and some grass is still included in the diet.

Similar qualities to grain fed at a more affordable price

Marbling (glossary) produced is less than grain fed


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Healthy eating consideration

Saturated fat can lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Where possible, choose grass fed beef.

How is beef broken down? Generally, abattoirs forward beef to the wholesale markets in either sides or as quarters. These first cuts allow the carcass to be transported, handled and stored more easily.

Click on the cow to see how it is broken down into quarters.

Quarters

A side of beef has thirteen ribs. To obtain the hindquarter and the forequarter, the side is divided between the 10th and the 11th rib.

Hindquarter

Forequarter


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Click on the hindquarter to check out the primal cuts.

Primal cuts

The forequarter is regarded as a primary cut in its own right and is broken into secondary cuts. The hindquarter of beef is dissected into three primal cuts: the argentine, thin flank and the butt or short leg.

Meat from the argentine is the:

• most tender • most sought after • most expensive cut.

Food for thought A food grade butcher’s handsaw is the only hand tool capable of cutting through bones safely and efficiently. Here are some tips that will help you.

• Keep the handsaw hygienically clean and sharp at all times. • Give yourself plenty of space to work. • Keep your workbench uncluttered to prevent sharp items from falling and injuring you

or others.

Secondary cuts Secondary cuts are obtained when the primal cuts are divided into smaller portions.

Click on the icon to find out more.

Butt (short leg)

Argentine

Thin flank


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From the bone

Most secondary cuts are removed from the bone, and the major muscles are separated from one another. They are then trimmed of excess fat and sinew, ready to be cooked whole, or broken down into portions.

Breaking down primal cuts

There are several methods of breaking down primal cuts into secondary cuts, depending on how the meat will be used. The loin of beef, for example, can be cut while still attached to the bone and then portioned into T-bone steaks. Alternatively, it can be removed from the bone and roasted as a whole striploin or cut into sirloin steaks.

Hot tip

Secondary cuts come a close second in popularity to portion cuts among catering establishments as they are small enough to be manageable and easy to store and portion.

Breaking down a beef carcass You've just learned how to break down a beef carcass into sides, quarters, primal and secondary cuts.

Click on the sections of the cow to see how all the pieces fit together.

Rib eye roll Prime rib

Sirloin

Tenderloin Rump

Topside

Silverside

Hind shank

Round

Thin flank

Brisket

Foreshin

Blade

Chuck


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Secondary cuts: Butt (short leg) The butt is divided from the full hindquarter by cutting through the pelvic bone at the cup joint of the leg bone. It is made up of three main muscles that are wrapped around each other and the shin or shank. The meat from this primal cut varies from muscle to muscle and can range from tough, coarsely grained and sinewy to reasonably tender, finely grained and very lean.

Click on the four secondary cuts taken from the butt to learn more.

1. Topside

The topside is removed from the inside portion of the full butt by following the natural seam that divides the muscle from the silverside and the round. This cut follows the line of the leg bone. The topside is a lean piece of finely grained meat suitable for mincing, dicing and stewing or can be roasted or braised whole.

2. Silverside

The silverside comes from the outside of the butt by following the natural seam that separates the silverside from the topside and the round. The muscle is separated from the hind shank by cutting straight across the heel muscle and is then stripped of all fat. The silverside is coarser grained than topside. It can be roasted or braised, but is most popular when pickled/corned and boiled. When it’s sliced, it often resembles the sole of the foot.

3. Round or knuckle

The round is cut from the front of the leg bone by separating it from the topside, silverside and the kneecap. The round has a similar grain to silverside, yet is a little tougher. It is best suited to braising or mincing.

4. Hind shank or shin

The hind shank is removed by cutting the shank bone from the butt through the knee or stifle joint. The shin contains a lot of sinew and is high in gelatine content. The meat may be sliced in portions through the bone and braised or removed from the bone and diced for stews. Due to the lean nature of the cut, it is perfect when minced and used to clarify clear soup (also known as consommé or beef tea).

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What is the thin flank? Click on the thin flank to find out the answer.

The thin flank, or skirt as it is sometimes called, is the thin sinewy meat that surrounds the stomach cavity. Due to the tough nature of the flank, it is usually cut into braising steak or minced.

Argentine The argentine of beef contains the most tender cuts of meat, including the rump, tenderloin, sirloin and prime ribs. If you want cuts of beef for grilling as steaks or medallions or for tender rare roasts, then you will select one of the four secondary cuts that make up the argentine.

Click on the sections of the argentine to learn more about the individual cuts.

1. Rump

The rump is removed from the loin at the lower back at the point of the hip bone. When removing the rump, take care to completely remove the butt-end of the fillet. When the rump has been removed from the argentine and boned out, it should be trimmed of excess fat. The boned rump has a fine grain, tender consistency and a juicy succulent beef flavour. It can be cut into rump steaks for grilling or braising, diced for stewing, or rolled and roasted whole.

2. Tenderloin, fillet, eye-fillet

The tenderloin is a lean muscle that lies along and beneath the lumber vertebrae. Because of where it is situated, the tenderloin does not get exercised by the live beast, therefore making it the tenderest portion. It is removed from the rump and loin in one piece before removing the tail and excess surrounding fat.

Thin flank

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Demand is high for this premium quality, versatile product. Each carcass only has two tenderloins and combined they make up only 2% of the dressed carcass weight. They can be roasted, poêléed or poached whole, cut into steaks or medallions and grilled, cut into small strips for sautéing and stir-frying or finely minced and eaten raw. As you may have guessed, the tenderloin is the most expensive cut of beef.

3. Sirloin, striploin, porterhouse, or contre-fillet

This large prime tender cut of meat extends from the rump through to the last three ribs. It can be removed on the bone by cutting through the backbone where it meets the rump; however, it is usually removed from the bone in one long piece. The sirloin can be roasted whole on or off the bone, or cut into steaks and grilled or pan-fried. Boneless sirloin steaks are often called porterhouse or entrecôte steaks, while on the bone they are called T-bones.

4. Prime rib, wing rib or rib set

The prime rib is a tender cut of prime meat containing three ribs. It can be roasted in one piece or cut through the bone to form beef cutlets suitable for grilling.

Forequarter As with most livestock, the majority of cuts from the forequarter are tougher. The muscle fibres in this area are bound together in a network of proteins called connective tissues (glossary) which can tighten and become chewy when cooked.


Muscles in the butt, for example, have more connective tissue than muscles in the argentine, as they are exercised more as the animal walks. Most of the muscles in the forequarter are constantly exercised as they take most of the animal’s weight; therefore a great deal of connective tissue is developed.

The downside of connective tissue is that it can make the meat tougher. The upside of connective tissue is that it adds flavour. If these tougher cuts are cooked using long, slow, moist methods such as braising and stewing, then the connective tissue is broken down leaving the meat very tender and full of flavour.

Hot tip

The tenderloin may be the tenderest cut of beef, but it is also the cut that contains the least amount of flavour.


2016 Edition 20

What secondary cuts come from the beef forequarter? The muscles in the forequarter can be divided and cut several different ways, depending on how they will be used and cooked.

Click on the secondary cuts taken from the forequarter to learn more.

1. Rib eye roll

The rib eye roll consists of the muscles lying on the back above the ribs and beside the chine/feather bones. It is taken from the fourth rib continuing to the tenth rib inclusive.

This cut is an exception to the tough rule of forequarter meat. This muscle provides meat that is suited to roasting in one piece on or off the bone, or cut into tender rib eye steaks for grilling. This cut is sometimes referred to as Scotch fillet.

2. Chuck steak

The chuck is a fairly large and complex set of muscles cut from the neck bones and continuing across to the clod of tissue around and under the shoulder blade and up to the fourth rib. The meat from the chuck requires long slow cooking processes such as braising and stewing.

3. Brisket

The brisket is a large thin flat section of meat cut from the breastbone and ribs. When surplus surface fat has been trimmed away, the meat may be minced, diced for stewing or rolled, trussed and corned, ready for boiling as corned beef (pressed beef).

4. Blade

The blade includes the large muscle that lies on the outside of the shoulder blade bone. The meat from this area is usually fully boned and used for roasts. Some parts of the blade contain a type of flat gristle plate that melts down and becomes tender during slow moist cooking. Oyster blade steaks used for braising are cut from this section.

5. Shin

The shin is removed from the forequarter by cutting through the elbow joint. Like the hind shank, the shin contains a great deal of sinew and gelatine. The meat is usually removed from the bone and diced for stews, or minced and used to clarify clear soup (consommé or beef tea).

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2016 Edition 21

What are the different portion cuts called? Taking into consideration the many ways that a carcass of beef can be broken down and whether the secondary cuts are left on the bones or boneless, left in larger pieces or cut, there are literally hundreds of recognised Australian standard meat cuts.

To highlight this point, you don’t need to go any further than the smallest of the secondary beef cuts: the tenderloin. The tenderloin has an average weight of only 2.6kg yet there are more than seven recognised portions you can cut from it.

Click on the tenderloin sections to see the different cuts.

Beef portions commonly used in hospitality and catering organisations.

Popular portion names and uses

Primal Secondary Portion Average portion

weight range

Suitable cooking method

Butt Topside 2cm diced 160 g Stew Mince, hamburger 140 g Grill

Argentine Sirloin Sirloin steak (entrecôte) 200 to 240 g Grill Minute steak 125 to 160 g Grill

Sirloin (bone in with fillet)

T-bone 550 to 650 g Grill

Rump Rump steak 200 to 240 g Grill Tenderloin Chateaubriand

(cooked for 2 to 4 people) 250 g serve Grill

Fillet steak 200 g Grill Tournedos 150 g Grill Fillet minute steak 150 g Grill Médaillon 2 x 100 g or

3 x 70 g Grill

Filet mignon 2 x 80 g Grill Forequarter Rib eye roll Rib eye steaks 200 g Grill/

shallow fry Prepared ribs Beef cutlet 300 g Grill/

shallow fry


2016 Edition 22

Veal Veal is the name of meat obtained from immature cattle (calves).

Veal is a by-product of the dairy and beef industries. Dairy cattle typically produce lightweight calves weighing less than 70 kg, while calves from beef cattle may weigh up to 150 kg.

Common cuts of veal include the loin, escalope and offal (glossary).

Let’s take a closer look at how veal is broken down on the next screen.

Click on the icon to learn about veal classifications.

Veal classifications

There are two main classifications of veal available on the Australian market. They are defined by carcass weight and age.

Bobby veal: Produced from an animal six weeks old or less and up to 32 kg dressed weight. The flesh from bobby veal is creamy white with just a hint of pink.

Stirk or vealer: Produced from animals up to fourteen weeks old and up to 90 kg dressed weight. The flesh is light greyish-pink in colour. Sometimes the meat from calves older than fourteen weeks is sold as ‘baby beef,’ as it can no longer be classified as veal. As the calf gets older (between 4 and 8 months), the flesh becomes darker as the animal begins eating fodder, grass or foods other than milk.

How is veal broken down? Veal carcasses are much smaller than beef, have less fat and the muscles are far less developed. As a consequence, a slightly different approach is used when breaking them down.

Generally, abattoirs forward veal to the wholesale markets in sides or quarters.

Click on the pictures to learn more about these cuts.

Quarters

Hindquarter

Forequarter


2016 Edition 23

Like beef, a side of veal has thirteen ribs. However, the hindquarter and forequarter is divided between the 5th and 6th rib and not between the 10th and the 11th ribs, as is the case with beef.

Primal cuts

The forequarter is considered a primary cut. It is broken into secondary cuts. The hindquarter of veal is further dissected into three primal cuts: the long leg (butt and rump combined), breast and the loin. The loin contains the most tender secondary and portion cuts of meat.

Secondary cuts There are several methods of breaking down primal cuts of veal into secondary cuts, depending on how the meat is used.

You should remember that the muscles on a carcass of veal are much smaller than the equivalent found on the mature beef.

Click on the sections of the calf to learn more about the different cuts.

Long leg

Breast

Forequarter

Loin


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1. Shank

The hind shank is removed by cutting through the knee or stifle joint. The meat may be braised whole, sliced into portions through the bone and braised (osso bucco) (recipe 38) or removed from the bone and diced for stews. Minced shank meat is perfect when clarifying consommé.

2. Leg

The long leg includes the shank and the rump, while the short leg includes only the shank. The muscles of the leg (veal leg set) include the topside, silverside and knuckle. The leg may be roasted whole, on the bone or boned and rolled, diced and used for stews, or the topside and knuckle may be cut into individual portions and beaten into escalopes.

3. Rump

The rump is often left attached to the leg making it a long leg or is stripped of all fat and sinew and used diced in stews, as veal rump steaks, or cut into individual portions and beaten into escalopes.

4. Breast

The breast is sometimes seasoned, rolled and trussed in preparation for roasting, but is more often used diced for stewing such as for a blanquette or minced.

5. Tenderloin

Like with beef, the tenderloin is the most tender cut. The whole tenderloin may be roasted plain or stuffed, rolled and tied. Alternatively, it is suited to cutting into veal fillet steaks for grilling or medallions for sautéing.

6. Short loin

The loin is represented by the rack and the short loin. The short loin is separated from the rack between the 10th and 11th rib. The short loin may be left on the bone and cut into chops, or boned and rolled for roasting or cut into rosettes for grilling.

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7. Rack

The veal rack is the remainder of the loin after the short loin has been removed. It consists of rib six through to rib ten or eleven. The rack may be cooked as a standing rib roast or cut into cutlets for grilling or sautéing.

8. Shoulder or blade

The shoulder is made up of the shoulder blade, clod and ribs one through to five. The meat from this section of the carcass is usually trimmed and trussed for roasting, poêléing and braising, or diced for stewing.

9. Neck

The meat from the neck is prepared and used in the same way as the shoulder.

10. Shin

The shin is removed from the forequarter by cutting through the elbow joint. The shin can be used in exactly the same way as the shank.

What are the different portion cuts called? Veal can be cut into a wide selection of cuts to meet the requirements of a broad range of recipes.

Click on the icon to see a selection of veal portions used in hospitality and catering organisations.

Primal Secondary Portion Average portion weight range


Long leg

Topside 2cm diced 160 g Stew/blanquette Escalopes 1 x 120 g / 2 x 60 g Sauté/pan-fry

Rump Escalopes 1 x 120 g / 2 x 60 g Sauté/pan-fry Shin Osso bucco 2 x 250 g Braise

Loin Short-loin (bone in)

Short-loin chops 1 x 220 g Grill

Short-loin (boneless)

Noisettes (glossary) 2 x 80 g Sauté/grill Rosettes (glossary) 2 x 80 g Sauté/grill

Tenderloin Médaillon 2 x 80 g Grill/pan-fry Rack Cutlet 1 x 250 g Grill/pan-fry

Frenched rack 200 g/serve incl. bone Roasted Fore-quarter

Shin Frenched shank 1 x 350 g Braised Shoulder 2cm diced 160 g Stew/blanquette

Pork Pork is the name given to the flesh of domesticated pigs.

It comes from pigs up to twelve months old. However, most are slaughtered for the table at the age of five to six months. Pork flesh is finely grained, grey to pale pink in colour and has smooth, white surface fat. Unlike beef, veal and lamb, the flesh from the entire pork carcass is relatively tender.


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While pork is popular in many countries, those who follow Judaism (Jews) and Islam (Muslims) are forbidden to consume or even handle pork.

Common cuts of pork include the loin, fillet, medallions (médaillons in French), escalope, chops, belly, rib, shoulder and leg.

Click on the icon to learn more.

Conventional and new fashioned pork

Super-porker is the name given to pork with a dressed carcass weight of up to 75 kg as compared with the conventional 45 kg carcass.

The super-porker is broken down and cut in new and different ways to cater to modern and healthier eating trends. Initially, these new pork cuts were marketed as ‘New Fashioned Pork’.

Most New Fashioned Pork comes in individual, boneless portions rather than in large joints. Excess fat and rind is removed or heavily trimmed from most cuts.

Here are some advantages of the new cutting technique.

• Increased health benefits (less fat and rind, more lean meat) • Reduced cooking time (more individual portion cuts rather than large pieces) • Increased versatility of the cuts (steaks, chops, medallions, schnitzels, stir-fry strips,

spare ribs)

How is pork broken down? At slaughter, the carcass is bled and all internal organs, intestines and external hair is removed, making it fit for human consumption. The dressed carcass is sent to wholesale butchers either whole or by the side, split down the middle. The skin or rind is usually left on the carcass to help with keeping qualities. The carcass can be purchased with the head on or removed.

Click on the pig to see how it is broken down into quarters.

Quarters

Hindquarter

Forequarter


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Depending on how the pork is used, the carcass is usually divided into hindquarter and forequarter between the 6th and 7th ribs.


Primal cuts

Like the previous carcass varieties, pork forequarter is regarded as a primary cut in its own right and is broken down directly into secondary cuts.

Here are the steps you should follow.

1. Dissect the hindquarter into two primal cuts separating the leg and the middle.

2. Cut the middle into two sections: the full loin and the spring.

As with most animals, the loin contains the tenderest meat. Pork is not regarded as a tough meat if cooked correctly.

Hot tip

Wholesale butchers often divide the sides in quarters. This retains the maximum number of complete muscles for the secondary cuts and makes the carcass more manageable.

Secondary cuts There are several methods used for breaking down pork into secondary cuts, depending on how the meat is used. Below is an example of one method used to break down pork using modern cutting techniques.

Click on the diagram to learn more about each secondary cut.

Loin

Spring

Forequarter Middle Leg


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1. Trotter

The name given to the fore and hind feet removed from the hock at the carpal joint of the foreleg and the tarsal joint of the rear. The trotter is sometimes smoked and used in soups or boiled for several hours and eaten from the bone. It can also be boned out, stuffed and cooked using moist cooking methods.

2. Hock

The hock is the rindless shank of pork removed from the foreleg at the shank joint and the hind leg at the stifle joint. The hock is suitable as an alternative to osso bucco, or trussed with the bone in and roasted, braised or smoked. Diced hock meat is suitable for pork stews.

3. Leg

The long leg comprises the rump, topside, silverside, round, hock and trotter. The leg can be roasted whole or boned and rolled. The individual muscles may also be separated and used for steaks, dice, shashliks, medallions or schnitzels. The average pork leg weighs 7 to 8 kg.

4. Rump

The rump is removed from the leg by following the natural seam between the rump muscle and the round. The boned rump is suited for cutting into pork rump steaks, portioning into escalopes, strips or diced for stir-fry and stews, or left in one piece for roasting and braising.

5. Fillet

If pork chops are not required, the full fillet is removed before the hindquarter is divided into primal cuts. As with most animals, the pork fillet is the most tender cut. The cleaned fillet may be roasted whole or cut into medallions or escalopes for pan-frying and grilling. Cooked pork fillet medallions are very similar in colour, texture and flavour to that of veal.


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6. Mid-loin

The full loin is represented by the rib-loin and the mid-loin. The mid-loin is separated from the rib-loin with a right angle cut next to the 14th rib. The mid-loin of pork may be cut into mid-loin chops. However, it is usually boned and rolled for roasting whole or cut into mid-loin steaks, rosettes or medallions for grilling and sautéing.

7. Rib-loin

The rib-loin is the remaining section of the full loin after the mid-loin has been removed. It consists of eight ribs. The rib-loin may be roasted whole or as individually portioned four rib racks. The rib-loin may also be cut into individual pork cutlets or boneless steaks, suitable for grilling and pan-frying.

8. Foreloin and shoulder

The meat of the shoulder is first removed from the ribs and vertebrae bones. The complete foreloin can then be removed by following the natural seam running parallel to the outside contour. The foreloin is suitable for roasting whole or portioning into steaks or diced for satay sticks.

The remaining shoulder meat is removed from the rind, fat, blade and arm bones. It is then suitable for rolling and trussing for a roast or dicing for sauté, stir-fry or mince.

9. Neck

The meat from the neck is removed from the shoulder in one piece. Trimmed and trussed, it makes an excellent lean roast or is suitable for dicing and mincing.

10. Spring

The spring of pork may be de-boned and used as a rolled spring roast or used on the bone as spare ribs suited to smoking, grilling and barbecuing. The spring from the forequarter of pork is often called the hand.


So you want to include a pork dish in your menu? Where possible, avoid traditional pork such as roast pork with crackling as this is definitely unhealthy. Fatty crackling may taste good, but is too high in saturated fat and salt. Use lean pork instead of fatty cuts.

What are the different portion cuts called? Pork can be cut into a wide selection of cuts, to meet the requirements of a broad range of recipes.

Click on the icon to see a selection of pork cuts used in restaurants.


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Primal Secondary Portion Average portion

weight range


Long leg Rump Rump steaks 150 g Grill/BBQ Escalopes (schnitzel) 120 g Sauté/pan-fry

Topside Dice 140 g Stew/satay Escalopes (schnitzel) 120 g Sauté/pan-fry

Middle Mid-loin Mid-loin chops 2 x 130 g Grill/BBQ Rosettes 1 x 160 g Grill/pan-fry Noisettes 2 x 80 g Grill/pan-fry

Rib-loin Cutlets 2 x 125 g Grill Rack 1 x 350 g Roasting

Fillet Medallions 2 x 75 g Sauté/pan-fry Spring American-style spareribs 450 g Grill/BBQ

Forequarter Foreloin Foreloin steaks 2 x 80 g Grill/braise Shoulder Stir-fry strips 140g Stir-fry

What are common cuts of bacon? Common cuts of bacon include rashers, back, streaky, hock, collar, gammon joint and gammon steak. As you can see from the diagram, bacon can be taken from many different parts of a pig carcass.

Streaky bacon

Gammon steak Back Collar

Hock

Gammon joint


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Do you know the difference between pancetta and bacon? These two meat products are often confused. Both pancetta and bacon are taken from the same part of the pig. They are also both cured. This is where the difference ends. Bacon is smoked whereas pancetta is not. Pancetta has a game-like richer flavour and can be an acquired taste.

Hot tip

Expect lower yields from cuts such as shoulder bacon as this is high in fat which is normally broken down during the cooking process.

Do you know your bacon? Click on the pictures to learn more about each type.

Streaky bacon

You can recognise this cut by the streaks of fat and lean meat. This type of bacon can be used for larding (glossary) roasts or to wrap pâté (glossary).

Back (bacon)

This cut of bacon has a higher proportion of lean meat than streaky bacon. Back bacon can be grilled or pan-fried and used as the main meat in dishes such as bacon and eggs.

Collar

Collar bacon is also known as shoulder of bacon. This is the fattiest of the bacon cuts. It is most often boiled or used in stews to impart flavour.

Hock

The hock is taken from the hind leg of the carcass. It can be used to add flavour to stews and soups.

Gammon steak

The gammon steak is taken from the hindquarter of the carcass. Grilling or pan-frying are just two of the methods that can be used to cook this cut.

Gammon joint

The gammon joint is the hind leg of the carcass. It is often roasted.


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Lamb Lamb is meat from young sheep that have not yet cut any permanent incisor teeth (usually less than one year old).

Click on the pictures to learn more about age classification.

Young lamb

Young lamb is meat from sheep up to five months old with a dressed carcass weight of about 16 kg. The meat is a light pinkish-red in colour, very moist and mild in flavour.

Lamb

Lamb is meat from sheep between five and twelve months old, with a dressed carcass weight of 16 to 22 kg. Lamb is available all year round. However, it's at its best quality from September to November, hence the term ‘Spring Lamb'.

Young lamb and lamb are by far the most popular forms of sheep meat used domestically and in the catering industry.

Hogget

As lambs grow older, the flesh darkens and intensifies in flavour. At about one year old, when the lamb starts to show a pair of permanent incisor teeth, it's called a 'two-tooth' or hogget. At this age the meat is more likely used for the production of manufactured meats and smallgoods such as salami and sausages.

Mutton

As hogget reaches about two years of age, the name changes to mutton. Mutton is easy to identify as the carcass is large with hard inflexible bones. The flesh is tough and stringy and has a big buildup of fat. The meat is a slightly lighter in colour than beef and has an overly strong flavour, making it inferior for the table and only used in manufactured meats or pet food.

Note

In Australian abattoirs, all sheep are inspected and certified as being lamb with a pink strip brand running down the full length of the carcass. The strip brand is made from edible food dye and will say either 'L.M.B.' or 'Lamb'.

How is lamb broken down? Common cuts of lamb include leg, offal, loin, fillet, saddle, noisettes, best end (rack), shoulder, shank, cutlets and chops.

Like other forms of meat, lamb is broken into quarters, primal cuts and secondary cuts.

Click on the lamb to see how it is broken down into quarters.


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Quarters

Depending on how the lamb is used, it's divided into hindquarter and forequarter, usually between the 5th and 6th ribs.


Primal cuts

The forequarter is regarded as a primary cut in its own right and broken down directly into secondary cuts. The hindquarter of lamb is further dissected into three primal cuts, being the leg, loin and breast. Like most animals, the loin contains the most tender secondary and portion cuts of meat.

Hindquarter

Forequarter

Leg

Forequarter

Loin

Breast


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What are the secondary cuts? Click on the sections of lamb to identify the secondary cuts.

1. Hind shank

Remove the hind shank by cutting through the knee or stifle joint. You usually braise the shank whole but you can remove it from the bone and dice for stews or mince.

2. Leg

The leg should include the hind shank and the chump. However, you may order it as ‘leg chump off’ which comprises the leg and hind shank only. You can roast the leg whole, on the bone or boned and rolled or dice and use for stews.

3. Chump

The chump is the equivalent to the rump in beef and veal. It's often left attached to the leg. However, you can separate and cut it into chump chops, or clean off all fat and sinew and use diced in stews.

4. Tenderloin

As with the other animals discussed so far, the tenderloin is the tenderest cut. You can roast the whole tenderloin or pan-fry plain, or stuff, roll and tie. Since lamb fillets are small, they're not suitable for cutting into fillet steaks. However, they are suited for grilling as medallions.

5. Short-loin or mid-loin

The loin is represented by the rack and the short-loin. The short-loin is separated from the rack between the 12th and 13th rib. The short-loin may be left on the bone and cut into mid-loin chops, or boned and rolled for roasting, or cut into rosettes or noisettes for grilling and sautéing.

Leg Loin

Leg chump off

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6. Rack

The lamb rack is the remainder of the loin after the short-loin has been removed. It consists of ribs 6 to 12. You can cook this cut as a roasted rack of lamb (3 to 5 rib portions) or a crown roast (two full racks tied together in a crown). You can also cut it into individual cutlets suitable for grilling, shallow- and deep-frying.

7. Square cut shoulder

The square cut shoulder is made up of the shoulder blade, breast bone and the first five ribs. The square cut may be cut into forequarter chops suitable for barbecuing, may be boned, trimmed and trussed for roasting and braising, or may be diced for stewing.

8. Neck

The meat from the neck is usually diced for stewing or minced.

9. Breast

The breast of lamb is trimmed of fat and used to make lamb broths and lamb stocks for Irish stews. You can also stuff and use in rolled roasts or dice and use for stewing in casseroles.

10. Shank

The shank is removed from the forequarter by cutting through the elbow joint. You can use this shank in exactly the same way as the hind shank.

What are the different portion cuts? Click on the icon to see a selection of lamb cuts used in hospitality and catering organisations.

Primal Secondary Portion Average portion weight

range


Leg Chump Chump chops 2 x 110 g Grill/BBQ Dice 140 g/serve Stew Leg Boned and rolled 150 g/serve Roast

Loin Short-loin (mid-loin)

Mid-loin chops 3 x 85 g Grill Rosettes 2 x 80 g Grill Noisettes 2 x 80 g Grill Eye of short-loin 150 g/serve Grill/roast

Rib-loin (fillet) Cutlets 3 x 75 g Grill/deep-fry Rack 1 x 300 g Roast Crown roast 150 g/serve Roast

Tenderloin (fillet)

Mignon 1 x 130 g Grill Medallions 2 x 75 g Sauté/grill


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What are the quality requirements for meat? There are three basic quality requirements. These are freshness, quality and correct cut. You should use your senses to assess whether meat meets these quality requirements.

Click on the senses to see which questions you should ask.

Does it smell right?

Does it look right?

Does it feel right?

Quality indicators Click on the animals to view the quality indicators for each meat type.

Beef quality indicators

• Flesh should be firm with a velvety appearance and show no signs of bruising. • Young beef (less than 18 months old) is pink to bright red in colour with off-white fat

and no unpleasant odour. • Older prime beef has blood-red flesh, off-white fat and even marbling suited to the type

(grain fed, lot fed or grass fed). • The overlaying fat should be firm, creamy white and odourless. • Inferior beef is identified by having dark red flesh, coarse grain and soft buttery fat.

Pork quality indicators

• The flesh should be bright pink to greyish pink in colour. • It should be firm in texture and finely marbled. • The fat covering should be firm and white, not brittle and trimmed to no more than 3 to

4 mm thick. • The bones should be pinkish in colour and small in proportion to the weight of the

carcass. • The rind (if present) should be thin, smooth and have no hairs left on.

Lamb quality indicators

• The carcass should be compact and evenly fleshed with a good build up of muscle. • The firm, lean flesh should have a fine grain and velvety texture. • The meat should be a pleasing pink to dull red in colour. • The fat must be evenly distributed, flaky-firm, brittle and white in colour. • The bones should be small, porous, pliable and creamy-pink in colour.

Veal quality indicators

• The flesh must be lean, firm, finely grained and have a smooth texture. • The meat should have a high moisture content. Cut surfaces should never look dry. • The flesh should be light grey to pale pink in colour. • The surrounding fat should be pinkish-white, firm and distributed in a thin even layer. • The bones should be large in proportion to the size and should be soft, porous and

bluish pink in colour.


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Note

All varieties and cuts of fresh meat should be stored at between 1 and 4 °C and frozen meat between -18 to -25 °C.

What is game? Game is the collective name given to all birds and animals that are hunted, shot, or trapped in the wild for food.

What is considered game varies between countries. In Canada, for example, moose, bear, beaver, and squirrel are considered game, while in parts of Asia, owl, snake and monkey are considered game.

Game can be divided into three categories. Click on the pictures to learn what they are.

Feathered game

Furred game

Reptiles and other

Game that is commercially sold in Australia is almost always farmed, with the exception of kangaroo and wallaby, which are hunted in the wild by licensed shooters.

Feathered game Feathered game covers the wide range of small and large birds used for human consumption (emu, ostrich, wild duck, pheasant, quail, etc.). In this unit, we will only discuss emu and ostrich, as the meat obtained from these closely resembles beef and furred game.

Click on the icon to learn more about feathered game.

Emu and ostrich

Emu (recipe 275) is a dark red meat with a pronounced grain and a mild game flavour. It's very low in fat and high in iron and protein. Each bird contains approximately 13 kg of lean meat that, because of its tenderness, lends itself to a wide variety of preparations and cooking methods. Most cuts can be lightly grilled or pan-fried, but take care not to overcook it because it is very low in fat.

Emus do not contain any breast meat as no muscles are formed by the action of flapping wings. All of the meat is from the drum and thigh. Emu neck can be braised or cooked for soup in much the same way as ox tail.

Ostrich is similar in appearance to venison, yet more tender.


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Click on the magnifying glass to learn about the quality indicators.

Quality indicators

• Unbroken skin (if still in place) • No pin feathers attached • No discolouration, blemishes, or bruising • Clear brownish-red flesh colour • No broken bones • No unpleasant odour or stickiness • No signs of freezer burn if frozen • Well wrapped or packaged • No signs of thawing and refreezing, such as excess moisture in the packaging.

Furred game Furred game includes all wild and farmed animals used for human consumption that have an exterior covering of fur.

Click on the pictures to learn about the common types of furred game.

Venison

Venison is the flesh of deer.

There are five main species of deer farmed in Australia, of which the rusa and reddeer are the most common. Each breed grows to a different weight range and has its own characteristic flavour and muscle-to-bone ratio. Most farmed deer are slaughtered at about two years of age, because after two years the flesh starts to become tough, stringy, and very dark in colour.

Venison is deep red in colour with a closely grained texture. The distinctive flavour can best be described as a gamey version of beef, although it has much less fat.

The secret to cooking venison is to pan-fry or grill it very quickly or stew it very slowly. Take care not to overcook it when roasting.


Quality indicators

• No strong odours • Velvety smooth flesh with no signs of stickiness • Thin layer of creamy white fat on surface muscles

Rabbit

As is the case with most meat, young rabbit is superior in quality to mature rabbit. This is due to its tender and delicate white flesh, absence of fat and strong game flavour. You can cook the young meat using methods suited to chicken, while the older meat is more suitable as a larded roast, stew or braise (recipe 278).


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Quality indicators

• No strong or pronounced odours • Clean white flesh, free from bruises • Absence of body fat • Finely-grained lean meat

Hare

While it's correct that hare is large rabbit, in a culinary sense the two are quite different.

Hare meat is very dark, stringy, and has a rich gamey flavour. The younger animals are less stringy, more tender and light greyish-red in colour.

The optimal cooking methods for hare are roasting (particularly the saddle) (glossary), stewing and braising. When the hare is older than two years it's advisable to hang or marinate it before cooking to improve flavour and tenderise the meat.


Quality indicators

• No strong or unpleasant odour • No bruising or blemishes • Short claws (if feet are attached)

Goat Although goat meat (or capretto) is one of the most commonly consumed meats in many regions of the world, it is rarely seen on Australian menus.

The meat from adult goats is dry and stringy and has a strong gamey flavour. The meat from kid (around three months old) has a much milder flavour, is whitish pink, and is very tender and succulent. It's sometimes compared to milk-fed veal, and because of this versatility, can be adapted to suit a wide range of recipes developed for other meat types.

Click on the magnifying glass to learn about the quality indicators for kid.

Quality indicators for kid

• No strong or unpleasant odour • Light coloured, smoothly grained flesh with a high moisture content • No permanent incisor teeth (if the head is attached) • Slightly flexible soft and porous bones • Large bone structure in proportion to the meat

Kangaroo

Kangaroo (recipe 276) is not commercially farmed; it's only available in the wild. It is harvested by Government accredited shooters, and then sent to licensed processing plants for cleaning and inspection for disease and parasites.


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Kangaroo is a particularly flavoursome lean sweet meat that is deep purplish-red in colour. You can prepare it fresh in the same way as venison, or smoke and use it like prosciutto. The tail is often braised or cooked for soup in much the same way as ox tail.

It is very low in fat (less than 2%), and is a terrific source of high-quality protein, iron, zinc and B-group vitamins.

Due to its low fat content, constant basting and fast cooking processes are needed to prevent the meat from drying out.


Quality indicators

• No strong or unpleasant odour • Deep purplish-red in colour

Buffalo

The buffalo (recipe 277) meat consumed in Australia is from Asian water buffaloes. Buffalo meat is becoming more popular in Australia due to its health benefits. It is very low in fat (1.8%), contains less cholesterol than most domestic meats and is high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, iron and zinc.

Buffalo meat in Australia is very similar to the bison meat consumed in America.


Quality indicators

• No strong or unpleasant odour • Deep red in colour. Will appear even darker if packaged in cryovac sealed bag due to

the removal of oxygen. Meat will return to normal deep red colour 10 to 15 minutes after being removed from packaging.

Reptiles and other Click on the pictures to learn about reptiles and other game.

Crocodile

Crocodile meat (both fresh water and salt water varieties) is sold commercially, but is in limited supply because it cannot be taken from the wild. The tail is regarded as the best portion of the animal, costing as much as $80 per kg. The whitish meat is high in protein and low in fat. It has a similar texture to veal and tastes like a cross between salty chicken and bland lobster.

Due to its delicate flavour and low fat content, it should be cooked lightly and quickly, with minimal additional ingredients so as not to overpower it.


Quality indicators

• White in colour • No unpleasant odour


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Boar

Boar is essentially wild pig although they taste nothing alike. It is known for its strong gamey flavour and is often described as a cross between beef and venison.


Quality indicators

• Dark in colour • No unpleasant odour

Game cuts and terminology Click on the hunters to learn the different game cuts and terminology.

Whole dressed

The whole carcass that has had the head, tail, feathers/fur, feet, hooves and intestines removed and is ready for butchering or cooking.

Thigh

Fleshy upper part of the leg closest to the carcass.

Bone in/bone out

Whether or not the bone is in or has been removed.

Hindquarter

Rear section of the whole carcass, usually divided between the 12th and 13th rib.

Forequarter

Front section of the whole carcass divided between the 12th and 13th rib.

Leg

Hind or rear leg from the pelvis to the shank.

Saddle

Full loin including mid-loins, rib-loins and fillets.

Loin

Mid-loin and rib-loin.

Fillet

Individual muscle of the saddle and the most tender piece of meat on the animal.

Topside

Individual muscle from the hind leg.


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Silverside


Round


Rump


Cutlet

Portion from the rib-loin with the bone in.

Denver cuts

Boneless leg meat with fat and sinew removed (usually venison).

Fancy meat Fancy meat is a term used in the Australian meat industry for all the edible organs (offal) of various animals. It includes animal off-cuts and products that cannot be classified as meat (skeletal muscle), including the head, tail, feet and marrow bones.

We looked at fancy meat briefly earlier in this unit. Do you remember the types of fancy meat eaten and served in Australian restaurants? You have 30 seconds to test your memory.


List as many fancy meats you can think of in the space below.

How did you go? Compare your answers to these.

• Brains • Kidney • Liver • Tail • Sweetbreads • Spleen • Heart • Tendons • Tongue

Fancy meats commonly eaten in Australia Click on the tabs to learn about the fancy meats eaten in Australia.


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Brains

Most brains (recipe 282) eaten in Australia are obtained from sheep. However, calves brains are also commercially available. When preparing brains, peel away the thin transparent outer membrane and trim off and discard the spinal cord (soft, mushy matter).

Due to their soft, delicate nature, cook brains using brief, gentle methods such as poaching, shallow frying and deep-frying. Brains are usually poached in a court bouillon prior to crumbing, battering or slicing for sautéing. This is done to help firm the texture, making handling easier.

Kidneys

Kidneys (recipe 281) are obtained from mature cattle, calves, lamb and pork. However, those with the best eating quality are derived from calves and lamb. Prepare kidneys by removing the surrounding membrane and then trimming away all the blood vessels, fat and urethra (urinary tract). If the kidneys emit a strong smell, soak them in cold water or milk to leech out the strong odour and flavour.

Kidneys are usually grilled, sautéed or diced and used in pies or puddings, such as steak and kidney pudding.

Liver

Liver is obtained from beef, calves, pork and lamb. Liver derived from calves and lamb is the most common due to the more delicate flavour. Liver is prepared for cooking by cleaning away all fat, blood vessels and connective tissue. You can also soak it in cold water or milk to draw out the strong flavour and odour.

Liver (recipe 279) is best cooked quickly and left a little under-done using one of the dry heat methods such as grilling or pan-frying. You can also use it cooked and blended when making pâtés and terrines.

Tail

The tail from mature beef is a tasty ingredient in winter soups, stews and braises. Trim off excess fat and connective tissue before cutting between vertebrae joints.

Ox tail is very tough due to the constant movement. To break down the connective tissue, use long moist cooking methods such as braising, stewing or simmering. Braised ox tail (recipe 274) and ox tail soup are examples of popular dishes.

Sweetbreads

Sweetbreads (recipe 280) are the thymus (growing) glands found along the trachea in the neck of young animals such as lambs and calves. They are creamy pink in colour, soft in texture and plump and rounded in appearance. Prepare them for cooking by trimming away the outer membrane and any surrounding fat or connective tissue.

In a similar fashion to brains, sweetbreads are often poached in a court bouillon to firm the texture before being prepared for deep-frying, sautéing or grilling.

Tongue

The tongue of veal, ox and lamb are commonly used on menus around Australia. They're usually purchased fresh but are also available salted, pickled and smoked. Besides a minor trim here and there, tongue requires very little in the way of butchery prior to cooking.


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Simmering and braising are the two most common methods used to cook tongue. Once cooked, you can slice and grill it, use in casseroles, cut julienne and add to soups, sauces and salads or press and set in Madeira aspic.

Marrow bones

Marrow is extracted from the upper leg bone (femur) of veal and beef. To do this, cut the bones into 5 to 10 cm lengths with an electric band saw or a butcher’s hand saw and then place in ice water to firm the marrow. When the marrow has set, push out using your finger or a cook’s steel.

Bone marrow is usually poached in salted water and used as a garnish for steaks or as a flavouring agent in rich hearty beef soups or sauces such as sauce bordelaise.

What meat is good for you? Meat is an excellent source of protein and a valuable source of essential nutrients. It's one of the best dietary sources of iron and zinc in the Australian diet.

Click on the tabs to find out about meat nutrition and its quality.

Nutrients

Iron: to carry oxygen around the body. The iron in lean red meat is more easily absorbed by the body than iron found in vegetables and whole grains. This should be an important dietary consideration for all people, especially women. Iron is needed to carry oxygen around the body.

Zinc: to help keep the immune system strong.

Vitamin B12: essential for the body's nervous system.

B group vitamins: (niacin, riboflavin, B6) and phosphorus: needed to convert food into energy.

Protein

Lean meats are an ideal source of absorbable protein, an essential nutrient that performs many functions.

• It helps create the chemical reactions that produce energy. • It assists in forming red blood cells which carry oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the

body. • It is important for repairing and making of new cells in the body and maintaining

tissues. • It’s a vital component of enzymes responsible for brain development, digestion and

fighting disease.

Fat

Some meats have more fat than others. To improve the nutritional quality of your dishes, select lean cuts and trim all visible fat off the meat.

Lean red meat trimmed of visible fat contains less than 4% saturated fat.


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Cholesterol

The cholesterol (glossary) in meat (and other foods) has minimal effect on your body's LDL (glossary) (bad) cholesterol compared to saturated and trans fat found in some foods and cooking oils. To serve the healthiest option to your customers, avoid cooking fats, oils and sauces that are high in saturated and trans fat.

Meat comparison

The following data has been taken from Meat and Livestock Australia (www.australian-meat.com) and Australian Pork (www.pork.com.au).

Refer to their websites for more detailed information and data on other meat types.

Type Total fat/saturated fat

Iron Protein Cholesterol

Bone-in leg, chump on 15.19 g/7.288 g 1.48 mg 18.24 g 66 mg Minced lamb leg 23.4 g/11 g 1.62 mg 19.5 g 78 mg Lamb sirloin 12.56 g/5.813 g 1.81 g 19.17 g 65 mg Rib eye beef 8.2 g/3.46 g 1.88 mg 21.47 g 43.84 mg Beef tenderloin 4.63 g/ 2.01 g 2.24 mg 20.85 g 43.27 mg Diced pork 3.10 g/1.12 g 0.84 mg 22.8 g 69 mg Pork loin chop 1.75 g/0.67 g 0.46 mg 23.2 g 48 mg

Avoid

The Australian Heart Foundation recommends avoiding processed meats such as sausages and deli meats, and limiting foods such as liver and kidneys.

End of section You have reached the end of Section 1.

Click to the next section to continue.


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Section 2: Select, prepare and use equipment


• How to select the correct equipment. • How to safely assemble equipment. • How to use knives and other equipment safely and hygienically.

STAGE 3: GET THE EQUIPMENT READY Once you have confirmed food preparation requirements and selected your ingredients, it’s time to assemble any tools and equipment you need.

To complete this stage, it’s essential that you're familiar with the vast array of tools and equipment available. You can’t rely on your recipe to tell you what to use for each stage of the cooking process.

Let’s begin by looking at the different types of tools and equipment used for preparing and cooking meat dishes.

Tools and equipment Commercial kitchen equipment includes a wide range of tools, utensils and appliances which help you clean, prepare, process, cook and store food. Your success depends on your ability to select the right type and size of equipment for a specific task as well as assemble and operate it correctly.

There’s an extensive range of tools and equipment used to prepare and cook meat. How many can you think of? See how many you can list in 30 seconds.


List the tools and equipment used to prepare and cook meat. See if you can list at least 20.

How many did you think of? Find out which ones you missed on the next few screens.

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What tools are used to prepare meat? Butchery tools are the hand held non-mechanical items that are used for cutting, slicing, de-boning, trimming and cleaning meats, as well as those items used to maintain and sharpen knives.

Click on the tools to learn more about them.

Cook’s knife

The cook’s knife is a general purpose knife you use for chopping, slicing, dicing and shaping food. The broad sturdy heel provides clearance between your knuckles and the chopping board. It’s one of the biggest knives you’ll handle. The blade ranges from 12 cm to 30 cm long.

The size you use depends on your physical size and strength. Just like with choosing a pair of shoes, experiment with different sizes until you find the one that fits you best.

Butcher's knife

The butcher’s knife is a large, straight edged knife that has a semi-curved sharpened tip. The rigid blade ranges in length from 20 to 26cm. The handle, usually plastic, is sculpted to the shape of your hand. This type of knife is used for slicing secondary meat cuts into steaks or for trimming large cuts of meat. The shape and design are not suited to any other kitchen tasks.

Boning knife

The boning knife is a medium-sized knife with a blade length between 12 cm and 16 cm. The firm, sharp pointed and hook curved blade is easy and safe to use when removing meat from around bones.

The handle is sculptured to the shape of your hand so it doesn’t slip over the blade when it becomes moist and greasy.

Carving knife

Most chefs use a cook’s knife to carve meat. However, some establishments may have a carving knife for slicing joints of meat, especially if the task is completed in front of customers. The carving knife may have a decorative handle and be part of a matching set with a carving fork.

Meat cleaver

These vary in shape and size, but usually look like a square bladed hatchet and are used differently depending on the style of cuisine you are preparing for.

• Asian cuisines: Chefs use meat cleavers for preparing vegetables, working with garnishes, chopping herbs and even carrying prepared ingredients to the wok!

• ‘Western’ style cuisines: Chefs use them for meat butchery in general and chopping bones, particularly ribs bones, chops and cutlets.

Meat saw

Apart from the use of an electric bandsaw, a hand held butcher’s meat saw is the only practical way to cut through bones. These stainless steel or food grade plastic saws come in a range of sizes from 40 to 65cm. They quickly and easily cut through all types of bones. Many commercial kitchens don’t possess one as their supplier completes all major bone cuts prior to delivery.


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Meat hammer

Meat hammers are used to both tenderise and flatten meat portions. The heavy mallet style hammer usually has a fine bumpy surface for beating delicate meats and a coarse bumpy surface for tougher or thicker cuts of meat. As you beat the meat, the bumps on the hammer partially break apart and tear the fibre of the meat, thus tenderising it. The beating action also flattens the portions of meat for even cooking.

Meat bat

Meat bats perform a similar task to that of a meat hammer but have a flat smooth surface for beating the meat instead of a fine bumpy surface. You use it for tender and finely grained meat types.

Meat hook

A meat hook is a two-sided hook used to hang meat. They are most commonly used in butcheries but are also used in some establishments when drying and preserving meat.

Larding needle

Use a larding needle to insert strips of pork fat back into the muscle of uncooked meat in preparation for cooking. This provides additional moisture and flavour through the cooking process.

Meat thermometer

There are two basic types of thermometers: probe and surface.

A probe thermometer measures the temperature in the middle of food using a long, thin metal needle which you insert into the food.

A surface thermometer has a large, flat surface area which monitors the temperature of thinner foods in cases where a probe has difficulty getting an accurate measurement.

Honing steel and sharpening stone

Use a honing steel or sharpening stone to maintain a sharp cutting edge on the blade of a knife. You'll learn how later in this section.

What equipment is used to prepare meat? Butchery equipment is designed to make your job easier and assist with labour and food cost control. Choosing the right piece of equipment ensures you maintain safety and quality standards.

Click on the equipment to learn more about the different types.

Meat mincer

Use a manual or electric mincer (meat grinder) for mincing raw or cooked meat.

To do this, roughly dice the meat you want to mince and place it on the tray attached to the top of the mincer. The meat is then pushed through a hole in the tray where it is broken down by a rotating worm-type screw. A rotating blade then finely chops the meat before pushing it through a holed plate as mince meat.


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The size of the holes determines the fineness or coarseness of the meat.

Sausage nozzle

You can fit a tapered flute tube attachment to the end plate of a mincer to produce sausages. First, thread the sausage skins onto the tapered flute. As the sausage filling is forced through the holed plate it fills the sausage skin to make one continuous sausage. You can then twist to produce individual sausages of any size.

Bowl chopper

Bowl choppers, also known as silent cutters, are used to finely chop trimmed and diced meat in preparation for terrines and other similar dishes. You place the prepared meat in an open hemispherical stainless steel bowl which slowly rotates in a circular fashion around a horizontal axis. As the bowl rotates, it brings the meat into contact with a set of rotating sickle-shaped blades which chop and reduce the size of the meat. The longer the meat is left to pass through the rotating blades, the finer the result.

Food processors, blenders and mixers

These high-speed devices are used to chop, grind or blend meat and other dry ingredients in a matter of seconds.

They greatly reduce preparation time for meat pâtés and terrines.

Meat slicer

Use an electric slicer to cut even slices of cooked or smoked meat. Adjust the slicing blade to suit the desired thickness. You can see a slicer in action at any butcher or delicatessen.

Scales

Scales are used for weighing recipe ingredients and delivered goods. They’re often electrical, but could also be spring-loaded or counterbalanced. Use large scales when measuring heavy weights such as deliveries of primal meat cuts or boxed secondary and portioned meat cuts. Use smaller scales to measure the weight of ingredients for recipes or when cutting meat into individual portions.

Regularly check scales for accuracy (calibrate) to prevent incorrect readings.

Safety and food preparation Most of us go to work every day and never realise just how often we place ourselves and others in danger through unsafe work practices. How can you minimise the likelihood of an incident occurring at your workplace?

Click on the tabs to learn more.

Assembly

Before using any equipment (especially electrical and mechanical equipment) assemble it correctly.

Assembling some equipment is complicated. If you aren’t sure what to do, refer to manufacturer’s instructions or ask an experienced operator to demonstrate for you.


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Check for cracks, frayed cords, faults, and incorrectly fitted blades or components which might make it unsafe. If something doesn’t look right, ask someone to check it for you.

Don’t take any risks. Always use safety guards.

Cleanliness

Thoroughly clean all tools and equipment (including blades, bowls, chopping boards, pots and knives) prior to use and between different preparation tasks. If you cook with equipment containing food particles or residues from the previous day, you run the risk of cross-contamination.

Technology skills and training

Some tools and equipment are more complicated than others. With advances in technology, manufacturers are developing more efficient and effective ways of preparing large quantities of food. Before using any equipment, make sure you have the skills and training to operate it safely.

Here are some tips on how to develop the technology skills you need to safely operate equipment with advanced or pre-programmed settings and functions.

• Read manufacturer’s instructions and product manuals. • Ask your colleagues or supervisor for guidance, support, feedback and advice. • Attend workshops or training sessions. • Ask a more experienced person to demonstrate. • Practise!

Using equipment hygienically What hygienic practices should you follow when operating equipment and preparing food?

Click on the gloves for some simple guidelines.

• Clean and sanitise equipment according to workplace and manufacturer’s instructions. • Use tongs, forks or serving trays to transfer food. Don’t use your hands. • If you have to use your hands, wear disposable gloves. • Practise good personal hygiene and wear protective clothing.

Knife safety Click on the checkboxes for some general safety tips.

Sharpen your knife! Sharp knives require less pressure and are less likely to slip.

Chop on a chopping board, not in your hand.

Hold your chopping board firmly in place by placing a damp cloth or non-slip mat under it.

Cut away from yourself and your fingers.

Never try to catch a falling knife.

Never run your finger down the edge of a blade to check for sharpness.


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Carry your knife with the point towards the ground and the blade close to your body to avoid injuring others.

Never soak your knives in a sink of water. This isn’t good for the blade and is very dangerous for any unsuspecting person who puts their hands into the water.

Always clean and dry your knife if the handle becomes greasy or slippery.

Sharpening and maintaining knives Click on the tabs to learn how to sharpen and maintain knives.

Sharpening stone

Use a sharpening stone to sharpen blunt knives. The main types are diamond stones and sand stones.

Watch the video.

Step 1 Place the stone securely on a solid work surface. Use a damp cloth under the stone to prevent it moving around.

Step 2 Smear the stone with a lubricant (detergent, water, machine oil, etc.) depending on the manufacturer’s directions.

Step 3 While holding the handle securely, run the entire knife edge up and down, using long even strokes at a 10 to 15° angle to the stone surface. Use your free hand to put pressure on the side of the blade.

Step 4 Work the blade from heel to point or point to heel with even alternations between sides until you obtain a sharp edge.

Step 5 Wash the knife to remove any metal filings. Dry carefully.

Step 6 Complete the sharpening process by honing the blade using your steel.

Cook’s steel

Use a cook’s steel to maintain a sharp cutting edge on the blade of a knife. This process is called ‘honing’.

To hone a knife, run both sides of the blade down the length of the steel seven to nine times at a 10 to 20° angle. This helps keep the blade’s cutting edge straight. The steel doesn’t actually sharpen the blade, but it gives that effect by straightening the cutting edge.


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Maintenance

• Sharpen your knife on a regular basis, especially between tasks which may have blunted the blade.

• Regularly check the handle, rivets and tang of your knife for cracks or wear and tear. A cracked handle is both a safety and hygiene hazard.

• Check the blade for nicks or deep scratches. These can reduce the structural integrity of the blade.

• Oil carbon steel blades after cleaning to prevent rusting.

Note

Learning how to sharpen or use a knife can be dangerous. Practise under supervision until you're competent. You can never be too careful when trying to obtain a clean, sharp edge!

Bladed equipment safety Take care when operating any bladed electrical appliances such as food processors, bowl choppers and mincers.

Click on the checkboxes for some important safety tips.

Set equipment and blades up correctly according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Avoid contact with any moving parts. This includes your fingers, hands, knives and other utensils.

Check for any damage, such as frayed cords, cracks, damaged or loose components.

Never feed food into the machine by hand. Use the food pusher provided.

Put covers and safety guards securely in place before you switch the appliance on.

Do not operate the appliance near the edge of the bench. Vibration during operation could cause it to move and fall.

Never use near water or on a sink.

Never leave unattended.

Switch off and unplug before removing contents, blades and other attachments.

Note

Remember to operate all electrical equipment according to manufacturer’s instructions and your workplace procedures to avoid injury.


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Slicer safety One wrong move while working with a meat slicer can be disastrous! Its fast, sharp slicing blades can cut through skin, tendons, arteries and even bone. Follow manufacturer’s instructions at all times.

Click on the icon for some slicer safety tips.

Always use the push guard for moving food towards the blade; not your hands.

Ensure blade guards are in place if applicable to the model you’re using.

Cut large pieces of meat into smaller more manageable sizes before loading onto the slicer.

Always return the blade setting to zero when you’ve finished slicing.

Never leave a slicer running. If you have to stop slicing for any reason, turn the machine off.

Use cut-resistant gloves if provided by the establishment.

As with all electrical equipment, do not operate near water or liquid.

Never reach across the blade for any reason.

Never leave blades soaking in a sink of water.

Never EVER clean or wipe down a slicer while it’s turned on.

General safety Any equipment that’s hot or sharp has the potential to cause an injury. In a kitchen, you don’t have to look too far to find several of these hazards!

Click on ‘General Safety’ for some general safety tips.

Carry sharp tools and equipment with the blade or point facing downwards, especially when walking around the kitchen.

Switch off hot equipment such as ovens and steamers when not in use.

Use tongs and gloves when removing trays from bain-maries and always allow the steam to escape away from you rather than towards you.

Never leave items sitting close to stove tops where they could easily be knocked over and start a fire.

Wear appropriate PPE (personal protective equipment) such as oven gloves when using the oven or removing hot pots from a stove.

Use tongs to add ingredients to hot pots to avoid burns from splashes or steam.

Consult manufacturer’s instructions prior to using any equipment for the first time.




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Section 3: Portion and prepare ingredients


• How to sort and assemble ingredients. • How to thaw frozen meats safely. • How to weigh and measure ingredients and create portions. • How to use meat preparation techniques. • How to minimise waste.

STAGE 4: PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS With your ingredients, tools and equipment assembled and ready for use, you’re now ready to move onto stage 4: Prepare the ingredients.

Click on the icon to see examples of mise en place tasks related to meat.

Washing, dicing, trimming or mincing

Boning, marinating, crumbing and rolling

Preparing garnishes

Organising and warming clean plates

Weighing ingredients and lots more!

Preparation tasks are fundamental to the efficient operation of the kitchen. If you don’t do them or fail to do them correctly, it creates chaos.

Always sort and assemble ingredients and equipment according to food production sequencing, task schedules and preparation lists.

Get organised! How many times has a dish not turned out how you expected it to? Do you know why?

Click on the picture and listen to the sort of questions you should be asking.

‘Did I follow the recipe?’

‘Did I weigh and measure the ingredients accurately?’

‘Did I follow the step-by-step method in the correct sequence?’

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Common causes of failure are poor preparation and not reading the recipe.

You'll learn how to avoid these common mistakes over the next few screens.

Sequencing preparation tasks Following the right sequence ensures you work efficiently and effectively.

Click on the steps to see a basic preparation sequence.

Step 1

Assemble ingredients.

Step 2

Complete basic pre-preparation tasks: dice, crumb meat.

Step 3

Weigh or measure ingredients as specified in the standard recipe.

Step 4

Portion ingredients if necessary: for example, you need to portion 80 g of butter into three portions: one portion for the start of the preparation sequence and the other two portions towards the end.

Step 5

Sort ingredients into the sequence you’ll need them or group together if needed at the same time.

The importance of self-management skills Effective and efficient cooks complete tasks to a high standard with the least amount of time, effort and energy. Conserve your energy. Don’t waste it! Organise your tasks to minimise work and maximise productivity.

Click on the checkboxes to see a systematic approach to self-management.

Read the recipe closely.

Make a list of tasks you need to complete (including cleaning up as you go).

Prioritise and schedule your tasks.

Do other tasks while items are baking, resting or boiling.

Avoid distraction. Concentrate on the job at hand.

Ask for help if you’re struggling to meet deadlines.

Observe other experienced chefs in action and ask for advice to identify more efficient ways of working.


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Hot tip

The steps in a recipe represent the most logical, efficient and economical method of production. Make sure you follow them.

Meat preparation There are many meat preparation tasks you may need to perform. How many can you recall from the unit Use food preparation equipment?


List as many meat preparation tasks as you can in 30 seconds.

How many did you think of? Cutting, boning, marinating, and mincing are just a few. Let’s examine all the methods in more detail over the next few screens.

How do you prepare meat? Click on the pictures to see the different meat preparation tasks.

Thawing

Weighing and portioning ingredients

Trimming

De-boning

Cutting and portioning

Stuffing

Rolling, trussing and tying

Marinating

Tenderising

Seasoning and coating

Larding and barding

Ageing

Mincing

Skewering


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Thawing meat Click on the pictures to learn about the safest way to thaw meat.

Refrigerator

The safest method for thawing meat is to remove it from the freezer well in advance of when you need it. Place the frozen meat in the refrigerator at 1 to 3 °C until it’s completely defrosted. This prevents the meat from getting into the temperature danger zone (5 °C to 60 °C). Within this temperature range, harmful bacteria grow at a rapid rate.

How long meat takes to defrost in the refrigerator depends on the thickness of the frozen item: the thicker it is, the longer it takes to defrost. Make sure you plan ahead!

Microwave

If frozen meat is needed at short notice, you can thaw it in the microwave as long as the meat is small enough or has been cut into portions. Thawing meat in the microwave can sometimes partially cook or dry out the meat. Food defrosted using this method must be cooked immediately.

Danger!

Thawing meat under cold running water, in a sink full of warm water, or on a bench at room temperature are very dangerous methods and can greatly increase the risk of food poisoning. Avoid these methods at all costs.

Weighing and portioning ingredients Every recipe lists exactly how much you need of each ingredient. The amount may be given in weight, volume or quantity depending on the ingredient type.

Click on the icons for some useful measuring tips.

Weight

Use measuring spoons and scales to weigh and measure dry ingredients such as flour, and semi-liquid ingredients such as sour cream. Remember to account for the weight of any containers you use in the weighing process (measuring jugs, bowls, etc.)

Volume

Use measuring jugs to measure liquid ingredients such as stock and water.

Quantity

If a recipe requires a certain number of ingredients (such as eight mushrooms), take the time to count these out correctly rather than just estimating that it’s 'about a handful'.

Weighing and portioning

Organisations develop standard recipes to make sure their end products look, weigh and taste the same every time. They accurately cost these recipes to determine the exact cost to produce each portion. Free cutting without the use of scales is likely to yield inconsistent portion sizes shortly followed by customer complaints.


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Trimming meat Trimming meat is the process of cutting meat to the required size and shape according to presentation standards. This may mean trimming the outside fat coverage down to the required thickness, trimming sinew from around cutlet bones, or trimming the bones on a rack of lamb to a certain length.

Trimming also helps improve the nutritional value of meat by keeping the good bits (the lean meat) and getting rid of the unhealthy bits (the fat).

When you have finished cleaning and trimming meat, you will be left with offcuts.

What should you do with offcuts? Some will be thrown away, such as excess fat; others can be used.

Small meat trimmings: minced and used for burgers, meatloaf, pasta sauce.

Large meat trimmings: diced or sliced and used for sauté, stir-fry or mince.

Bones and sinew: added to meat stocks or soups.

De-boning meat Although most catering establishments now order meat in the form required for a specific recipe, there are still a significant number of enterprises that purchase larger cuts and de-bone and portion these in-house.

You will need skills in removing meat from the bone and portioning. This process assists you in the identification of the various muscles and meat cuts.

Many recipes and cooking methods require the meat from beef, veal, lamb and pork to be cut into smaller or individual portions, either on or off the bone. We looked at many of these smaller cuts in Section 1.

There are several methods of portioning and cutting meats. Which method you use depends on the requirements of the recipe as well as the type of meat.

Let’s look at these in more detail over the next few screens.

Preparing a leg for roasting It's common to use the hind legs of medium-sized animals such as lamb, pork, veal or venison for roasting. Simply trim the legs of excess fat, sinew and gristle, and then prepare for roasting whole following normal roasting principles.

The bones in the leg help keep the meat moist, prevent excessive shrinkage, and provide additional flavour in the cooked meat. The downside of leaving the bone in place is the meat often cooks unevenly and can be difficult and messy to carve, especially in a fast service session.


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For practical reasons, legs are often boned out (and sometimes stuffed), before being trussed into a neat, even-sized roll for roasting. This allows for even cooking and easy, neat and speedy carving. We will look at how to bone a leg next.

Click on the icon to see the bone structure of a hind leg.

Bone structure of a hind leg

Boning a hind leg Click on the steps to learn how to bone a hind leg for roasting.

Watch the video

Step 1

Position Lay the leg on a cutting board with the inside of the leg facing upwards. In this position you should see some exposed bone structure, particularly part of the hip joint, and be able to feel where the main bones are embedded in the muscles.

Step 2

Cut contours Using the tip of your boning knife, cut along the aitch bone and through the ball and socket joint of the hip. Continue following the contours of the aitch bone, trimming away all meat to expose the bone until it can be released. Retain the bone for other purposes, such as making stock.

Step 3

Cut meat and sinew Cut through the meat and sinew around the circumference of the shank bone about 4 cm above the bottom knuckle.


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Step 4 Cut parallel While the inside of the leg is still facing upward, cut parallel along the side of the leg bone down to the first knuckle. Carefully trim around the knuckle and continue cutting parallel along the side of the shank bone.

Step 5 Cut and scrape When the bones have been exposed, use short cutting motions along and around the two leg bones to cut and scrape away all the leg meat. Take special care when releasing the meat from around the knuckle and knee cap.

Step 6 Trim tendons, gristle and sinew When the bones have been removed, trim away any tendons, gristle or sinew, especially in the bottom part of the leg meat. This helps prevent the meat from shrinking during the cooking process and becoming tough and chewy.

You should now have a piece of boneless leg meat that is suitable for preparations such as stuffing, rolling, and trussing for a roast, or dicing for a stew.

Cutting and portioning meat In this unit, we'll concentrate on the most common cutting and portioning techniques.

Most secondary cuts can be cut into individual portions. Secondary cuts fall into two categories.

Click on the pictures to identify them.

Portion cuts left on the bone

Boneless portions

Portion cuts The name of each portion relates to how it is cut, trimmed and presented.

Click on the tabs to check out the different portion cuts.

Chop Portion cuts left on the bone: Chop

Description Examples Portion cut including the bone, where the bone is completely surrounded by the meat.

Mid-loin lamb, pork and veal chops, chump chops and veal short-loin chops. For some inexplicable reason, the T-bone (the beef equivalent to the mid-loin lamb chop) is called a steak rather than a chop.


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Cutlet

Portion cuts left on the bone: Cutlet

Description Examples Portion cut from the rib section of the loin and includes the bone. Part of the rib bone extends out beyond the meat. For presentation reasons, all meat, fat and sinew is scraped from the exposed section of the bone beforehand. This is called ‘frenching’. If this is not done, the thin film surrounding the bone tends to burn, giving the cutlet an unattractive appearance.

Lamb, pork and veal cutlets.

Rack

Portion cuts left on the bone: Rack

Description Examples The portion of three to six cutlets joined together in a single set. Racks are usually roasted. Once again, the exposed cutlet bones on the rack need to be scraped clean with a boning knife and sometimes covered with foil during the cooking process to prevent them from becoming burnt.

A rack of lamb is the most commonly used due to it being small enough for a single portion.

Steak

Boneless portion cuts: Steak

Description Examples A boneless portion cut to a thickness suitable for grilling. Some steaks are left with a thin strip of fat on one side for appearance, flavour and moisture. Other steaks are completely cleaned and trimmed.

Common steaks include beef tenderloin, rump and sirloin. However, new cutting styles and modern food trends now include a range of veal, pork, lamb, venison, emu, buffalo and crocodile steaks.

Medallions

Boneless portion cuts: Medallions

Description Examples Round portion of boneless meat, usually cut thin enough for sautéing. The prepared meat is sometimes lightly flattened using a meat bat or meat hammer.

Medallions are often cut from the tenderloin or mid-loin of the four common meats or from rabbit, venison and other types of game.


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Escalope

Boneless portion cuts: Escalope

Description Examples A thin boneless slice of meat, usually pork or veal, cut at an angle across the grain. Escalopes are suited to sautéing or crumbing and shallow frying. The meat is trimmed of all fat and sinew. Escalopes are usually quickly sealed in a pan using the sauté method before adding additional ingredients to make an accompanying sauce.

A common example of a crumbed version of this cut is veal schnitzel. Veal Marsala is a classic recipe based on veal escalopes.

Rosette

Boneless portion cuts: Rosette

Description Examples A rosette is cut from the mid-loin of pork, lamb and veal. The mid-loin is completely boned without detaching the fillet. It is then rolled and tied using individual knots so that the rosettes can be cut between each circumference of string to the required weight. Rosettes are usually grilled, sautéed or shallow fried.

Rosette of pork, lamb or veal.

Noisette

Boneless portion cuts: Noisette

Description Examples A noisette is prepared and cut from the mid-loin of pork, lamb or veal. In essence, it is a trimmed and neatly flattened boneless chop the same as a rosette; however, the fillet or tenderloin is not included. The word ‘noisette’ means ‘nut’ in French: the final shape of this cut.

Noisette of pork, lamb or veal.

Paillard

Boneless portion cuts: Paillard

Description Examples The French term given to a slice of pork, veal or beef, usually cut from the round. The meat is pounded until very thin and cooked quickly by grilling or sauté.

Thin steaks of pork, veal or beef. A typical example of this cut would include a ‘minute steak’.


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Hot tip

When cutting, remember to take it slowly and under supervision until you become familiar with the bone structure and muscle configurations. This helps prevent injuries from occurring. It also prevents wastage that can occur if you damage the meat or leave too much on the bone.

How do you portion rabbit and hare Rabbit and hare can be cooked whole or cut into portions in much the same way as birds.

Click on the steps to learn more about portioning a rabbit or hare.

Step 1

Clean carcass and remove front legs Check inside the stomach cavity to make sure that all entrails have been removed and then wash the carcass under cold running water. Pat dry with a clean kitchen cloth.

Lay the carcass on a cutting board with the breast facing up. Pull each of the front legs away from the body and cut through the connective tissues and joints at the shoulder.

Step 2

Remove hind legs Remove the two hind legs. To do this feel where the leg bones join the body and cut around the bones.

Step 3

Remove leg joints Place your knife just above the hind legs and cut through pelvic joint. Do the same at the front leg joint.

These pieces are mostly bone and muscle. Use them for stock.

Step 4

Remove the membrane and sinew Remove the membrane and sinew which runs down the back and along part of the underside of the body proper (mainly in hare). Remove this by threading the point of a boning or filleting knife between the sinew and flesh and pulling in a horizontal fashion with the blade edge tilted slightly toward the sinew.

Step 5

Divide the body Divide the body proper or saddle into two or three pieces, depending on the size of the carcass, by cutting crosswise through the backbone. Trim away the rib cage of the breast pieces up to where the main flesh starts.


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This cutting style is suitable for sautéing in preparation for braising or casseroles, or each portion can be further boned.

Stuffing meat Stuffing provides additional flavour to meats, especially those with a naturally bland taste and dry texture.

Click on the pictures to learn how to choose the right type.

Fatty meats

Use an acidic stuffing for fatty meats such as a leg of pork to counteract the fat and aid digestion. Peeled apple pieces, for example, lightly stewed in citrus juice, bound with fresh white breadcrumbs and chopped dried apricots and sage.

Bland meats

Use strong flavours for bland meat types to give a little boost. For example, stuff a loin of veal with roasted garlic cloves, wild forest mushrooms and rosemary.

Click on the icon to learn about stuffing suggestions.

Stuffing suggestions

Pork Veal mince, garlic, onion and white breadcrumbs

Veal Sweetbreads and spinach

Beef Chicken liver and thyme

Lamb Roasted red capsicum, olive paste and brown rice

Venison Dried forest mushroom and herb

Kangaroo Native berries and macadamia nuts

Boar Rosemary, bacon and garlic

Rabbit Chicken mince, chestnut purée and cream

Rolling, trussing and tying Rolling and trussing are two separate preparation processes that are sometimes used when roasting, poêling/pot roasting, or braising boned-out meat, especially if it has been stuffed.

Click on the tabs for a more thorough explanation.

Rolling

Rolling is the term used when meat is rolled into neat, evenly shaped rolls after it has been boned-out. Stuffing is sometimes placed in the meat before it is rolled. You truss the meat after rolling.


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Trussing

Trussing is the term used for tying and securing meat into a neat bundle or shape for cooking.

Trussing helps with even cooking and prevents loss of excess juices and stuffing. It gives the cooked item a more attractive appearance, especially when presented whole or carved in the dining room. Let’s look at some examples of both rolling and trussing on the next few screens.

Net trussing Net trussing is performed with tubular elastic, heat-resistant netting that you pull over the rolled meat to enclose it like a sock. This method has many advantages.

• It's quick to perform. • The open weave netting allows the heat to penetrate into the meat. • The netting shrinks with the meat as it cooks, holding it in a neat secure bundle.

Rolling and string trussing Click on the steps to see how to truss a piece of meat using butcher’s string.

Watch the video

Step 1

Trim Lay the boned out piece of meat on a cutting board with the skin or fat side facing down. Trim away any sinew, gristle and excess fat.

Step 2

Test roll and trim Test roll the meat into a tight neat bundle to ensure that it will make even roll for cooking. If the roll is thicker at one end than the other, trim away some of the meat from the thicker end and place it down at the thinner end to even out the roll. This assists with even cooking.

Step 3

Season, stuff and roll Season and spread a stuffing over the surface if desired. Roll the meat tightly, taking care to maintain an even shape. Using skewers to hold everything in place can help this process.

Step 4

Truss Tie one end of the butcher’s string in a slip knot loop about 4 cm from one end of the rolled meat and pull tight. Loop the string in your free hand and place the loop over the opposite end of the meat (the untied end). Move the looped string down the roll until it is parallel with the first loop at a 4 cm interval and pull tight. Continue to loop the string at 4 cm intervals until all the meat is secured.


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Step 5

Complete truss Once the last loop has been pulled tight, tie an extra knot to prevent the string from becoming slack and loose. Cut the string from the roll close to the knot. If skewers were used, don’t forget to remove them.

Rolling and needle trussing Needle trussing requires the use of a trussing needle large enough to pass through the meat and a single length of butcher’s string.

Click on the steps to see how it's done.

Step 1

Lay the boned out piece of meat on a cutting board with the skin or fat side facing down. Trim away any sinew, gristle, and excess fat.

Step 2

Test roll the meat into a tight neat bundle to ensure that it's an even roll for cooking. If the roll is thicker at one end than the other, trim away some of the meat from the thicker end and place it down at the thinner end to even out the roll. This assists with even cooking.

Step 3

Season and spread a stuffing over the surface if desired. Roll the meat tightly, taking care to maintain an even shape. Using skewers to hold everything in place can help with this process.

Step 4

Thread an appropriate length of butcher’s string through the eye of the trussing needle. The length will be determined by the size of the meat to be trussed.

Step 5

Pass the threaded needle through the rolled meat from one side to the other side, approximately 3 cm from one end and pull the string through the meat leaving enough string protruding from the entry point so that it can be tied securely.

Step 6

Using a slip knot, tie the end of the protruding string around the end that has passed through the meat. Pull the slip knot tight and tie off the end of the string.

Step 7

Repeat steps 4 to 6 along the length of the rolled meat at intervals suitable to secure the meat in the required shape. The rolled and trussed meat is now prepared for cooking or for placing into a marinade.


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Marinating Marinating is the process of immersing cleaned and trimmed meat into a cooked or uncooked cold liquid.

This is done to tenderise tough meat cuts before cooking or to provide additional flavour and moisture to tender cuts.

The length of time spent in the marinade depends on the type and nature of the meat. Tender meat cuts may only require a couple of hours to acquire new flavours while tougher cuts may need to be marinated for several days to tenderise it.

You will learn more about marinating meat in section 4 of this unit.

Tenderising meat Marinades are not the only option for tenderising meat.

Click on the tabs to learn other methods you can use.

Mechanical tenderisers

Apart from breaking up the meat fibre using a mallet or meat bat, wholesale and retail butchers pass some ‘quick-to-cook’ meat cuts, such as veal escallops or thin beef topside steaks, between a set of rotating rollers that contain hundreds of needle sharp spikes on the roller surface. The spikes perforate the meat, severing the connective tissues in the process. Connective tissue (collagen) shrink during the cooking process, making the meat tough. This tenderising process marks the un-cooked meat and is still visible once the meat is cooked.

Chemical tenderisers

There are a variety of powdered chemical meat tenderisers on the market that dissolve or degrade the collagen and elastin in meat. The most common are made from proteolytic enzymes found in a variety of plants such as pineapple, papaya, figs and kiwifruit.

The enzyme breaks down the peptide bonds within the meat collagen, making the meat more tender. Most cooks avoid powdered meat tenderisers because they often make the surface of the meat soft and mushy while leaving the centre of the meat tough. They also tend to leech out the meat juices and leave an unpleasant taste.

Sodium bicarbonate

Sodium bicarbonate (also known as bicarb soda, baking soda or bicarbonate of soda) is a water soluble mineral salt originally obtained from natural mineral springs. Sodium bicarbonate is now produced artificially as a fine white powder with a slight alkaline taste.

A pinch of sodium bicarbonate in a marinade assists with the process of tenderising tougher meat cuts. You can also mix it to a paste with water and paint it on meat strips 20 to 30 minutes before stir-frying to obtain the same tender texture often found in Asian restaurants. Thoroughly rinse the meat before cooking to remove the coating and its alkaline salty taste.


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Seasoning and coating meat Click on the tabs to learn the difference between seasonings and coatings.

Seasonings

Seasoning includes the herbs and spices you add to impart flavour to the meat and overall dish.

Examples include dried thyme, sage, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, nutmeg and rosemary.

The use of seasoning can make a substantial difference to the overall taste of the finished dish.

Coatings

Depending on the cooking method you're using, you may need to apply coatings such as seasoned flour, or egg and breadcrumbs. The flour coating helps to create a crisp texture and seals the meat.

Coatings are used prior to cooking many dishes such as fried pork pieces and crumbed veal to protect the meat from the high temperatures of deep fat fryers.

Larding and barding Too much fat in meat can make it greasy and unpleasant to eat and too little can render the meat dry and unappetising. Most species of game and young animals do not contain much fat on or in their body. It’s often necessary to add fat to the meat in a controlled way. This keeps the meat succulent and moist throughout the cooking process. Larding and barding are two techniques used for this purpose.

We’ll look at both of these techniques over the next few screens.

In a nutshell

Larding is the process of adding fat internally. Barding is the process of adding fat externally.

Larding Larding is the culinary term used to describe the process of inserting strips of pork back fat into the muscle of uncooked meat using a larding needle. This is done to keep the meat moist during the cooking process. Larding is the best method to use for larger cuts of meat that have been removed from the carcass.

Strips of fat are inserted at regular intervals throughout the entire muscle of the meat. Throughout the cooking process, the strips of fat in the middle of the muscle melt down and release moisture throughout the meat, preventing it from drying out.


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Barding Barding is the culinary term used to describe the process of laying thin slices of pork back fat over lean meat to keep the meat basted and moist during cooking.

Tie thin slices of fat over the meat with butcher’s string before cooking. The layer of fat provides a barrier to protect the meat from radiant heat and reduces moisture evaporation from the meat during cooking. As the fat partially melts, it automatically bastes the meat.

The fat is usually removed towards the end of the cooking process so the meat can gain a golden-brown surface colour.

Ageing meat Ageing is a process where meat is held under controlled refrigerated conditions to allow natural enzymes to break down red meat proteins. The ageing process significantly benefits meat quality by providing additional flavour and tenderness.

Click on the icons to learn about the different ageing processes used with meat.

Wet ageing

Wet ageing is the most common and safest method of ageing meat as it doesn't require any specialised equipment or technical skills. It simply involves purchasing vacuum-packed meat and keeping it in refrigerated conditions for at least 30 days. The sealed bag protects the meat from reacting to oxygen (oxidation) and from dehydration. The absence of oxygen retards the growth of spoilage bacteria to an extremely slow rate. Many commercial kitchens hold vacuum-packed meat for an extended period to increase tenderness.

Dry ageing

This traditional method of ageing meat can be more dangerous than wet ageing if not done correctly. This is because the dry aged meat is not packaged or wrapped, and is exposed to air on all sides for up to 21 days. This method significantly increases the risk of the meat becoming contaminated from exterior sources.

Dry ageing is usually performed by the wholesale supplier in a highly controlled environment. Dry aged meat can lose up to 1% of its total weight per day through moisture loss during the ageing process. Due to this and the need for strictly controlled conditions, dry aged meat is more expensive than wet aged. However, more flavour is developed using this method.

Skewering meat Diced or cut strips of meat are sometimes skewered for grilling.

Click on the checkboxes to learn the basics.

Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for one hour so they don't burn when cooking.

Cut meat into even strips or dice.


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Thread cut meat onto the end of a skewer.

Marinade or season as per recipe or establishment requirements.

Cover and refrigerate until required for cooking.

What do you do with the leftovers? You've portioned and prepared your ingredients for cooking. Now you need to decide what to do with the leftovers. What do you do with the half-used, opened packets, the unused sliced ingredients and offcuts?

You have 30 seconds to suggest some ideas.


What could you do with ingredients that are left over after completing food preparation tasks?

Type your list of responses in the space provided.

How did you go? Compare your answers to the suggestions on the next screen.

Minimise waste When you don’t manage waste properly, it can cause pollution and have devastating effects on the environment. Not only this, but it’s wasteful and costs the establishment money!

Causing excessive waste by using poor storage techniques is avoidable.

Click on the pictures to find out how.

Follow correct storage procedures.

Follow correct stock rotation procedures.

What are correct storage procedures? Perishable foods have a relatively short shelf-life. They spoil, decay or lose quality quickly, especially if you don’t store them properly.

When preparing dishes, you usually have reusable by-products left over. Knowing where, how, how long and at what temperatures to store these items minimises waste and maximises profitability.

By following certain procedures, you'll optimise shelf-life and ensure food safety.

Click on the tabs to learn about these storage procedures.


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Dairy

This includes milk, cream, yoghurt, butter and cheese.

• Refrigerate at 3 to 4 °C. • Keep cheese sealed to avoid it drying out or absorbing odours from other foods.

Eggs

• Store eggs in their shell in a cool, dry area or in a refrigerator. Eggs lose their freshness and quality at a faster rate at room temperature, whereas refrigeration helps maintain quality for longer.

• Fresh, unbroken eggs keep in good condition for about four weeks if held at a constant 2 to 4 °C with a relative humidity of 85%.

• Storing in their cartons or boxes help prevent fragile egg shells from being accidentally cracked or broken. This also reduces moisture loss from the egg which helps to maintain quality and slows down the absorption of any strong odours.

• Never wash an egg which is to be stored. This removes a natural protective 'bloom’ coating the shell. Eggs should only be washed, if necessary, immediately before use.

• Use eggs which have been removed from their shell, whether whole or separated into egg whites and yolks, immediately, or store in an airtight, non-porous, sealed container in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days.

Fruits and vegetables

Store most fruits and vegetables at 6 to 10 °C and root vegetables in a dark, cool, dry, well-ventilated room.

Frozen goods

• Store frozen goods in the freezer at -18 °C or below. • Wrap and store food in sealed containers to prevent damage and freezer burn. • You can freeze eggs which have been removed from their shell. Freezing does not

adversely affect egg whites. However, egg yolks become gummy and lose stability. This may make them unsuitable for some cooking tasks or recipes.

• Pasta dough or cut and shaped products store well in the freezer for up to three months. Wrap well to prevent freezer burn and drying.

Dry goods

Dry goods include food items in cans, jars, bottles and sealed packaging, as well as semi-perishable foods such as sugar, flour, yeast, etc.

• Store dry goods in a cool, dry, well-ventilated storage area. • Transfer dry goods into clean containers with tightly fitted lids to protect from vermin

like rodents (rats and mice), weevils, flies and ants. • Place opened bags of flour and other dry goods in bins suitable for food storage. • Once canned foods are opened, remove from the can and place in clean, dry, airtight,

food grade containers in the refrigerator. • For longer shelf life, store wholemeal flour under refrigeration to prevent the oil from

the wheat germ going rancid.


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Hot tip

Keep plastic wrap, packaging and other materials used for food storage in clean, dry, pest- and contamination-free stores to prevent cross-contamination.

What are correct stock rotation procedures? Remember FIFO? It’s the most common method of stock rotation First In, First Out.


When you’re storing reusable by-products or deliveries, check their expiration dates and compare them to those already in storage. Put items with an expiration date closest to the current date at the front and those with a later date behind them. That way, you always use products with earlier expiration dates first.

This process should be used for all food and beverage supplies held in storage areas and front of house display equipment, including the dry store. While stock in the dry store may have a longer expiration date, rotating it means you’ll use it while it’s still in peak condition.

What information do labels contain? Suppliers usually label or stamp perishable supplies. They print the use-by and best-before dates on packaging or stickers.

Click on the tabs to find out more.

Use-by date

A use-by date indicates when a product must be consumed by. After this date, it may no longer be safe to eat and must be discarded. Under food safety regulations, you are not allowed to sell food past its use-by date

Best-before date

A ’best-before’ date is an indication of quality rather than a food safety standard. When stored properly, food should remain fresh and of good quality right up to (and sometimes beyond) their ’best-before’ date.

The potential for spoilage increases beyond the best-before date.

Storage conditions

Both these dates assume intact packaging and correct storage environment according to manufacturer’s stated conditions. Once you open it, the product may no longer retain optimum quality until the stated date.

For example, the best-before date is 12 months away, but the label says ’Refrigerate and use within two weeks of opening’. Once you open it, the product will spoil within two weeks.


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Click to the next screen to find out how to correctly label and store these products once you have opened them.

What is internal date coding? Internal date coding helps you control the movement of stock through your storage areas by writing the date an item is stored on its wrapping (for example, on cling wrap covering a tray of marinating meat). This maximises use and minimises waste. Sometimes, you might need to date code and label the contents of an item before storing it.

Click on the tabs to find out when and how you might do this.

Bulk buying

Some establishments buy primal or secondary cuts of meat, cut it into portions and repackage them into smaller containers for later use. The smaller, repackaged items should be individually marked with the date it was portioned and stored.

If you’re freezing the repackaged item, record the contents, its weight and how many portions it contains, on the label. This helps identify it faster, later.

Cooked foods

If you’re placing pre-prepared cooked meats such as pie fillings, pasta sauces or wet dishes in the refrigerator or freezer for later use, date and code them. State the date cooked and any other relevant details for easier identification.

Opened packaging

Once you open a sealed item (especially vacuum-packed meats), the use-by date no longer applies. Date code the leftover food with the date you opened the packaging.




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Section 4: Cook meat dishes


• How to use meat cookery methods. • How to prepare marinades and meat accompaniments. • How to make food quality adjustments.

STAGE 5: LET’S COOK! With your preparation tasks complete, you’re now ready to move onto stage 5: Cook the dish.

Cooking is a lot of fun, but this is also the stage where things are most likely to go wrong.

Let’s begin by looking at some classical and contemporary meat dishes and where they originated.

Meat dishes from around the world One of the benefits of a multicultural society is we get to experience and enjoy a range of cooking styles, tastes and textures from around the world.

Click on the flags to see some popular international dishes enjoyed in Australia.

Austria: Wiener schnitzel (recipe 269) (Viennese cutlet)

Germany: Hasenpfeffer (rabbit stew), leberwurst (liverwurst or liver sausage)

Italy: Beef lasagne, osso buco (recipe 38), ragu, veal scallopini

Greece: Souvlaki, moussaka

Korea: Bibimbap (rice with meat and vegetables), Daeji Bulgogi (spicy pork)

Poland: Bigos (stewed meats and sausages braised over a bed of cabbage and sauerkraut)

Jamaica: Curried goat, jerk beef

Ireland: Coddle (potatoes braised with sausages and bacon), Irish stew (lamb and potato stew)

America: Buffalo wings, southern fried chicken, pulled pork (shredded slow cooked pork)

Russia: Beef stroganoff (recipe 266), borsch (beef-based soup)

Mexico: Enchiladas, chorizo, burritos, beef tacos, quesadillas, fajitas

Thailand: Masaman curry with beef, gaeng keow waan muu (green curry with pork)

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India: Masala Raan (roast leg of lamb), gosht saagwala (lamb shank curry with spinach), mutton kurma (lamb korma)

England: Cornish pasty, shepherd’s pie, steak and kidney pudding (alternatively with rabbit or game), black pudding

Why is it important to select the correct cooking method? While some meat is versatile enough to be cooked by a variety of methods, the flavour and texture of certain types lend themselves to a particular cooking method.


Tougher cuts are suited to slow, moist cooking methods like stewing, braising and simmering that break down and tenderise the meat.

Tender cuts are more versatile and are suited to a wider range of cookery methods such as roasting, poêling/pot roasting, shallow and deep frying and grilling.


The healthiest methods of cooking are those which don't rely on the use of fats and oils, such as boiling, steaming and grilling.

Follow the recipe to ensure you use the right method for the type of meat you’re cooking.

What is braising? Watch the video to learn about this method.

Braising is the slow transfer of heat to food that is half covered with an appropriate liquid and enclosed in a tightly lidded container in the oven.

Braising is generally designed to tenderise tougher cuts of meat and game such as lamb shanks, beef brisket, topside, flank and oxtail. These cuts of meat should be sealed in a pan prior to being braised, so that the nutritional value of the meat is preserved.

Once the braising process is complete, the cooking liquid is strained off.

The correct temperature range for braising meats is 180 °C to 200 °C.

How do you braise meat? Click on the pictures to see the steps to follow when braising meat.


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Step 1

Match the size of the braisière (glossary) to the meat.

Step 2

Coat the meat in flour.

Step 3

Use pan-frying to seal the meat.

Step 4

Add appropriate ingredients to the braisière such as stock, wine and herbs and spices.

Step 5

Place the braisière in the oven.

Step 6

Use a skewer to check doneness. If the skewer slides into the meat with little resistance, it's done.

Step 7

Use corn flour or another thickening agent to thicken the sauce, if required.


Consider adding vegetables to the pot. Braised vegetables are tasty and can help consumers follow healthy eating guidelines.

Stewing Stewing is the slow transfer of moist heat to food cut into bite-sized pieces (approximately 3 cm cubes or smaller). You simmer the food in just enough liquid or sauce to cover the food. Then serve the liquid and food together as a complete dish.

Use stewing to cook tough forequarter cuts such as diced lamb, square cut shoulder, pork shoulder or beef blade. The long slow moist cooking method breaks down, softens and gelatinises the collagen in the connective meat tissue, making the meat very tender. It also imparts a rich flavour throughout the cooking liquid. Tender quality cuts are not suited to being stewed as the meat falls apart.

Hot tip

Slowly carry out the stewing process to maximise flavour and tenderise the food as much as possible.


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What is boiling? Boiling is the transfer of heat to food that is totally immersed in liquid at 100 °C (boiling point). The liquid may be water, milk or a seasoned and flavoured liquid such as stock.

Click on the tabs to learn what to boil and how to do it.

When to boil

Boiling is sometimes used to cook older, poor quality, and tougher meats, usually in preparation for casseroles and stews. Boiling is not recommended for tender cuts, as too much flavour is lost in the cooking liquid.

Boiling and simmering

Salted and pickled meats such as corned silverside (recipe 21) (pressed beef), pumped leg of mutton and pickled ox tongue are sometimes slowly simmered to make them palatable. To do this, cover the meat with cold water in a suitably sized pan and bring to the boil. Starting in cold water causes cells in the meat to open up, allowing blood, salt, strong flavours and impurities to dissolve in the liquid.

Once the liquid has come to the boil, discard and replace with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil again, then turn down to a slow simmer and cook for an hour or two until the meat becomes tender.

You can add herbs, spices and mirepoix vegetables to the cooking liquid to impart flavour.

Cold or hot water – does it matter?

In contrast to salted meats, fresh meat is always started in boiling water.

Hot tip

When making white meat stews such as a blanquette, the meat requires blanching to leech out blood that would otherwise discolour the stew. To do this, place the diced meat in cold water, bring to the boil and then refresh.

Poaching Poaching is the transfer of heat to food that is completely immersed in liquid at 93 to 95 °C. There should be no visible sign of movement in the liquid. This gentler method of cookery is suited to delicate and tender cuts of meat such as beef, pork and veal tenderloin or lamb cutlets.

A tasty example of poaching tender meat cuts is the classical French dish ‘Pot au feu’. This dish consists of beef tenderloin and small turned vegetables poached in a rich beef stock.

Poach soft offal such as lamb brains and veal sweetbreads (recipe 280) in acidulated water. This helps to stabilise the protein, allowing the offal to hold its shape and colour.


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Hot tip

Soft offal is sometimes poached to firm the texture, making it easier to handle before being cooked by other processes. Brains, for example, are lightly poached in acidulated water to make them easier to handle before they are crumbed or battered and deep-fried.

Shallow frying Shallow frying is where the meat is cooked in a small amount of oil or fat in a pan.

Click on the pictures to identify the three methods of shallow frying.

Pan-frying

Sautéing

Stir-frying

Pan-frying Meats that are suitable for pan-frying include cutlets, medallions (recipe 48), schnitzels (recipe 269), steak beef, and pork loin escalope.

Click on the pictures to see the steps that should be followed when pan-frying a lamb cutlet.

Step 1

Season the food as per the recipe, for example, with salt, pepper and other herbs and spices.

Step 2

Heat the oil. If it's too cold, the meat will stew. Too hot and it will burn.

Step 3

Cook the cut on both sides turning only once with tongs.

Step 4

Drain the meat on a paper towel.


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Sautéing Sautéing is the process of sealing the meat in preparation for braising. Any meat to be braised should be sautéed first.

Click on the steps to see the process you should follow when sautéing beef in preparation for a beef casserole.

Step 1

Season the meat if required.

Step 2

Heat the oil.

Step 3

Brown the meat.

Step 4

Drain liquid unless required as part of the recipe.

Step 5

Set the meat aside in preparation for use later in the recipe. Alternatively, place the meat in a clean sealed container in the fridge for later use.

Note

High heat and high speed are essential when sautéing.

Stir-frying Stir-frying is a cooking method used in many South East Asian countries as well as China. Meat and vegetables are cooked quickly over a high heat. Meats that are suitable for stir-frying include strips of loin of pork or beef fillet.

Click on the pictures to see the steps that should be followed when preparing a beef and vegetable stir-fry.

Step 1

Make sure all ingredients are prepared and at hand. This is a quick cooking method, so there's no time to source and prepare overlooked ingredients.

Step 2

Heat the oil in a wok.

Step 3

Brown the meat.


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Step 4

Remove the meat from the pan.

Step 5

Cook other ingredients.

Step 6

Return the meat to the pan and add sauces and seasonings to finish.

Deep-frying Deep-frying is the transfer of heat to food that is totally immersed in hot fat or oil (175 to 195 °C).

Deep-frying is well suited for cooking single portion or diced, tender cuts of pork, veal, beef and lamb. It's also a popular method for cooking lamb brains (recipe 282) and sweetbreads.

To get the most out of this method, first coat the meat with crumbs or batter to protect it from the intense heat of the cooking medium.

Deep-frying is a fast method of cookery. In most cases, the cooking process is complete within 3 to 4 minutes.

Grilling Grilling is a method of cooking where heat is applied by radiation from above or below. Suitable meat for grilling includes beef, rib eye steak, minute steak, pork chops, loin of lamb and sirloin steak (recipe 52).

Barbecuing is one form of grilling, where meat is cooked over hot coals.

Click on the steps to see the process you should follow for grilling or barbecuing.

Step 1

Choose appropriate equipment. You may need a salamander, barbecue kettle, or a grill fired by gas, electricity or charcoal.

Step 2

Make sure the equipment is clean and fit for use. Both the grill bars and grill plates should be free from food scraps and be greased.

Step 3

Make sure the cut of meat is small. If the cut is too large, it will burn on the outside and be uncooked on the inside.


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Step 4

Brush the meat with a healthy cooking fat. This prevents the cut from sticking. Olive oils and other plant-based oils are preferable to animal fats as they are lower in cholesterol.

Step 5

Check the temperature of the grill. If it's too low, the meat will stew rather than grill.

Step 6

Turn the item once using tongs rather than a fork or another sharp implement.

Step 7

Use a thermometer to check for doneness.


Grilling is a good way to cook meat. The meats that are suitable for grilling are leaner, so they are healthier choices.

Roasting Roasting is one of the most popular methods for cooking tender, good quality cuts of beef (recipe 59), veal, lamb, pork (recipe 272) and venison. This method is versatile enough to be used for portioned meats such as lamb racks (recipe 270), secondary cuts like a shoulder of pork or beef strip-loin, primal cuts such as a butt of beef, or baron of lamb. You can even roast whole dressed carcasses such as spit-roasted whole lamb or goat.

Click on the dot points to learn more about this cooking method.

Lard lean meats before roasting.

Season with pepper, salt, herbs and spices prior to sealing.

Always start the cooking process in a hot oven (220 to 230 °C) or over hot coals to seal in the juices. Once the sealing process is complete, the heat is reduced to 180 oC. This temperature may be varied depending on the size of the meat as well as the form of roasting used.

Trim away excess fat and sinew before cooking.

Roast meat cuts that contain a layer of fat, such as beef strip-loin with the fat side up. This allows the melting fat to further baste the meat through the roasting process. It also helps to slow down moisture loss through evaporation.

Consider placing the meat on a mirepoix (glossary) of vegetables. This holds the meat out of the fat preserving the nutritional value, prevents the meat sticking to the pan and adds additional flavour to the roasting juices.

Allow roasted meat to rest before carving and serving.


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What are the different methods of roasting? Click on the pictures to look at the different roasting methods.

Spit roasting

Joints or even a whole carcass are rotated and cooked over flames or hot coals.

This can be quite a dangerous method as the oils from the animal can ignite.

Pot roasting

In this method of roasting the joint or cut is enclosed in a pot with a lid. The lid helps the meat retain its juices. Lamb tagine is one recipe that can be made using the pot roasting method.

Slow roasting

This method uses lower temperatures than standard roasting, with temperatures ranging between 80 and 100 °C, overnight or for several hours.

How do you know if the meat is cooked correctly? Click on the icon for guidelines on the correct temperature for cooked meat.

Culinary term Meaning Temperature Appearance Bleu Rare 49 to 52 °C Centre is bright red, pinkish

towards the exterior portion. When cut, blood runs from the steak. It's very soft to touch.

Saignant Medium rare 55 to 60 °C The steak is brown on the outside but still pink in the centre. It's soft to touch and blood runs from the steak when cut.

A point Medium 60 to 65 °C The steak is more brown than pink in the middle. It should have some play through the middle but feel firm to touch. Very little blood runs when it's cut.

Cuit Medium well done

65 to 69 °C The steak is well brown on the outside with a slight tinge of pink in the very middle of the steak. It's firm to touch.

Bien cuit Well done 71 °C (beef) 77 °C (veal and lamb) 85 °C (pork)

The steak is dark brown on the outside (but not burnt), very firm to touch and has no pink flesh on the inside.


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Can you serve all meat raw to well done?

Cooking to the correct doneness

While fresh beef can be safely eaten at any stage from completely raw to well done, the same does not apply for all meats. Veal needs to be fully cooked and pork must be well cooked, reaching a core temperature of 77 to 80 °C. Tender lamb cuts should be cooked no more than the medium-rare to medium stage. In lamb cookery, this is called ‘rosé.’

Game meat is usually cooked only to the medium stage of doneness to prevent the meat from drying out. This is especially true for kangaroo, venison, emu and ostrich as they are far less likely to contain harmful bacteria. Cook wild boar or stewed or braised game to the well-done stage.

How to prepare marinades Click on the pictures to learn how to prepare marinades.

The process

Mix all the marinade ingredients together, steep the meat into the marinade, cover with a plastic film wrap and refrigerate.

To get the most from your marinade, use stainless steel or glass containers.

The purpose

The purpose of marinating is to:

• Tenderise or break down the meat tissue to make it more palatable. • Preserve the meat for a longer storage life. • Impart flavour from the liquid into the meat.

Ingredients

Red wine is a common liquid base used for red meat varieties and game. Soya sauce, sherry, port, milk, fruit juice, olive oil and yoghurt are other examples you can use. The acid and/or the enzymes in the liquid help to break down and denature the collagen within the fibres of the meat, making it more tender.

A marinade may also contain herbs, spices or other flavouring agents like garlic, onion, chilli, honey, commercial curry pastes, Asian sauces or a mirepoix of vegetables.

Choose ingredients that complement the characteristics (flavour and texture) of the meat, or ingredients that provide suitable contrast.

Timing

The length of time the meat needs to be steeped in the marinade depends on the type and cut of meat. Tender portioned cuts such as those from the loin area may only require a couple of hours in the marinade. Tougher cuts and larger pieces of multi-portion meats may require marinating for anything from a couple of days to up to one week before the meat reaches the required degree of tenderness.


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Meat accompaniments Although this unit's primary purpose is to teach you about cooking meat, nearly all dishes require the addition of accompaniments.

Accompaniments are items you serve with the main ingredient of the dish. They generally enhance the flavour, colour, texture and presentation on your final dish.

Click on the icons to see some examples of accompaniments.

Lamb

Mint sauce or mint or rosemary

Pork

Sage and onion stuffing

Roast beef

Yorkshire pudding, English mustard, horseradish

Sushi rolls (including teriyaki beef)

Wasabi

Curry

Raita, chutney, naan bread, yoghurt, pappadams

What food quality checks do you perform? Performing quality checks throughout the cooking process allows you to make any necessary adjustments before the dish reaches the customer.

Click on the pictures and learn what to look out for.

Consistency

• Is your dish the consistency your customers expect? Check that the meat is tender and not tough. Check accompanying sauces are not too thick or thin.

• Are your dishes consistent across all the quality points? Follow standard recipes so they appear, smell and taste the same when they reach your customers.


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Taste

• Does the recipe produce a tasty result? Correctly season dishes according to standard recipes.

• Is the flavour appropriate to the dish? Flavours can vary from mild, subtle flavours right through to bold, rich flavours depending on the type of meat and any sauces, marinades, herbs and spices used during the cooking process.

• Is it lacking in flavour or are there overpowering flavours making it unpleasant to taste? Regularly taste your dish throughout the cooking process to make sure it’s not too bitter, salty, spicy, sour, sweet or umami (glossary). Adjust the recipe if needed.

• What feedback have you received from your customers about the dish? Have you received positive, negative or helpful suggestions about a dish that help you evaluate if it is enjoyed by customers?

Aroma

• Does it smell appropriate to the type of dish prepared? • Does it have a pleasant and delicious aroma? Check that the aroma is fresh, vibrant

and pleasant.

Texture

• Is the texture appropriate for the type of dish? What sensations are you trying to create? They could be clean, creamy, crispy, crunchy, fibrous, moist, light and fluffy (a mousse), rich, slippery, smooth or velvety.

• Deep-fried pork strips, for example, should be crisp when you bite into the exterior coating. Roast beef should be moist, not dry, and curried beef smooth and creamy.

Temperature

• What temperature should the dish be? Some meat dishes are hot; others are served cold.

• Have you heated the dish throughout? Check that it has a consistent temperature with no hot or cold spots.

You’ll learn more about correct temperatures for holding and storing meat dishes in Section 5.

Customer preference

Some customers like their meat cooked well done; others like it blue or rare. Make sure you prepare the dish as per their request.

You learned about degrees of doneness earlier in this section. Test what you remember on the next screen.

What quality adjustments might I need to make? Sometimes, even if you follow the standard recipe, your dish doesn’t turn out the way it’s supposed to. You can’t fix every problem, but you can resolve some by making small, simple adjustments.

Click on the problems to see how simple adjustments can save your dish from disaster.


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Common problems Adjustment Meat is undercooked. Increase cooking time. Outside of deep-fried food has a burnt taste or has burnt particles from other fried foods.

Keep the fat clean by straining it regularly to remove crumbs and food particles. Check the temperature of the fat.

Deep- or shallow-fried food is soggy or oily.

Temperature of fat isn’t hot enough. It should be between 175 and 195 °C.

Shallow-fried meat is dry or tough. Natural juices may have escaped during cooking. Use tongs or a spatula to handle the meat; not a fork.

Outside of meat is cooked but the inside is not. (In cases where it should be cooked through.)

Reduce the cooking temperature and increase the cooking time.

Pickled meat is very salty after boiling.

Start the meat in cold water. Try adding herbs and spices to improve the flavour.

Dish is too bland. Add more seasoning or a suitable sauce to add flavour.

Stew is too thick. Add more liquid.

Stewed meat is cooked but tough. Increase cooking time and check that the heat is not too high. Try marinating meat prior to cooking.

Liquid in stew or meat sauce is too thin.

Add a thickening agent or use heat to reduce the liquid.

Red meat has discoloured white stew.

Blanch red meat prior to cooking in a white stew.

Steamed meat or offal breaks apart.

Use a different cooking method or steam under atmospheric pressure.

Roasted meat is dry. Lard or bard low-fat cuts of meat to add moisture and flavour. Baste during cooking process.

Grilled meat is tough. Poor choice of meat used. Use tender cuts of meat that are of top quality.

Meat loses shape when roasted. Truss boned-out joints of meat prior to roasting.

Note

If the dish requires more than a simple adjustment, refer the matter to your supervisor. Any changes must be made within the requirements of the establishment and your scope of responsibility.




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Section 5: Present meat dishes


• How to portion and serve meats. • How to carve meats. • How to add sauces and garnishes. • How to evaluate dishes and adjust presentation. • How to clean your work area and dispose of or store products.

STAGE 6: PRESENT THE DISH A professional cook understands the importance of visual presentation and knows how to impress the customer before they have taken their first bite.

Click on the icon to see the steps for serving and presenting in a professional manner.

Step 1 Portioning and serving

Step 2 Carving

Step 3 Adding sauces

Step 4 Adding garnishes

Step 5 Evaluating presentation

Consistency is the key

Establishments have set standards for the way each menu item is presented to the customer. This ensures that every customer receives the same portion size as others who order the same dish, and that each plated menu item looks the same.

Although creativity is an important quality for every chef, remember the importance of consistency. It's not appropriate to experiment with new presentation styles when preparing dishes for customers or in the middle of a service period. Always present dishes according to the recipe and organisational standards.

5


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Portioning and serving We know that portion control is an important part of culinary balance, but how do we select and control portion sizes?

Click on the tabs to find out.

Selecting portion sizes

Portion sizes are often selected according to the following.

• Number of courses to be served (two, three or four courses) • Type of customer • Menu prices (the amount charged per head) • Size and design of crockery • Food cost of ingredients

Controlling portion sizes

• Train staff in portion control and correct carving techniques. • Buy pre-portioned foods that have been cut to certain specifications: 200 g steaks or

three rib lamb racks, for example. • Use suitable utensils and measures to serve food (such as 200 ml ladles for serving

soup or 50 ml ladles for serving sauces). • Use suitable equipment to measure food (such as scales for weighing certain meat

dishes).

Following the recipe

Follow the recipe for the recommended serving size. This ensures that your recipe produces the right number of serves without an odd size or amount left over.

Different portion sizes

While most enterprises use the same menu and portion sizes throughout all service periods of the day, it’s not uncommon for some enterprises to vary portion sizes to match the meal period or even menu type.

An inner city restaurant, for example, might offer the same beef curry on their lunch and dinner menus but provide 200 ml portions at lunchtime and 250 ml at dinnertime.

The type of menu can also affect portion sizes. Some venues offer a choice of à la carte or table d’hote. The portion sizes for the more expensive à la carte style will typically be about 30 per cent larger than the table d’hote equivalent.

Other venues use the faster table d’hote style for lunch service and à la carte style for dinner.


In the interests of customer’s health, don’t pile plates with lots of deep-fried or fatty foods. Use small portions when serving foods high in saturated fat.

Also consider the overall portion size of the dish. This minimises wastage, and helps consumers maintain a healthy and balanced intake of calories.


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Carving Meats that have been roasted, poêléed, or braised usually require carving before service. This is the process of cutting and slicing cooked meat into neat servable portions. When meat is taken straight from the roasting or braising pan, the natural juices in the centre are very hot and runny. If meat is carved at this point, the juices will quickly seep out from the first cut, causing the meat to rapidly lose flavour and colour and become dry.

We’ll look at the steps in preparing meat for carving in detail on the next screen.

What are the steps in preparing meat for carving? Click on the steps to check out the preparation steps for carving.

Step 1

Cook the meat a little less than required to allow for carry-over cooking. If you wish to serve the meat at the medium stage, cook the meat to medium-rare. In the case of pork, wild boar and other meats that require thorough cooking, cook the meat to the medium-well done stage to kill harmful bacteria and parasites sometimes found in the meat.

Step 2

Place the cooked meat onto a pre-heated tray and cover it with a clean damp kitchen cloth or aluminium foil. Then place the tray in a warm position for 15 to 25 minutes. Ideal positions are on top of a warm bain-marie or in a warm oven with the door left open. This helps prevent the meat from becoming too cool before it is served.

Step 3

When the meat has rested and the juices have settled, it's ready to be carved, without excessive moisture, colour and flavour loss.

How do you carve meat? Carving techniques differ depending on the size, type and cut of meat. For example, different techniques are used to carve a roasted rack of lamb than for a leg of veal.


Carving can involve slicing and cutting.

• Slicing boneless meats into neat even slices. Examples: roasted tenderloin, and boned and rolled leg of lamb.

• Cutting even slices of meat off the bone of jointed meats. Examples: standing rib of beef or spit roasted whole lamb.

To carve correctly and minimise wastage, you need to know the bone structure of the different meat products. This was discussed in Section 1 of this unit.


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Carving a leg of lamb, veal or pork Click on the steps to learn how to carve leg meat.

Step 1

Place the cooked leg on a suitable cutting board and secure it in place using a carving fork or a pair of tongs. Begin by making a vertical cut through the meat, tendons, and sinews in a circular motion around the shank bone, 4 to 5 cm from the end of the shank meat.

Step 2

Carve even 3 to 4 mm thick slices at a 45 degree angle, from the thickest side towards the bone starting at the shank end. Use the full length of the carving knife in a slicing motion without applying too much downward pressure. Continue slicing until all the meat above the bone has been neatly carved. If the slices start to get too big, slightly alter the angle of the cut to make the slices smaller.

When the top of the leg has been completely sliced, turn the leg over and continue carving until all the meat has been removed from the bottom of the leg.

Carving a boneless cut of meat Click on the steps to learn how to carve boneless meat.

Step 1

Place the cooked meat with the fat layer (if any) facing up on a suitable cutting board and secure it in place using a carving fork or a pair of tongs.

Step 2

Carve the meat vertically across the grain using a slicing motion. This will help to give even slices without tearing the meat. Most boneless cuts are carved as thin as practicable while retaining the shape of the slice, although roasted tenderloins are usually cut into thicker slices.

Step 3

As the meat is carved, allow it to fall from the knife naturally onto the cutting board. The meat can then be arranged into neat portions for service.

Carving principles Although there is no single method suited to carving all meats, there are some general principles you should follow. You can adapt these carving principles to all kinds of cooked meat, from a roasted pork fillet to a whole spit roasted goat.

Click on the checkboxes to view the carving principles.

Cook the meat a little less than required to allow for carry-over cooking.

Rest the meat in a warm place while covered for 15 to 25 minutes before carving.


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Always use a clean cutting board and a sharp, long bladed carving knife.

Carve the meat across the grain to ensure tenderness. If the meat is carved parallel to the grain, the meat will be stringy and chewy.

Use a slicing motion with the full length of the blade without applying too much downward pressure. In other words, let the blade do all the work to prevent the meat from tearing.

Slice the meat as thin as practicable while retaining the shape of the slice.

When meat has been carved, the slices tend to cool very quickly. It may be necessary to lay the slices on a tray and re-heat them under a salamander to ensure that they are hot when served.

What sauce goes best? Think about the different meat dishes you’ve eaten in the past. What type of sauce came with the dish? Was the sauce part of the dish or served on the side?

You have 30 seconds to see how many different sauces you can think of that are suitable for different types of meat.


How many different sauces can you think of for each type of meat?

Beef Lamb Pork

How many did you think of? There are no right or wrong answers, just an endless list of possibilities!

Adding sauces You can choose from three styles of sauces depending on whether you want the sauce to blend with, enhance or dominate the flavour of the meat.

Click on the icons to learn about some common sauce styles.

Blend

Simple mild-flavoured sauces add colour and moisture to the dish but at the same time blend with or take a ‘back seat’ to the flavour of the meat.

Enhance

Many fruity and herb-based sauces complement and enhance the flavour of the meat.


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Dominate

Spicy or pungent flavoured sauces such as those found in curries and chilli dishes dominate the flavour of the dish.

What are some types of sauce bases? While stock is the most common base used in the preparation of sauces, many other bases can be used. Here are some examples.

• Fruit purée or juice • Vegetable purée • Red or white wine • Milk (béchamel) • Cream • Honey • Soy sauce • Marinade used to marinate the meat

What types of sauces are there? Most sauces used for meat are based on stock, such as velouté, demi-glace, and jus lié (pronounced joo-lee-yay). You make the stock from the bones and trimmings of the meat, then thicken with a starch-based thickening agent, or reduce until a light glaze consistency is achieved.

Some sauces that are often used as accompaniments to meat dishes are butter, wine, pepper, bourguignon and béarnaise sauce.

Click on the tabs to learn more.

Butter sauces

Butter sauces can be created simply by melting butter in a pan. The correct name for this sauce is beurre fondu. To create a beurre noisette, heat the butter for a little longer until it becomes brown. Beurre noir is created when the butter is heated for even longer. The application of heat for longer periods creates a nutty and in the case of beurre noir, bitter flavour that can act as a complement to some meat dishes.

Béarnaise sauce

To create a béarnaise sauce use clarified butter and egg yolk. Place a bowl on top of a pot with simmering water. Slowly add the yolks and the butter while whisking over a low heat until you have achieved the desired consistency.

Wine sauces

Wine sauces can be created using red or white wine. Beurre blanc is a white wine and cream sauce which is finished with butter to create a velvety sheen. Red wine sauce is made with beef stock, pan juices or roux and red wine. Bourguignon sauce is a red wine sauce made with onion and other vegetables.


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Pepper sauce

You can make pepper sauces by adding green or pink peppercorns to jus or to a cream-based sauce.

There are so many different choices, but once you know the basics you can build your knowledge about the various sauces that can be created.

Juices from the roast

The best sauce for roast meat is made from the sediment and residue from the roasting dish.

For best results, drain the pan of all fat and then deglaze with wine or brown stock. To concentrate the flavour, reduce and strain. This is called a ‘jus de rôti’ meaning ‘juices from the roast’. If the jus is thickened, it’s called ‘jus-lié’ (glossary) which means ‘a thickened juice’.

Which sauce goes with which meat? Most of us understand that meat must be matched with wine, but have you ever considered the importance of matching sauces with meat? If you choose the right sauce, the flavour of the meat is improved.

Click on the icon to learn about some common meats and sauce suggestions.

Steak and garlic butter, béarnaise or pepper sauce Roasts with gravy or jus rôti

Roast lamb and mint sauce Béchamel sauce and mince as part of a lasagne Roast pork and apple sauce

Note

Remember to add sauces according to the standard recipe and organisational standards.

Adding garnishes Garnishes are used to decorate the main item being served. You can use them to enhance the colour, flavour, texture and overall presentation of the meal.

Like sauces, there are an infinite number of ingredients you can use.

Click on the icon to see some examples.

Delicately carved fruit or vegetables

Sliced vegetables

Deep fried noodles or vegetable slices


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Sprig of rosemary, parsley or other herbs

Chopped herbs: parsley, chives, coriander

Chopped or toasted nuts

Note

Standard recipes tell you how to finish the presentation of a dish and the type of garnish to use. Make sure you follow the recipe’s instructions so that each menu item is presented consistently from one employee to the next.

Evaluate presentation There are a few important factors that affect how meat dishes are served and presented.

Click on the tabs to find out what they are.

The type of establishment and customer expectations

In most cases, customers’ expectations are directly related to the prices charged on the menu. For example, customers expect a higher standard of presentation and service at a five star hotel or fine dining restaurant than they would at a casual dining café or bistro.

Cuisine style

Traditional/classical French cuisine has a very defined plating style, while modern/contemporary cuisine is far less structured, being left to the creativity of the chef.

Likewise, the cultural style or influence of the food (Malay, Japanese, Italian) determines presentation style. You wouldn’t serve roast pork with juniper berry glaze in a lacquered Japanese bowl along with wooden chopsticks!

Service style

How the food is served to customers affects how it is presented in the kitchen. In a bistro or restaurant, where the waiter serves the meal on a plate, the dish is prepared and presented in the kitchen. At a buffet restaurant, customers help themselves from the hot and cold dishes presented on the buffet table. The food is presented and garnished in the kitchen but you have no control over how it appears on the plate.

Characteristics of the dish

The size, cut, and cooking method used to prepare the dish also determine how it should be presented. Some meats are cooked and served whole; others are portioned before cooking or cooked whole and then carved.

In keeping with modern styles, cooked boneless cuts are often sliced at an acute angle and presented either fanned or stacked on the plate. Wet dishes are often more suited to being served in an open bowl rather than a flat plate.


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Note

Position food for practicality of consumption. The customer should not have to spin their plate in circles to try and eat their meal, nor spill sauces or knock accompaniments off the side of their plate because it is overcrowded or awkward to eat.

The final check It’s important to evaluate your dishes before they’re served to the customer. You’ve learned about visual presentation in previous cookery units. Can you remember what to look for? You’ve got 15 seconds to think of your answer.


Type in the visual checks you need to make before presenting the completed dish to the customer.

Did you remember what to look for? Compare your answers to the information provided on the next screen.

What visual checks should you look for? Click on the cookbooks to learn what to look for and how to adjust if necessary.

Checks Adjustments Are the correct sauces and accompaniments being served?

Check the standard recipe and change if necessary.

Is it the correct garnish? Is it visually appealing, creative and appropriate for the item? Is it the correct size? Is it fresh? Is it appropriate for the occasion?

Check the standard recipe and change if necessary. Change the garnish if it’s incorrect, too big, inappropriate or not fresh. Relocate if the placement is inappropriate or visually unappealing.

Is the presentation serviceware free of drips and spills?

Carefully wipe clean with a clean, lint-free cloth.

Check the colour, balance and contrast. Does one colour or ingredient dominate? Does it look fresh and inviting?

Adjust the ingredients if necessary. Add more colour if necessary with a bright garnish. Contrast textures by changing the garnish if required.

Did you check the dish or sauce prior to plating? Does the dish need additional flavouring added? Did you follow the recipe to ensure correct taste and texture?

Add flavouring, seasoning or flavoured sauces if required. Remake if required.

Is the serviceware clean and the correct size? Does the item look crowded or lost on the plate?

Replate if necessary.


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Checks Adjustments Can the waiter easily and safely carry the serviceware and food contained on it? Is it unbalanced, too heavy, or are food, sauce containers or decorative items slipping on the plate? Is there too much food on the platter?

Reconsider how you want to present the food so it’s safer and more secure for staff and customers.

Can the customer easily consume the item in the format presented? Is the serviceware appropriate and the food accessible?

Replate if necessary.

Presentation principles It’s often how the colours, shapes and textures are put together that first captures the customer’s attention.

As with plate presentation, several contrasting colours, shapes and textures provide the best impact.

Always try to select sauces, garnishes and accompaniments that add colour and interest. Vary the textures of ingredients and arrange them on the plate so that similar-textured foods are not placed side by side.

What if I’m not serving the food straight away? If you’re not serving the food immediately after preparation, store it in appropriate environmental conditions according to your storage and food safety procedures.

Click on the tabs to find out what to do.

Temperature

• Between 5 °C and 60 °C, the temperature danger zone, bacteria divide, multiply and grow at a rapid rate.

• Keep food either hot (above 60 °C) or cold (below 5 °C). Food should not be in the danger zone for more than two hours.

• Refrigerate dishes containing perishable ingredients. Keep them at a constant temperature between 1 and 4 °C and 85% humidity. This protects them from spoiling prematurely or becoming contaminated.

• Store frozen dishes at -18 °C or below. Remember to wrap well in plastic film or store in an airtight container to prevent damage from freezer burn.

Cover it up

• All prepared items and leftover foods should be either securely covered or placed in sealed food grade containers.

• Label all stored dishes with the date of storage and type of dish. • Food which is already plated, such as cold meat platters, should be covered with cling

film to protect them from damage and contamination.


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Environmental conditions

• Humidity in the refrigerator should be relatively low, as high levels of moisture cause some foods to become soft and other prepared foods to lose texture and flavour.

• There must be adequate ventilation in the refrigerator to ensure even circulation of cold air.

• Leave some space in display cabinets and hot holding trays. If you overload them, the dishes will not remain at the correct temperature.

• Food should not be stored in bright natural sunlight or harsh artificial lighting.

Keep it separate

• Raw food must always be kept separate from ready-to-eat food to prevent bacteria from raw food contaminating food which will be eaten without further cooking.

• Freshly prepared meat dishes should not be mixed in with older dishes. Thoroughly remove any old food before adding new!

Packaging

The contents from opened packets must be transferred into suitable food grade containers and stored according to the content type. Remember to label and code the container with the food type, storage date, quantity and date of expiry.

Note

You can revise the ideal storage conditions for various food types in Section 3 of this unit.

What is a food by-product? The food that is leftover during and after the production of a dish.

Click on the questions to find out their answers.

Why is it important to store and use by-products?

By storing and then using any food by-products in other recipes you can minimise waste and reduce a kitchen’s costs. For example, meat off-cuts and bones can be used when making stocks and sauces.

How do you store reusable by-products?

The same as you store any other similar type of food item. As the by-products will be used in other food preparation processes and recipes, the same food safety standards apply. Let’s look at what some of these are next.

Store or dispose of surplus food or by-products Procedures for how to correctly store and dispose of a wide variety of different types of food is covered in food handling, stock control and maintaining perishable items units. Let’s look at how to apply some of the basic principles of food storage and disposal outlined in those resources.


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Click on Andy so he can learn more about the storage or disposal of food.

‘What do I store and when?’

• Raw and cooked ingredients and prepared food once they are no longer needed for preparation, production or service.

• Reusable by-products as soon as the preparation task is completed. • Surplus dishes and ingredients as soon as service is finished.

‘What can I store?’

• Raw, partially or fully prepared perishable ingredients and dishes must be refrigerated or frozen if they are going to be used at a later time.

• Freshly cooked ingredients and dishes can be stored for use at a later time. • Thawed frozen foods (for example, portioned meat cuts or pre-prepared dishes) can be

refrigerated for later use.

‘What can’t be stored for later use?’

• Food that has been held between 5 and 60 ºC for longer than four hours; for example, food held on stovetops, ovens or in displays (e.g., on a buffet).

• Any cooked food that has been reheated such as cooked braised meat dishes or roasts.

• Some meat dishes, such as pan- or deep fried items, do not maintain quality when hot-held and are usually disposed of at the end of service.

• Any by-products from food preparation tasks that might be contaminated, such as off-cuts from unwashed vegetables.

‘How should it be stored?’

• Any menu item that has been prepared or displayed in a container must be transferred to a clean container for storage. For example, lasagne displayed in a bain-marie container or Thai rabbit curry held in a stock pot, should all be placed into clean containers.

• All food should be securely covered with cling wrap or aluminium foil, or placed in a lidded, sealed container. This prevents cross-contamination between different foods in the storage area.

‘Should it be labelled?’

• Any food placed in storage containers at the end of service should have a date label clearly placed on the outside of the container.

• The label may also name the contents of the container and who stored it. This helps other staff to rotate stock correctly and decide if the food is safe to use if it has been stored for a period of time.

‘Why are good storage techniques important?’

Meat products and ingredients used to make meat-based dishes are highly perishable foods. Correct storage is vital to maintain quality, freshness and safety of the ingredients and prepared dishes. Removing and storing all food from preparation and service areas also reduces the risk of a pest invasion.


2016 Edition 101

‘How do you dispose of food?’

Always separate food waste from edible foods to avoid cross-contamination. Place any food to be disposed of in a lined garbage bin. When your shift ends or the bin gets full, carefully remove the liner and contents. Place it in a sealed external waste storage container to keep pests out (and odours in!).

‘How can I reduce food waste?’

Disposing of food waste has a detrimental impact on the environment. Try to reuse or recycle off-cuts whenever possible. Only prepare enough ingredients and dishes to meet anticipated demand to reduce the amount of surplus food. Ask your manager about donating surplus food to charities such as SecondBite.

Clean and tidy your work area If you have followed the policy of cleaning as you go, you may not need to complete as many cleaning tasks in your work area. Some tasks cannot be completed until the service period is over, all food production is completed, and the kitchen is ready to be closed.

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Common tasks

• Clean and sanitise all surfaces such as bench tops and shelves. • Clean and sanitise equipment and containers. • Put away cleaned equipment. • Place dirty linen, such as tea towels and cleaning cloths, in the linen bag. • Empty and wash the rubbish bins. • Sweep and mop floors.

Clean as you go

To make cleaning quicker and easier at the end of the shift, try to clean as many items as possible during preparation time. Clean your own equipment or transfer them to the dish wash area when you have finished using them. Many items of equipment, such as pots and service utensils, can be put through the dishwasher.

Cleaning schedule

A cleaning schedule allocates tasks to specific people or job roles. It can also describe how to complete a task and when it should be done. This helps to ensure cleaning tasks are not duplicated or missed. Look for a cleaning schedule that lists tasks to be completed in your work area. It may be on the wall near the wash-up area or in a procedures manual.

Manual cleaning technique

1. Pre-clean: scrape, wipe or sweep away food scraps and rinse with water.

2. Wash: use hot water and detergent to remove any grease and dirt. Soak if needed.

3. Rinse: rinse off any loose dirt or detergent foam.

4. Sanitise: use a sanitiser to kill any remaining bacteria.

5. Final rinse: wash off sanitiser.

6. Dry: allow to air dry.


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Safety

Follow your workplace health and safety procedures when cleaning and tiding work areas. Take care when dismantling and cleaning bladed equipment such as mechanical slicers and vegetable peelers, and handling hot cooking and display containers and equipment.


Click to the next screen to read the unit summary.

Summary You may be feeling a little overwhelmed with how much there is to learn about the different meat types and cuts, and how they're handled, prepared and cooked.

Don’t panic; it can take several years of hands-on experience to confidently and correctly cook all sorts of meat, game and offal.

From now on, whenever you eat out, see if you can recognise the different cuts of meat and the preparation techniques used by the chef.

At home, try experimenting with meat cuts your unfamiliar with. Try new recipes and experiment with different flavours and textures.

With practice, you'll soon be serving perfectly cooked meat dishes to all your customers.

GLOSSARY

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Glossary

Word Meaning

Age The colour, flavour and texture of beef changes as the beast matures. The older the beef, the darker red the colour will be. Teeth give an accurate indication of age. Consequently, the name changes as follows.

Barbecue kettle Enclosed cookware that allows meat to be cooked over coals.

Beurre fondu Plain butter sauce.

Beurre noir Black butter sauce.

Beurre noisette Brown butter sauce.

Blanquette A white stew made from lamb, veal or chicken with a rich velvety sauce.

Braisière A braising pan with a lid, normally made from enamelled cast iron which retains and evenly distributes heat.

Breed Most beef produced comes from less than 10 species of beef cattle including Angus, Hereford, Murray Grey, Charolais and Brahman.

CAFOs Feed lots.

Carry-over cooking Carry-over cooking occurs when the outside of the meat is much hotter than the inside. This causes heat to continue being conducted towards the centre so that the meat continues cooking.

Chine/feather bones Parts of the vertebrae that rise vertically.

Cholesterol Cholesterol is mainly found in fats of animal origin. It is not found in significant amounts in plant sources. It’s not an essential nutrient for humans, as the body produces it as needed. The body excretes excess cholesterol. However, if the excretion mechanism is faulty, cholesterol blood levels rise, increasing the risk of heart and artery disease.

Connective tissues Parts of the body (such as ligaments, tendons, and cartilage) that support and hold together the other parts of the body (such as muscles, organs, and bones).

Cured Preserved with the use of salt, sugar and/or nitrates.

Demi-glace A brown sauce made from ½ espagnole and ½ beef stock.

Diet In this unit, diet does not mean a restricted food intake. It refers to the type and amount of food fed to an animal.

Escalopes Thin slice of pork or veal usually cut on an angle across the grain. Suited to sautéing or crumbing and shallow frying.

Expiration date The use-by or best-before date of a product which is either placed on the packaging by the manufacturer or on an internal label by staff.

Freezer burn Discolouration and drying on the surface of protein foods when they have not been correctly covered during freezing.

GLOSSARY

2016 Edition 104

Word Meaning

Grill Cooking equipment which has elements that allow heat to be transferred from above and/or below the meat.

Ignite Burst into flames.

Jus lié A thickened gravy made from rich brown stock and pan juices.

Lamb tagine A Moroccan stew.

Larding The process of covering meat with fat or inserting fat in cuts of meat to increase moisture and to improve the moisture content of meat.

LDL Low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol. When the LDL level in the bloodstream is high, it can clog up your arteries.

Marbling Marbling is the intramuscular fat which appears as fine flecks within the muscle, giving the meat a similar appearance to marbled stone. A degree of marbling is meant to improve eating quality in more expensive cuts by increasing juiciness and tenderness.

Mirepoix Rough cut vegetables.

Mise en place Pronounced 'miz-on-plus'. Mise en place is a French term that translates to ‘everything in its place’. It refers to all the preparation tasks carried out before cooking begins, such as peeling, cutting, dicing, boning meat, marinating, preparing garnishes and weighing ingredients.

Noisette Restaurant-cut from the boneless mid-loin of pork, lamb or veal. In essence it is a boneless, trimmed and neatly flattened chop.

Offal Entrails, internal organs such as the brain, liver, kidneys and intestines and other offcuts.

Pâté A meat paste often made with offal.

Poêléed Pronounced ‘pwah-laid’. A cooking method where the item is cooked in its own juices (and any other ingredients, in a covered pot and baked in the oven.

Rosette Restaurant-cut from the mid-loin of pork, lamb and veal. The mid-loin is completely boned without detaching the fillet. It is then rolled and tied using individual knots so that the rosettes can be cut between each string to the required weight.

Saddle The most tender section of an animal being the full loin, including the mid-loins, rib-loins, and fillets.

Seasoned When an ingredient such as a condiment, spice, or herb is added to food primarily for the flavour it imparts.

Sex Young female (heifer, adult female (cow), adult male (bull), castrated male (steer), bullock or ox.

Silverskin Connective tissue with a silvery sheen found in most animals.

Simmer Simmering is a form of gentle boiling at a temperature of 95 to 98 °C. A slow and gentle bubbling movement in the liquid indicates the state of simmering.

GLOSSARY

didasko.com 2016 Edition 105

Word Meaning

Stuffing Stuffing is a filling mixture made from varieties or combination of ingredients, including finely ground meat, offal (such as sweetbreads, vegetables, mushrooms, dried fruit, breadcrumbs, and herbs). The ingredients are very finely cut or puréed and then bound with eggs, egg whites, cream, breadcrumbs, or other binding agents.

Umami Foods that taste umami are made from fermented beans, grains, fish, prawns and seafood or other ingredients such as yeast extract (like in Australia’s most popular umami tasting food, Vegemite!.) Umami is a pleasant, savoury taste found in cured meats, mushrooms, fish sauce, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, and aged cheeses.

Veal under 8 months old, yearling: 1 to 2 years old, prime beef: 2 to 4 years old, mature beef: 4 years old and over.

Veal Marsala Dish made from pan-fried veal escalopes, cream, mushrooms and Marsala wine.

Velouté A rich white sauce made from veal, chicken, or fish stock thickened with flour and butter.

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