MEAT SELECTION AND STORAGE

FACS Standards 8.5.1, 8.5.2, 8.5.3, 8.5.4, 8.5.5, 8.5.6, 8.5.7Kowtaluk, Helen and Orphanos Kopan, Alice. Food For Today. McGraw Hill-Glencoe. 2004.

TYPES OF MEAT

4 basic types of meat; each with distinct flavor and appearance

Beef – cattle more than 1 year old; hearty flavor; bright red color; firm fat, with a white, creamy white, or yellowish color

Veal – cattle 1 – 3 months old; mild flavor; light pink color with very little fat

“Special Fed Veal” – fed special milk-based diet; flesh more tender; grayish-pink color and white fat

Lamb – young sheep; mild, but unique flavor; bright pink-red color with white, brittle fat; fat sometimes covered with a fell, colorless connective tissue

Pork – hogs; mild flavor; grayish-pink with white, soft fat

CUTS OF MEAT

Wholesale cuts Primal cuts Large cuts for marketing Further cut into retail cuts

Retail cuts Found in supermarket

MEAT PRICE LABEL

ANIMALRETAIL CUT

WHOLESALE CUT

BONE SHAPE Each wholesale cut has a distinct bone to

identify the meat and is a clue to the tenderness

WHICH CUTS ARE LEAN?

Lean – less than 10 g of fat, less than 4 g of saturated fat, and less than 95 mg of cholesterol in a 3 ½ ounce serving Round, loin, sirloin, chuck arm beef roasts and

steaks Tenderloin, center loin, ham pork roasts and

chops All veal cuts by ground Leg, loin, foreshank lamb roasts and chops

Appearance best indicator of lean meat Fat around a cut of meat should be trimmed

to less than ¼ inch

GROUND MEAT Ground beef is beef trimmings By law, cannot have more than 30% fat by

weight Lean ground beef is available, but will cost

more May find ground lamb, pork, and veal; if not,

ask for it

ORGAN MEATS Often called variety meats Liver – highly nutritious and tender,

pronounced flavor Lamb and veal kidneys – tender, mild flavor;

beef and pork kidneys – strong-flavored and less tender

Chitterlings – pig intestines; may come from calves; thoroughly cleaned and sold whole in containers

Other: brains, heart, tongue, tripe (stomach lining of cattle), sweetbreads (thymus gland)

INSPECTION AND GRADING Meat must be graded to be sold; graded by

USDA for wholesomeness Round inspection mark stamped on meat Must also be graded; voluntary program;

graded according to standards including amount of marbling, age of animal, and texture and appearance of the meat

3 most common grades for beef Prime – highest and most expensive; well

marbled meat, very tender and flavorful Choice – most common grade sold in

supermarkets; less marbling than prime, but still tender and flavorful

Select – last amount of marbling; least expensive; sold as store brand

Lamb and veal also graded; same grades as for beef except “Good” replaces “Select”

Pork not graded because meat is more uniform in quality

PROCESSED MEATS 35% of meat produced in the U.S. is

processed Meat processed to impart distinct flavors Ham, bacon, sausage, cold cuts Curing – most common processing method

Meat injected with or placed in mixture of salt, sugar, sodium nitrate, potassium nitrate, ascorbic acid, and water – function as preservatives; nitrates prevent growth of botulin bacteria

Drying and salting – preserve meat Smoking – to enhance flavor and preserve food

Often more than one processing method used on a single meat

USING PROCESSED MEATS

Ham – some precooked; some not; read label for serving instructions

Sausages – ready-to-eat or must cook; check the label

Cold cuts – ready-to-eat, sliced, and packaged meat

STORING MEAT

Meat requires cold storage Use ground meat and variety meats within 1-

2 days after storing in the refrigerator Other fresh meat will store 3-5 days in the

refrigerator For longer storage, freeze meat