DHN302 exam 3

Muscle tissue is approximately :

72% water, 20% protein, 7% fat and 1% minerals Proper cooking prevents shrinkage

Maillard Reaction:

A chemical reaction between amino acids and reducing sugars that gives browned food its desirable flavor.

barding:

Adding a layer of fat to the outside of meat

Meats can be treated to make them more tender :

Adding enzymes, salts or acids (denatures proteins and slightly cooks the meat)

Aging Meats:

Aging meats improves their juiciness, tenderness, flavor, color, and ability to brown during heating. Dry aging: Carcasses are hung in refrigeration units at 34-38 degrees Fahrenheit with low or high humidity for 1 ½ to 6 weeks. Wet or fast aging: beef is aged in a plastic shrink-wrap. Ultra-violet lights are used to inhibit microbial growth. Most retail meat is fast aged. Vacuum-packed aging: Meat carcasses are divided into smaller cuts, vacuum packed in moisture and vapor-proof plastic bags and then aged under refrigeration. Myoglobin makes meat red, more myoglobin = more red

Inspection and Grading of Meats:

All meats are inspected by the USDA

resting:

Allows the juices to redistribute themselves evenly throughout the roast

sub primal:

Basic cuts produced from each primal

Meats examples: often consume?

Beef, veal (purpose of milky flavor, tender), lamb(<14 months) & mutton(14 months-older), pork Often consume the largest portion of your food purchasing dollar

Effect of Age on Tenderness:

Collagen concentration increases at the animal ages. Meat from older animals is tougher Less expensive Requires slow, moist heating at low temperatures to convert or hydrolyze tough connective tissue to softer gelatin.

connective tissue in meat consists of:

Consists of either collagen (most abundant protein in connective tissue), elastin, or reticulin

carryover cooking:

Cooking does not stop the moment that the roast is removed from the oven; it continues to cook inward through conduction

Changes During Heating :

Cooking meats at the correct temperature for the right amount of time will maximize tenderness, juiciness, and flavor! Exposure to too high temperatures for too long will toughen and shrink meat.

Natural meat tenderness is due to :

Cut of meat Age Fat content

Effects of Collagen on Tenderness:

Cuts high in connective tissue are naturally tough and need to be properly prepared using techniques to increase tenderness.

Connective Tissue in Meat:

Forms walls of long muscle cells, primarily in frequently used muscles Tendons, ligaments

Meat:

Generally defined as the muscles of mammals, but also includes organs and glands as well.

fabricated:

Individual portions cut from the subprimal

Larding :

Inserting small strips of fat into meat

Sous Vide Cooking:

Low-temperature, moist-heat cooking under vacuum Resembles poaching and braising Vacuum seal food in plastic pouches Cook in a precisely regulated hot water bath, below simmering Foods may be browned after cooking Food safety of utmost concern; local food regulations may require training, licensing and record keeping

Marbeling:

Marbeling refers to the whitish streaks of inter- and intra-muscular fat Adds tenderness and flavor to cooked meat Principal factor in determining meat quality

Storing Meat:

Meat is highly perishable and a potentially hazardous food Store at temperatures between 32°F and 36°F Store meat in the coldest part of your refrigerator on the lowest shelf When freezing, do so rapidly to -50°F Use moisture- and vapor-proof packaging to prevent freezer burn

Meat Labeling: Grass-Fed:

Most meat animals consume grains for some part of their lives. Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA has voluntary standards for the labeling of purely grass-fed meat. Grass and forage shall be the only feed source for the lifetime of the animal except for milk consumed prior to weaning. Range-fed, pastured and pasture-raised

Dry-heat cooking methods :

Must use high-quality, tender cuts of meat Roasting Broiling and grilling Pan-Broiling Frying Sautéing Pan-frying Deep-frying

Pork is derived from young swine slaughtered between 5 ½ and 7 months of age:

Pigs are less than 4 months old Hogs are older than 4 months

Lamb & Mutton are meat of sheep.

Primary difference is between the age of the animal Lamb: comes from sheep that are less than 14 months old Mutton: greater that 14 months old Mutton is tougher and darker than lamb and has a strong flavor.

Styles of cuts primal:

Primary divisions of muscle, bone and connective tissue produced by initial butchering of the carcass

Degree of Doneness :

Rare Medium rare Medium Medium well

Carving:

Roasts are always carved against the grain; carving with the grain will produce long, stringy, tough slices

Preparation of Meats:

Tender cuts lend themselves to dry-heat methods Tougher cuts are better for long, slow, moist processes

the two most important factors affecting consumer acceptance of cooked beef:

Tenderness and flavor -Top quality does not guarantee tender meat!

Meat's texture is determined by:

Thickness of cells Size of cell bundles Size of connective tissue

Preparing Meats for Cooking:

Tying and Trussing Tying meat to form a uniform shape

pork:

USDA No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, Utility

Veal :

USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Utility Only need to know beef grades

Lamb :

USDA Prime, Choice, Good, Utility

USDA Quality Grades beef:

USDA Prime, Choice, Select (top3), Commercial, Utility, Cutter, Canner

Moist-heat cooking methods :

Used quite often to tenderize tougher cuts of meat Braising Simmering & Stewing Steaming Microwaving

Composition of Meat:

Water Muscle Connective tissue Adipose tissue Bone

Veal comes from young calves of beef cattle (3 weeks to 3 months):

Young animals are fed milk-based diet or formula. Movements have been greatly restricted resulting in a meat with an exceptionally milky flavor, pale color, and tender texture. Meat from calves allowed to roam in a pasture is call free-range veal and is slightly less tender than traditionally fed veal.

When cooked with moist heat,

contracts then breaks down into water and gelatin Meat of older animals more resistant to breaking down using moist heat

Too high, too long:

denatures proteins and causes the meat to dehydrate.

Muscle tissue gives meat :

its characteristic appearance

The amount of connective tissue determines the :

meat's tenderness

Alter cooking method-add

more moisture to legs

The more connective tissue, the :

the tougher the meat will be.

Muscles used for movement, tend to be :

tougher than loin, lower back, or rib muscles.