Meat Fab Terms

Butterflied Leg

Leg of lamb is versatile and can be braised or dry cooked. One way to dry cook would be to remove the shank, butterfly the leg, and grill it like a steak.

Lip on Rib

Lip-On Ribeye is essentially a Prime Rib roast without the bones. The "lip" is a two-inch piece of meat that is left on at the end of the ribeye muscle. Because the lip piece is largely fat, the overall price per pound should be slightly lower than a cut with the lip removed (which would be just plain "Ribeye.")

name branding

Marketing programs that classify meat into specialized groups based on specific criteria and serve to ensure a quality level.

Wet Aged

Meat aged in a vacuum package. Tenderness increases without a significant affect on flavor.

chop-ready rack

Meat that's purchased pre-trimmed and ready to cut into chops with minimal labor time required. In the case of the veal rack, removing the chine bone and peeling off the cap makes it an easily portioned cut.

Charcuterie

The art of making sausages and other cured, smoked and preserved meats. In addition to sausages, classic items include pâtés, terrines, galantines, ballotines, confit and crèpinettes. One of the principal categories of garde manger, which encompasses various classical techniques for preserving foods that date from an era before refrigeration. Originally, the word was used to refer only to products made from pork, but used today to describe any product prepared using these traditional methods, even ones made from poultry, fish, seafood or other meats.

Gooseneck Round

The bottom round. Sub-primal cut from the beef round including the outiside round, eye round and heel.

Keel Bone

The breast bone or sternum of many birds, used with chickens to determine age.

Square Cut Shoulder

The chuck, or lamb shoulder, purchased whole or as a bone-in item, or boneless as a rolled roast (BRT).

Roasting Hog

The class of pig from 40-150#, with those in the 120-150# range being near ideal weight for roasting whole.

hotel rack

The connected rib racks from both sides of veal.

Pack Date

The date on which the product was packaged.

top round cap off

The fat cap from a veal top round which is removed for fabricating cutlets.

Marrow

The fatty network of connective tissue that fills the cavities of bones.

Chine Bone

The inside section of the backbone vertebrae along the loin and rib sections, often removed for easier cutting.

Haunch

The loin and leg of an animal.

sweetbread

Thymus gland of the calf, often served by poaching and chilling, peeling away the exterior membrane, pressed into shape, then sliced for sautéing.

TCM

Tinted Cure Mix, or curing salt. A mix of sodium chloride (approximately 94%), and sodium nitrite (6%). When used, the recommended amount is a ratio of 4 oz for each 100 lb of meat or 0.25% of the total weight of the meat. This blend is colored bright pink to keep the charcutier from confusing the mixture with regular salt.

on a bias

To cut at roughly a 45º angle for a more elegant presentation.

TBS leg

Top, Bottom, Sirloin leg, veal leg boned and divided into subprimals.

cutlet

Traditionally, a thin slice of meat cut from veal, pork or lamb, or a breaded and fried version of this cut. More recently a cutlet might refer to similar cuts of any meat, fish or even shellfish. Veal cutlets should be cut across the grain, on a bias. Pounding cutlets may be necessary to achieve uniform thickness, tenderize the meat, and increase the surface area.

Trichinosis

Trichinosis is a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game infected with the larvae of a species of roundworm called the trichina worm. Historically, pork products were thought to have the most risk of infecting humans. Because pigs are no longer fed potentially-contaminated food (garbage, etc), the risk of infection is much lower than in the past.

Delmonico steak

Trimmed, boneless rib eye steak. Also can refer to a boneless striploin steak.

No Roll

Ungraded meat, generally termed "No Roll" because a grade stamp has not been rolled on the carcass.

USDA

United States Department of Agriculture. Federal agency that sets specific regulations on the amount of residues of hormones and other additives that may be left in meat.

Bulk Sausage

Bulk sausage is raw sausage meat that hasn't been stuffed into a casing.

BRT Leg of Lamb

"Boned, Rolled, Tied" referring to roasts that are boned, cleaned and trimmed, then rolled up and trussed to create a roast.

Market-Style Hog

"Market weight", typically 170-220 pounds.

Flank Steak

Flat steak found off the bottom of the beef loin.

Yearling

A 60-90# lamb, somewhat older and larger than what's typically seen at market (30-75#).

Hen/Fowl

A Stewing/Baking Hen - a mature laying hen 10 months to 1.5 years old. Since the meat is less tender than young chickens, hens are best used in moist cooking such as stewing.

cowboy steak

A bone-in rib steak with a frenched rib bone.

Certified Angus Beef

A brand that certifies Angus beef corresponding to a particular set of quality standards. The standards include modest or higher marbling, medium or fine marbling texture, the youngest classification of product, 10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area, 1,050-pound hot carcass weight or less, less than 1-inch fat thickness, superior muscling, practically free of capillary ruptures, no dark cutters, and no neck hump exceeding 2 inches.

Cottage Butt

A center section of the Boston Butt, where the pork loin eye extends into the shoulder. Suitable for roasting, or slicing and stuffing (braciola).

Loin Chop

A chop cut from the pork loin, would include quality chops from the center loin and some odd-shaped pieces from the end. Suitable for grilling, broiling, pan searing, sauté, breading, or stuffing.

osso buco

A cross-cut of veal shank (in Italian literally "bone with a hole"), that yields three or four portions per shank. The prepared dish is braised with white wine, vegetables and broth.

gooseneck

A cut of beef or veal containing the eye round, bottom round flat and the heel. The heel in particular can be somewhat tough and is typically used as a braise or stew item.

value-added cut

A cut that has been seasoned, trimmed and/or pre-cooked to add extra value.

Meat Grading

A procedure by which carcasses or meat are sorted or segregated based on predicted expected palatability (how does it taste), yield, and other important traits.

Vacuum Packaging

A process of packaging foods for storage that eliminates almost all the air. Serves to preserve quality and provide extended shelf life.

Crown Roast

A rib roast made by first frenching the bones, then tying together the ends of two racks through the last bones on either end in order to form a circular or crown shaped roast. The bone ends of the roast may be covered during cooking, the center of the roast is then often filled with something like stuffing, vegetables or potatoes.

Euroquail

A semi-boneless quail, with rib cage and back removed, suitable for stuffing.

medallion

A small, round, even portion of meat such as veal, pork or beef, generally referring to the shape of a cut, rather than indicating where on the animal the cut has come from.

Hothouse Lamb

A small, very young lamb about 20#, used for roasting whole. Generally milk-fed and considered a niche market item.

1x1

A strip loin with a 1" tail and no more than 1" wide.

0x1

A strip loin with virtually no tail in length and no more than 1" wide.

Fell

A thin membrane between the fat layer and skin on a lamb. Not usually present in very young lambs, butchers typically remove it from small cuts, sometimes left on larger ones because of some belief that it helps these cuts retain their shape and moisture during cooking.

Berkshire

Breed of hogs known for high-quality flavor and good marbling. Known as Kurobuta Pork (black hog) in Japan where it is highly prized. The meat can be slightly darker than other breeds.

Drumstick

A typical drumstick consists of a waffle cone filled with ice cream topped with a hardened chocolate shell and nuts, and much later, with a chocolate lined cone, a chunk of chocolate at the bottom of the cone. Drumsticks are available from a variety of supermarkets, as well as most convenience stores in countries where sold. Also the lower leg of a chicken, whose upper joint connects to the thigh and lower joint to the foot.

Prime

Almost never found in supermarkets. This beef is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling).

Hock

Also called the "pork knuckle", the portion of the leg below the ham and above the foot. Often smoked and used in stews and braises, especially in Southern cooking.

Inside Round

Also called top round, one of the major subprimals of the beef round primal cut. From the inside of the leg. Good cut of meat for roasting, as long as it's done slowly at a low temperature. Commonly used for London Broil.

Intramuscular Fat

Also known as marbling, fat found within the muscle.

Frenched/Supreme Breast

An airline Chicken breast with the cartilage on the wing joint and the meat around the bone pushed down into the body

Mutton

An older lamb, typically at least 16 months, not often seen on the market as the meat develops a stronger, more gamey flavor over time.

Hotel Rack

An un-split rack of lamb, the 'rack' primal that is fabricated into racks and chops, frenched and un-frenched or boneless.

Angus

Angus cattle are a breed commonly used in beef production. They were developed from cattle native to the counties of Aberdeenshire and Angus in Scotland, and are known as Aberdeen Angus in most parts of the world. Angus naturally lack horns and are solid black or red, although the udder may be white. In the US black and red are regarded as two separate breeds — Red Angus and Black Angus. Black Angus is the most common beef breed of cattle in the US.

Poultry

Any domesticated bird raised for meat and / or eggs.

Center-Cut Chop

Any pork chop that is cut from the center-cut loin is a center-cut chop. Suitable for grilling, broiling, pan searing, sauté, breading, or stuffing.

FIFO

Assumes that the first goods purchased (the first in) are the first goods sold.

Spring Lamb

Available from March through October, smaller and more tender. Modern farming techniques have minimized seasonality, today the term refers to a lamb of approximately 30-40#.

Steamship Round

Beef round with the shank frenched and the aitch bone removed.

Rib Eye

Beef steak from the rib section. The rib section of beef spans from ribs six through twelve. Ribeye steaks are mostly composed of the Longissimus dorsi muscle but also contain the Complexus and Spinalis muscles.

bob veal

Bob veal calves are less than three weeks old, typically underdeveloped in size and flavor, and used for grind. In some cases the veal racks are used for smaller plates or appetizers.

Export Style Rib

Bone-in whole Rib-eye primal cut, used for roasting or cutting into bone-in rib-eye steaks.

trimmed loin

Boneless veal chops or medallions or cutlets can be easily fabricated from a boneless loin. Foodservice operations frequently opt to purchase loins already split, boned and trimmed.

Leg of Lamb

Can be roasted whole with the bones, or boned and tied into a roast. The leg can also be sectioned to fabricate smaller roasts. The shank can be taken off and braised separately.

Capon

Castrated male chickens about 16 weeks to 8 months old, weighing 4-7 pounds.

Roaster

Chicken approximately 3-5 months old (older than broiler/fryer) weighing 5 to 7 pounds. It yields more meat per pound than a broiler-fryer.

Rib Chop

Chops from the pork loin that include the curved rib bone structure, can be frenched for an enhanced appearance.

loin chop

Commonly purchased pre-cut of veal from the loin.

Bovine

Cow

frenched chop

Creating a refined presentation by exposing and cleaning the bones, often rib bones, on a cut of meat.

Porterhouse

Cut created from the short loin, includes the tenderloin and strip loin together. The tenderloin should be at least one third of the entire steak to be called Porterhouse.

Brisket

Cut from the breast or lower chest of beef or veal. The brisket is one of the nine beef primal cuts, the precise definition of the cut differs internationally. Includes the superficial and deep pectorals. These muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving cattle. This requires a significant amount of connective tissue, so the resulting meat must be cooked correctly to tenderize the connective tissue.

Pork Porterhouse

Cut from the loin, similar to a porterhouse of beef with a t-shaped bone and a piece of the tenderloin.

Top Sirloin Butt

Cut from top butt muscle, one of two main muscles in the sirloin; better quality than bottom.

Hanger Steak

Derived from the diaphragm of a steer or heifer, typically weighs about 1.0 to 1.5 lb. It is a vaguely V-shaped pair of muscles with a long, inedible membrane down the middle. The hanger steak is usually the tenderest cut on an animal and is best marinated and cooked quickly over high heat to avoid toughness. The diaphragm is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat: the "hanger steak", and the outer skirt steak. The hanger is attached to the last rib and the spine near the kidneys.

conformation

Determined as part of the grading process, the ratio of meat to bone on a carcass.

vein steak

End steak, the last one or two steaks from the sirloin side of the strip loin. Tougher, and with a collagen band that intersects the middle of the steak.

Dry Cure

Essentially, salting meat and waiting for the flavors to develop. The meat loses water, so its flavor is concentrated. Salt gets into the meat's muscle fibers and denatures (unravels) proteins, changing the appearance and flavor of the meat. Enzymes break the meat's proteins down further into component parts such as glutamate, which is responsible for savory umami flavors. Desirable, salt-tolerant bacteria contribute additional flavors through slow fermentation.

Intermuscular Fat

Fat between muscle groups, divides muscle sections. Used to help guide the butcher between muscle cuts.

Meat Inspection

Federal, state, local and international practices for assuring the safety and wholesomeness of meat.

filet mignon

Filet mignon is taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin. The tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and often the most expensive. The average steer or heifer provides no more than 500 grams of filet mignon. Contains less connective tissue, which makes it tender, but also generally not as flavorful as some other cuts of beef. Often wrapped in bacon to enhance flavor, and/or is served with a sauce.

entrecôte

French, denotes a premium cut of beef used for steaks. A traditional entrecôte comes from the rib area, corresponding to the steaks known in different parts of the English-speaking world as rib, rib-eye, club, Scotch fillet, or Delmonico. The term may also be used in France to denote the sirloin cut properly known as a contre-filet, being the portion of the sirloin on the opposite side of the bone from the tenderloin.

Foie Gras

Goose or duck liver produced by fattening via force-feeding corn with a feeding-tube.

Forcemeat

Grinding lean meats together with fat and seasonings to form an emulsion.

HACCP

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point. Food safety management system based on the idea that if significant biological, chemical or physical hazards are identified at specific points within a product's flow through the operation, they can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to safe levels.

Choice

High quality, but less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib are very tender, juicy, and flavorful. They also do well with dry-heat cooking. Many of the less tender cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can also be cooked with dry heat if not overcooked. Such cuts will be most tender if braised.

Holstein

Holstein Friesians are the world's highest-production dairy animals. Originally from Europe, bred with the goal of obtaining animals that could best use grass. Over the centuries the result was a high-producing, black-and-white dairy cow. "Holstein" is used to describe North or South American stock and its use in Europe, "Friesian" denotes animals with a traditional European ancestry, bred for both dairy and beef use. Crosses between the two are called "Holstein-Friesian".

HRI Cuts

Hotel, Restaurant, Institution - food service cuts. Any cut typically purchased for a restaurant etc., typically requires some minor fabrication.

Kabob

In the U.S. this is usually shish kabob, cubes of meat, skewered for grilling or broiling. Originating in the middle east, the traditional meat for kabob is lamb, cooked over or near a flame.

Marbling

Intramuscular fat. Key component of quality grading because of the moisture and tenderness added with well-marbled meat.

Kobe

Kobe refers to beef from the Tajima strain of wagyu cattle, raised in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture according to rules as set out by the Kobe Beef Marketing & Distribution Promotion Association. The meat is a delicacy renowned for its flavour, tenderness, and fatty, well-marbled texture.

Denver Ribs

Lamb short ribs, taken from the shoulder, that are trimmed and prepped for grilling.

U.S. "fed" lamb

Large, feedlot fed.

Shoulder Clod

Large, untrimmed subprimal cut from the beef chuck primal.

In-House Grading

Most pork producers have their own grading systems that determine what they will sell commercially or as whole muscle cuts. These standards often include the aspects of texture, muscle color, marbling, and length of loin. Most pork is graded in-house to the standards unique to each producer, with USDA grade used as a reference.

Natural Casing

Natural sausage casings are made from the sub-mucosa, a layer of the intestine consisting mainly of naturally occurring collagen, and bear a close resemblance to the original intestine. The outer fat and the inner mucosa lining are removed during processing. Natural casings are traditional products that have been used for centuries and have remained virtually unchanged in function, appearance, and composition. Salt and water are all that is used for cleaning and preservation. Natural casings are the only casings that can be used in organic sausage production. A large variety of sausage is produced world-wide using intestines of pigs, sheep, goats, cattle and sometimes horses. Although the intestines were previously flushed, scraped and cleaned by hand, more recently, machinery has been used for large scale production.

Game

Non-domesticated animals

Boston Butt

One of the five pork primals, Boston Butt is the upper portion of the shoulder, with the Picnic being the lower portion. The Boston Butt is the tenderer of the two, with a higher fat ratio (70%/30%), with much of the fat being internal. Typically used for slow-cooked barbecue or pulled pork, also a good choice for sausage. Dry-cured as Coppa ham or spiced for cappacola-style.

PSE Pork

Pale, Soft, Exudative. The lower quality of meat standards, PSE meat is summarized as "Pale pinkish gray, very soft and exudative. Undesirable appearance and shrinks excessively." Caused by both stress and genetics.

Finger Bones

Part of the lumbar vertebrae bone structure; connects to the chine bone.

Baby Back Ribs

Part of the pork Loin primal, Baby Back ribs are the highest-value cut on the animal. Smaller and more tender than spare ribs, due to their location higher up near the spine rather than lower down near the belly.

Feather Bone

Part of the vertebrae structure, connected to the chine bone, thin and flat.

tournedo

Petit filet or medallion cut from a small part of the tenderloin.

Sodium Phosphate

Phosphates are used in meat products to increase yields, which is accomplished by raising the pH of the meat protein, which in turn allows the protein to hold more water. They also extend shelf-life by restricting rancidity development, and purportedly can give meat products a slightly better color, improved flavor, and increased juiciness. Sodium phosphates also can act as emulsifiers or leavening agents.

Ham

Pork ham comes from the back leg, the largest muscle section of the hog. The muscles groups are the same as those of a round of beef including the top round, bottom, eye, heel, knuckle, shank or hock, and a small section of the sirloin. This portion of the leg has four basic bones: the femur, aitch, kneecap and a portion of the shank.

Enhanced Pork

Pork products "enhanced" with a solution of water, sodium phosphate and flavorings intended to increase moisture, tenderness and weight. Mostly weight, methinks. There are two types of enhanced meats, either marinated (the solution includes a flavoring product), or basted (no flavoring). Downside is decreased flavor, altered texture, added saltiness and increased expense (paying for additional weight).

Australian Lamb

Primarily pasture raised. Small and large varieties. Normally sent pre-fabricated as trimmed or boneless cuts.

Prosciutto

Prosciutto (Italian ham) is a dry-cured ham that is usually thinly sliced and served uncooked. The most renowned and expensive legs of prosciutto come from central and northern Italy. Prosciutto is traditionally made from either a pig's or a wild boar's ham. The process of making prosciutto can take anywhere from nine months to two years, depending on the size of the ham.

across the grain

Refers to the practice of cutting meat against the grain of the meat fibers as a means of minimizing toughness.

Brine-Cured

Replacing the water/moisture naturally found in meat with a flavored solution that is has a high salt content.

Salmonella

Salmonella Enteriditis may be found in the intestinal tracts of livestock, poultry, dogs, cats and other warm-blooded animals. This strain is only one of about 2,000 kinds of Salmonella bacteria; it is often associated with poultry and shell eggs.

Link

Sausage meat that has been stuffed into a casing and separated into individual portions via a twisting of the casing.

Link Sausage

Sausage meat that has been stuffed into a casing and separated into individual portions via a twisting of the casing.

Rope

Sausage meat that has been stuffed into a continuous casing and not separated into links.

Select

Select grade is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.

Palatability

Sensory factors such as taste, smell, color, and even the texture of a food.

Rib Eye Area

Size and texture of the Rib Eye Area are used in quality grading of beef. Moderately to highly heritable, suggesting that differences found between animals would be expected to be passed on to their offspring.

Split and Chined

Splitting the lamb loin saddle or rack at the backbone and removing this series of bones to expose the ribs.

St. Louis Ribs

St. Louis ribs start with the spare rib, which are trimmed to cut away the brisket bones at the base of the ribs. This makes for a more uniform rib, normally slightly higher priced than spare ribs.

T-Bone

Steak cut from the short loin, containing the stripling and a small section of the tenderloin.

Flat Iron

Steak cut from the shoulder top blade muscle located inside the clod or shoulder.

Fatback

Subcutaneous or exterior pig fat, found along the back of a hog, above the loin and Boston butt area.

Skirt Steak

Subprimal cut from the Plate, the Skirt is the original fajita and is actually the diaphragm of the animal. The two sides of the diaphragm are connected in the middle of the carcass at the hanger.

Stifle Joint

The "knee" joint in the hind leg

Porcine

The Latin term for pigs.

Ovine

The Latin term for sheep.

Cutability

The amount of salable meat in relation to the total weight of the carcass, a measure of the yield of edible meat from each pound of the carcass.

Primal Pork Loin

The loin is one of the primal cuts of pork, along with the ham, butt, picnic and belly. The loin consists of the entire back of the hog containing both a rib end and a loin end. The various portions of the loin - including the loin eye, tenderloin and baby back ribs - are the highest value items, typically dry cooked.

Picnic

The lower part of the pork shoulder, leaner than the Boston butt and typically sold with the skin on. Low priced because it's somewhat less desirable, sometimes mixed with fat and used in sausage. Also can be cured and smoked as a picnic ham.

Collagen

The main structural protein found in animal connective tissue, yielding gelatin when slow-cooked or simmered as in stock.

Center-Cut Loin

The pork loin primal has a section of sirloin on one end and blade or shoulder on the other. The center cut has these removed and is more uniform in shape.

Frenched

The practice of exposing and cleaning the end of the rib bone on a chop in order to enhance appearance.

Primal Cut

The primary divisions of muscle, bone and connective tissue produced by the initial butchering of the carcass.

Dry Aged

The process of aging meat, usually beef or lamb, without any packaging. Primarily done with larger meat cuts with a bone and/or fat coverage. Increases tenderness and flavor.

Shortloin

The section of beef or veal containing the striploin and the tail section of the tenderloin, purchased to make porterhouse and t-bone steaks.

Natural Seam

The separation between muscle groups.

Sirloin

The sirloin steak is a cut from the rear back portion of the animal, continuing off the short loin from which T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these and is specifically marked for sale under that name. The bottom sirloin, which is less tender and much larger, is typically marked for sale simply as "sirloin steak". The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast.

Spareribs

The spare ribs are the portion of the rib cage that coincides with the pork belly. Also known as belly ribs or rack ribs, they are wider (being lower on the animal) and meatier than baby back ribs.

Loin Saddle

The unsplit lamb loin.

Saddle

The unsplit loin section of lamb or veal.

Thigh

The upper leg bone of a chicken, connects to the drumstick. Together these motion muscles make up the dark meat portion of the bird.

Suckling Pig

The youngest classification of pork for market, these pigs are typically 3-6 weeks old and 18-35# in weight. Primarily milk fed, mild in flavor, and tender. Usually roasted whole, either bone-in or semi-boned and stuffed. Used in Italian porchetta, bones removed and the inside stuffed. Rule of thumb for portioning is one pound per person.

scaloppine

Thinly sliced veal or chicken, pounded, then floured and sautéed.

Belly

Used in a variety of culinary applications, known best when cured and smoked as bacon. The belly can also be purchased fresh and end up as salt pork or pancetta. Also slow roasted or braised as a main course or side dish.

Sodium Nitrite

Used in small doses for curing meats. In modern times pure nitrite is used in place of potassium nitrate (in all but dry sausages), which *produces* nitrite (the true active ingredient) during the cure. Nitrite contributes flavor, retards oxidation and the development of rancid flavors, produces the pink-red color of cured meat, and suppresses the growth of bacteria including those that cause botulism.

Wagyu

Wagyu ("Japanese cow") is any of several breeds of cattle, the most desired of which is genetically predisposed to intense marbling and to producing a high percentage of oleaginous unsaturated fat. The meat from such wagyu cattle is known for its quality, and commands a high price. In Japan, wagyu beef is shipped carrying area names. Some examples are Kobe, Mishima, Matsusaka, Ōmi, and Sanda beef.

New Zealand Lamb

World's largest exporter of lamb. Smaller and somewhat leaner than U.S. lamb. Pasture fed.

Broiler/Fryer

Young chicken about 7 weeks old which weighs 2.5 - 4.5 pounds when eviscerated.

Young vs. Mature Poultry

Younger chickens such as Poussin, Cornish Hen or Fryer/Broiler, generally smaller and with more tender meat than older, larger birds classified as Roasters or Capon or Stewing Hen. Older birds are generally egg layers or for breeding.