Meats+Group+1

=**Meat﻿** =



Beef derives from cattle which is classified according to age and gender. They are classified as steers, bulls, heifers and cows, and calves. **Steers** are male cattle who are castrated while young so they gain weight quickly. **Bulls** are older uncastrated males used for breeding and provide stag meat used later for processed meats and pet foods. **Heifers and cows** are another classification. Heifers are females that have not yet born a calf and is a more desirable meat than that of female cows. **Calves** that are 3 to 8 months are too old for veal and too young for beef, as their meat is referred to "baby beef" (Brown, 140). Meats are a combination of water, muscle, connective tissue, adipose tissue and bone (Brown, 141). Protein from animals comes from the muscle tissue. The muscle tissue contains most of the protein and is a complete source. The outer membrane of muscle cells is called the sarcolemma. In addition, each muscle fiber is filled with a fluid called sarcoplasm. The ligaments and tendons are part of the connective tissue which holds the muscle tissues together. The muscles that are worked and exercised, have more collagen in the collective tissue and are are usually less tender. The neck, shoulders, legs and flank contain muscles used for movement and will generally be tougher than the meat located in the loin, lower back or ribs. It is important to understand where the cut of meat comes from in order to determine the correct cooking requirements.

==**Wholesale Cuts of Meat (Retail cut ) **==


 * Wholesale cuts of meat are larger cuts that are further divided into retail cuts. The USDA recognizes 9 different wholesale cuts.
 * Retail cuts of meat are the smaller cuts of meat from the wholesale cuts, which are typically sold to consumers. The USDA recognizes that there are over 300 retail cuts.

** Chuck - Less Tender ** Chuck Pot Roast Shoulder Roast Blade Steak ** Rib - Tender ** Rib Steak Rib Eye Rib Roast ** Short Loin - Tender ** Porterhouse Steak T-Bone <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Tenderloin <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Sirloin - Tender ** <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Tri-tip Roast <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Delmonico <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Top Sirloin **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Round -Less Tender ** <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Top Round <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Cubed Steak <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Rump Roast **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Shank - Less Tender ** <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Crosscut Shank <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ground Beef <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Stew Meat **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Brisket - Less Tender ** <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Brisket

**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Short Plate - Less Tender ** <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Skirt Steak <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Short Rib <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Ground Beef <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flank Steak <span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flank Steak Rolls
 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif;"><span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Flank - Less Tender **

<span style="color: #404040; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">Meat Tenderness
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">﻿There are two main factors that affect the tenderness of meat. First there are <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">natural factors which include; the cut, the animals age, slaughtering conditions, rigor mortis, and how long the meat is aged. The second factor is artificial, these include; enzymes, salts, acids, and mechanical or electrical. The toughest cuts of meat come from the areas that are used the most, these areas for example include the shoulders and the hindquarters. The least tender cuts include the flank, short ribs, brisket, legs and the underside. The tender cuts come from those areas which are used less. These tender cuts come from the loin and rib area, which include the sirloin, <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> tenderloin and rib eye. Other tender cuts include the strip steak, strip loin, and T-bone. The younger an animal, the more tender the meat is. This is because as an animal becomes older, it's muscle increases which means the muscle fibers increase and the development of connective tissue occurs. The fat content, which is determined by hereditary factors, the diet of the animal and marbling, is also important when it comes to meat tenderness. Marbling is an important characteristic to look for as it comes from fattening the animals before slaughtering occurs. This increases flavor and the tenderness of the meat. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Rigor mortis is what affects the pH of the meat which influences the amount of moisture retained, ideally the pH should be at 5.8. The slaughtering conditions are important as well, because they can alter the pH causing it to be too high or too low. Other problems arise from the meat being frozen, cooked or chilled too quickly. When the meat has had time to age it improves the tenderness, the color, the flavor and juiciness. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">The second factor affecting tenderness is <span style="color: #008080; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">artificial tenderizing. The use of enzymes to tenderize meats, helps breaks down the proteins within the muscle fibrils and often a high temperature is needed to activate the enzymes. Enzymes used include ficin, trypsin, bromelin. The use of salts, aids in moisture retention and also helps to breakdown the outside surface, they also add to the flavoring and color of meat. Acids also help to breakdown the outside surface of the meat. Some examples of acids used include wine (red cooking wine) and lemon juice. Mechanical tenderizing helps to break down the muscle cells and the tough connective tissue. Some mechanical methods include grinding, cubing, needling, and pounding. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif;">A good way to carve a large piece of meat is to cut against the grain, while making thinner slices. These tips assist in making the slice of beef more tender since the long muscle fibers have been cut by the width. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;"> Electrical Stimulation is when an electrical current is passed through the meat, which speeds up rigor mortis and increases tenderness.

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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 120%;">**Methods of Cooking**
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The cooking method that you choose depends on where the meat was located on the animal. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Grilling, broiling, pan frying- rib eye steaks, strip steaks, and T bone <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Roasting- top sirloin, tenderloin, standing rib roasts, top rump roasts <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Stir Frying- flank, top round, and sirloin steak <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Kebabs- tenderloin <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Pot roasting and braising- chuck and rump <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Ground beef- chuck <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Steaks are naturally tender with little collagen and elastin, which means that they cook best using dry heat and short cooking times. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Rump or round roasts have more collagen which means that they need wet heat, and long slower cooking in order to melt the collagen.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dry Heat- **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Grilling, broiling, sauteing, roasting, stir frying
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Moist Heat- **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Stewing, steaming, poaching, slow cooking, pot roasting

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">[|More on how to understand cuts of beef]

Changes to Meat During Heating
As meat is cooked, the tenderness, juiciness and flavor can be either enhanced or destroyed! Care should be taken in how long and at what temperature meat is cooked. When meat is exposed to heat in becomes tender due to the breakdown of it's proteins, fat and connective tissue. As the fat melts during the cooking process, the meat will shrink, become juicy and flavorful. If the meat is exposed too long to high temperatures, it will actually begin to shrink too much and harden, making it tough and dehydrated. Collagen, which is the most abundant protein in the connective tissue of meat, will denature when exposed to heat. It begins to denature at 102 degrees F, and completely collapses at 149 degrees F (Brown, 160). This denaturing of proteins is what causes the meat to dehydrate and shrink.The table listed below details the effects of temperature on the meat components (Brown, 161).

100 degrees F - Proteins begin to unfold 120 degrees F - Proteins coagulate and loose water 140 degrees F - Connective tissues shrink, moisture is lost 150 degrees F - Connective tissues dissolve into a gel 170 degrees F - Proteins are fully coagulated, most moisture is lost

When ordering the wellness of meat from a restaurant, the following terms are a guideline on what temperature the meat has been cooked (Brown, 162).

Rare: 136-140 degrees F - meat appears red in center and pink along edges. Easily loses juices, texture is firm Medium Rare: 145 degrees F - meat appears pinkish brown, still loses juices, texture is firm but tender Medium: 160-167 degrees F - meat appears brown, and has began to shrink, texture is slightly tough Well Done: 172-180 degrees F - meat appears brownish gray, most moisture is lost, texture is tough

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References

E Iglesia. (2009, April 27). Grilling Steak: How To Grill the Perfect Steak [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FlRf0StGiU (2011, April 6). Brown, A. Understanding Food Principles and Preparation. Chp. 7, Meat. CA, 2011. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Picture- [] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">Video- [] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">yummyfoodrecipes.com, avhttp://images.google.com/imgres?q=pictures+of+medium,+rare,+well+done+steaks&hlei=// //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] // //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] // //<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http: //www.barebonzbutchershop.com/images/products/Chuck_Pot_Roast.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.barebonzbutchershop.com/products/Beef.htm&usg=__E2PudLkjajx0F1kLL2i8yHTEcHo=&h=260&w=260&sz=8&hl=en&start=0&sig2=VbBIG2QJBdhRPueLVsIynQ&zoom=1&tbnid=EUC8PWb-6GIi4M:&tbnh=156&tbnw=158&ei=pcmdTc61E4jAgQeVjIXCBA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchuck%2Bpot%2Broast%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D643%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=349&oei=pcmdTc61E4jAgQeVjIXCBA&page=1&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=128&ty=83 <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[] <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 110%;">[]