Unit 10 Meat and Poultry Identification These are

Unit 10: Meat and Poultry Identification These are some of the costliest items on the menu, but most profitable; care in handling is of the utmost importance American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Inspection • All meats sold to the public must be inspected • Inspection is mandatory • Occurs at various times—on the farm, plant slaughterhouse, processing area • Done by federal inspectors • Paid for by taxpayers • Inspectors ensure that: – Animals are free from disease – Farms are operated in accordance with appropriate standards for safety, cleanliness, and health – Meat is wholesome and fit for human consumption American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grading • Grading is voluntary • Done by USDA using specific standards of quality • Meat packer absorbs the cost of grading and will pass it on to consumers • Packer may choose to do the grading, and this is called “no-rolls” • In-house grades must meet or exceed the USDA standards American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grading Guidelines • • Overall carcass shape Ratio of fat to lean Ratio of meat to bone Color Marbling (beef only) Grade will be applied to all cuts Yield grades, another type of grading, measure edible meat yield, known by butchers as “cutability” American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Receiving • Very perishable • Check temperature of meat upon receipt • Insert a thermometer between packages without puncturing the packaging • Should be received at 41°F (5°C) • Check for temperature and cleanliness of truck • Check for leaking cryovac or bloody boxes • Check for discoloration American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Storage • Refrigerate immediately • Store at or below 41°F (5°C) • Place on trays to prevent dripping onto other foods, place meat on lower shelves • Keep different meats separated • Store vacuum-packed meats right in their boxes • Once unwrapped, store in air-permeable paper • Cook meats with short shelf lives first • Do not over stock American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Market Forms of Meat • • • Carcass is cut to manageable pieces Sides, quarters, saddles Next, cut to primal cuts Next, to subprimals Next, to retail cuts for hotels and restaurants Many restaurants and hotels will cut subprimals to retail cuts • Portions or portion control cuts are also known as retail cuts American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Beef • Flavor and color is influenced by several factors: – – Amount of exercise the muscle gets Type of feed Breed, age, gender, amount of aging Where on the carcass the muscle is located • More-exercised muscles on a beef carcass are best suited for slower or moist-cooking methods • Less-exercised muscles are suitable for grilling, broiling, roasting American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grades • USDA grades start with the best being Prime (high-end restaurants) • Then Choice (foodservice industry) • Select (retail markets mostly) • Standard (processed products) • Commercial • Utility • Cutter • Canner American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Primal Cuts • Round primal cuts are most suitable for braising or roasting (most-exercised muscles) • Loin primal cuts are most suitable for fast, drycooking methods as they are less exercised than the other muscles on the carcass • Chuck primals are most exercised and are great for moist methods, grinding, stewing, marinating • Variety meats or offal cuts, such as liver, tongue, kidneys, oxtail, intestines, heart, and lungs are used in specialty applications such as sausages, puddings, ethnic dishes American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Veal • • Comes from calf about 12 weeks old Calf has only eaten milk or formula Meat is pinkish gray Split in half after slaughter Comes in foresaddle, hindsaddle Primal cuts are shoulder, shank, loin, and leg Grades are Prime, Choice, Good, Standard, Utility, and Cull American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Primal Cuts of Veal • Leg yields the shank, heel, rounds, knuckle, eye, butt tenderloin; suitable for most dry methods of cooking, except for the shank • The loin yields the tenderloin, veal loin, strip loin, suitable for dry methods of cooking • The hotel rack yields the split rack, chop ready rack, Frenched veal wrack; suitable for dry methods of cooking • The square cut shoulder yields the cut shoulder and the clod; suitable for moist methods of cooking or grinding American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Variety Cuts of Veal • Very highly prized and versatile – Braised cheeks – Poached tongue – Sweet breads – Calve’s liver – Heart and kidneys – Brains – Feet (used for head cheese) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Pork • • • Meat of domesticated pig Among most popular meats sold in the U. S. Slaughtered at 12 months Cuts are slightly different; split in two halves Loin is cut longer Primal cuts include leg or ham, shoulder butt, and the loin • Subprimal are spareribs, bacon, jowls, and clearplate and fatback American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grades • USDA starts at 1, being the best, 2, 3, 4 and Utility grades • Ham primal cuts include hock, bone-in or boneless ham • Loin cuts are tenderloin, center cut pork loin, boneless loin, baby back ribs; used mostly for dry-heat methods • The Boston butt primal includes the Boston butt bone-in and the cottage butt; used for roasting, sautéing, stewing • Picnic primal cuts are bone-in or bone-out, and used for braising and stewing • Additional cuts are bacon, jowl (used mostly as a flavor enhancer), salt pork, spareribs, and fatback • Offal cuts from the pig include neck bones, liver, heart, intestines, kidneys, caul fat American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Lamb and Mutton • Lamb is tender, young domestic sheep • Mutton is older, stronger, and not as tender • Texture of milk-fed lamb is delicate in color and flavor; grass-fed lamb has more pronounced flavor • Highly prized at Easter by many ethnic groups • Most lamb is finished on a grain diet, butchered at 6– 7 months • Lamb over 16 months is sold as mutton • Cut into fore- and hindsaddle, then broken into sides, racks, legs, shoulders, loins, shanks American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grades of Lamb • Prime, Choice, Good, Utility, and Cull • Legs, same as veal, used for dry and moist methods, mostly all tender due to size and age, shank and heel are usually braised • Loin, trimmed and split, boneless loin and tenderloin, like most four-legged animals, very tender and suitable for quick, dry methods • Hotel rack comes split with chine removed • Shoulder includes the neck, foreshank, and square cut chuck (boneless) • Variety meats include the tongue, liver, heart, kidneys, and intestines (great for small sausages) American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Venison and Furred Game • Commercially raised for restaurants • Dark, very lean meat, often needs to be barded or larded • Flavor, color, and texture is a direct result of age, diet, season • Venison is the term for large game animals: moose, deer, elk, reindeer • Bison and boar are also very popular, boar having a tendency to be tough • Same general rules apply to these animal • Most-used muscles need to be cooked by moist methods, more tender muscles cooked by dryer methods • Rabbit is becoming very popular as it is lean and tender • Sizes range from 2 ½ pounds to hares of up to 12 pounds American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Trimming/Fabricating • For roasting, leave a little fat for self-basting • Remove all silverskin, gristle, and connective tissue • For shaping medallions, use cheesecloth, wrap tightly or twist and tighten; press with the heel of your hand firmly and shape • For cutlets, slice across the grain, place the meat between wax paper or clear wrap, place on a dense surface and slightly pound with a mallet, cleaver, or heavy, small skillet • Different meats need more or less pressure when pounding American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Cubing and Mincing • Used for tougher meats for stewing and grinding • Remove surface fat and connective tissue • Cut along seams • Cut into even sizes and shapes • Store in clean containers, covered until use • These cuts are great to marinate American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Mincing • Trim tender cuts as you have already seen • Slice into thin slivers or slices, always across the meat fibers • Hold in clean containers for service, not too deep as this will promote purging of moisture American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Tying a Roast (Trussing) • Secure knots that slide (half-hitch knot works well) • You can use one piece or cut and tie each piece • This takes a little practice but the tying promotes even cooking, uniform shape, retention of moisture, easy slicing, and better eye appeal • Be sure to trim away unneeded fat and all connective tissue • You can wrap flavored sliced fat under the skin American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Grinding Meats • Most establishments buy bulk ground meat, but many places making forcemeats would rather grind their own • This calls for special attention to sanitation • All tools should be clean, sanitized, and well chilled • Blades must be sharp • Meat must be well trimmed, cut to the size that eliminates forcing through the grinder head • Start with a large die and progress to the smallest or to the desired size • Sometimes diced meat can be partially frozen for the best results American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Poultry • Refers to any domestic bird used for human consumption • Chicken is the most popular • Poultry must undergo mandatory inspection • Must be chilled to 26°F (– 3°C) during processing • Grades are A, B, C, A being mostly used in the foodservice industry American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Choosing Quality • Poultry should have plump breasts and meaty thighs • Skin intact with no punctures or tears • Always purchased from reputable purveyors • Kept chilled to below 32°F (0°C) during storage • Placed on drip pans on the lowest shelves, preferably close to a drain • Age, size, and fat content determine the cooking method American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Ratites • Ostrich, emus, and rhea are flightless birds known as ratites • The meat is sold as steaks, fillets, medallions, roasts, and ground meat • Most of the meat comes from the fan (leg and thigh area) • There is little meat on the front of the bird as it has no need of a large breast muscle, only a covering American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.

Poultry Fabrication • Most trim is useable for stocks • Most poultry is trimmed similarly • Wing tips removed, fat pulled off, disjointed at the pelvic bone, leg and thigh separated, breast split • Trussing promotes a smooth, compact shape, even cooking, and moisture retention • Many poultry items come boneless, probably the most popular is the breast • Can be ordered boneless, skinless • Younger poultry splits and cuts easily as the bones are still very cartilaginous • Disjointing is easy in most birds as a knife is passed between the joints and the muscles separated American Culinary Federation: Culinary Fundamentals. © 2006, Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458. All Rights Reserved.