NUTR 119 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Brisket, T-Bone Steak, Barding
Lesson 18 - Meats and Game and Cooking Meats and Game
Be familiar with meat classifications (i.e. Steers, bulls, veal, lamb and mutton)
o Steers: Male; castrated while young so they will gain weight gain weight quickly
o Bulls: Male; uncastrated. Used for breeding and then their tough meat is used for
processed food
o Veal: Meat from young calves, male or female, 3 weeks to 3 months old. Fed a
milk based or formula diet, meat has an exceptionally milky flavor, pale color,
and tender texture
o Lamb: comes from sheep less than 14 months old
o Mutton: comes from sheep greater than 14 months old
What % of muscle tissue is water? What impact does this have on cooking meat?
o 75%
o Shrinkage can be a big problem when cooking
o Excessive moisture loss Meat, poultry, and fish are excellent sources of what?
o Complete protein
What impact does the composition of muscle have on meat texture?
o Fine grain: small fibers bound in small bundles
o Coarse texture: large fibers
o Lean meat: long, thin muscle fibers
What is collagen? What is elastin?
o Collagen: pearly white, tough and fibrous – coats muscle fiber bundle and
provides support Higher in older animals and exercised muscle Long, slow, moist cooking
turns collagen into gelatin and water
o Elastin: yellow, higher in older animals – includes tendons, blood vessels and
cannot be broken down in cooking
Can only be made more tender by mechanical tenderizing or removal
before cooking
London broil slice against the grain
What is the difference between surface fat and intramuscular fat?
o Surface fat: on the outside of meat – retains moisture of meat
o Intramuscular fat: fat within the muscle tissue (“marbling”), amount varies by cut More fat =
more tender = higher price What factors affect myoglobin concentration in meat?
o Heavily exercised muscle
o Age
o Species differences What are the grades meat and which is most widely used in food service
and retail?
o Prime: most marbling, highest price and quality
o Choice: intermediate fat content – widely used in food service and retail
o Select: low fat, lean, not as tender – institutional food service operations and
retail
o Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter or Canner: lower quality, aged – food
processing
Be familiar with the different cuts of meat (Primal vs. Retail).
o Primal (wholesale): large cuts, divided into 5-7 cuts and wholesale cuts are
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
