Food Service Occupations II

2015

Meats:Beef, Veal, Pork and Lamb

5 classes of beefSteers: castrated male calf; high quality

beef and high yield.Heifer: young female that has not birthed a

calf; high quality beef but lower yield than steers

Cow: female that has birthed at least one calf; poor quality and yield

Stag: Male that is castrated after it is sexually mature; poor quality and not normally used in a commercial kitchen.

Bull: sexually mature and uncastrated; meat is never used in the commercial kitchen

Beef Preparation

Classes of beef continuedSteers, Heifers and sometimes Stags are used

mainly for their beef.Cows are used to birth new calves.Bulls are used to impregnate the cows, so that

they may birth a calf. Beef is the most popular of all edible meats,

as more beef is consumed in the US than any other meat.

Grading provides standards that meat can be rated by.

This is done by the Federal GovernmentMeat is then stamped to indicate it has been

inspected and gradedGrades:

PrimeChoiceSelect (good)StandardCommercialUtilityCutter and canner

Grading

“BEST”

“WORST”

Side or quarter: Half or quarter of whole carcass

Wholesale: Round, rump, sirloin, flank, short loin, short plate, rib, brisket, shank, square cut chuck

Primal: Rib, chuck or shoulder clod, brisket, shank and short plate or navel

Fabricated: Ready to cook, cut for food service use

Retail Cuts: What you find in the super market

Market Forms

Other edible parts of the beef besides the wholesale/primal cuts.LiverTongueTripe: muscular inner lining of stomachSweetbreads: thymus glands BrainsHeartOxtail: tail of animalKidney

Variety Meats (Beef)

Aging: meat held for a period of time under controlled conditions for the purpose of tenderizing and developing a more pronounced flavor.

Dry aging: produces the best results for aging, elements monitored very closely

Grass fed vs. Grain feed: exactly what it sounds like! The animal was either feed with mostly grass or mostly grain.

“Green” meat: meat from a just slaughtered animal, before it is hung to relax or soften

Beef Terms

Veal is the meat of young, milk-fed beef calves.

Little fat and high moistureGraded by yield and quality

PrimeChoiceGoodCommercialUtilityCull

Veal Preparation

“BEST”

“WORST”

Whole: Entire carcass, with the head, hide and entrails removed

Side or quarter: Half or quarter of whole carcass

Wholesale: Leg (round), Loin, breast, rack, shoulder, shank

Primal: Same as wholesaleFabricated: Ready to cook, cut for food

service useRetail Cuts: What you find in the super

market

Veal Market Forms

Pork is normally from a hog that is less than a year old

The best pork comes from hogs that are 6-8 months old

Pork is the second most consumed meatPork is often cured (bacon, sausages, etc…)

Pork Preparation

Based on quality and yieldU.S. 1: male hogs castrated when young and

immature female hogsU.S. 2: young sows (females)U.S. 3: old sows (females)

Pork Grading

Pork is commonly marketed as cuts rather than by quarter, side or carcass, since these cuts have many extra cuts that are not desirable for the commercial kitchen

1/3 of pork is marketed as fresh2/3 of pork is marketed as cured or smokedWholesale cuts: Loin, Ham, Bacon, Back

ribs, Spareribs, Boston butt, picnic, jowls, feet, hock, back fat, variety

Pork Market Forms

Canadian bacon: smoked loin of pork (not cured)

Head cheese: jellied, spiced, pressed meat from the hogs head, in a sausage casing

Suckling pig: baby pig, sold wholeCuring: salting of an item to preserve the

meatSmoking: low temperature cooking in a

smoker with wood

Pork Terminology

Lamb comes from immature sheep (about 1 year old), both male and female.

Mutton comes from sheet at least 20 months (almost 2 years) old

3 types:Genuine spring lamb: April to July, considered

bestSpring lamb: Fall to Winter,Yearling lamb: 12-20 months old (too young for

mutton, too old for lamb)

Lamb Preparation

Same as beefGrading provides standards that meat can be

rated by. This is done by the Federal GovernmentMeat is then stamped to indicate it has been

inspected and gradedGrades:

PrimeChoiceSelect (good)StandardCommercialUtilityCutter and canner

Lamb Grading

“BEST”

“WORST”

Carcass: Entire carcass, with the head, hide and entrails removed

Saddle: cut between the ribs, instead of down the spine

Wholesale/primal: Leg, loin, rack, breast, shank, shoulder

Fabricated: Ready to cook, cut for food service use

Lamb Commercial Cuts

Frenched: meat and fat removed from the end of the rib bones

Crown roast: made from a rib rack, where the ends are Frenched. Then the rack is formed into a circle that looks like a crown

Lamb Terminology

Marinating meats serves two purposes:Flavoring meatTenderizing meat

We often marinate to add flavor to a meat that lacks flavor (such as pork, which has a very mild flavor)

We also use marinades to slightly break down meat in order to tenderize it. This makes the meat easier to chew and digest

Marinating

In general, most meats are cooked, although there are a few preparations where the meat is kept raw

How a piece of meat is cooked is normally based on how tender or tough it is, and what kind of flavor you wish to achieve.

Tough meats need to be cooked low and slow, with a low temperature and a long period of time. This helps to break down the tissues and tenderize the meat. Also cooking in a liquid helps to tenderize meat.

Tender meats can be cooked high and fast, with a higher temperature and a shorter period of time. Since the meat is already tender, you can get a better flavor with a higher heat.

Cooking Meats

A piece of filet mignon is very tender, so you would use a high temperature, such as broiling or grilling.

A piece of brisket is very tough, so you should use a low temperature, liquid and a long cooking time, such as braising (sauté for color, then put in pan with liquid, cover and put in oven for a longer period of time).

A beef roast is very tough, so we often cook this piece in a slow cooker, along with some kind of liquid.

Examples of Cooking Meats