meat

Question 1

what is meat

Answer 1

• meat is the edible flesh from domesticated animals

- meat is usually eaten for the protein

Question 2

what is the structure of meat

what types of protein foes the meat contain

Answer 2

• meat is made up by muscles, connective tissues, bone and fats
  👍🏻- muscle contain 2 types of protein (actin and myosin)
• these protein are bound together by connective tissues.

Question 3

what types of connective tissues👍🏻

Answer 3

2 types of connective tissues (collagen and elastin)

collagen-
insoluble in water
converted into soluble gelatine when heated with water

elastin-
insoluble in water
cannot be changed by cooking
very tough and elastic
can be broken down my mechanical methods during food prep

Question 4

what type of fats are usually found in meat?

Answer 4

mainly saturated fats

Question 5

the amount of fats in the meat depends on? (4factors)👍🏻

Answer 5

the age of the animal- connective tissues
the meat of your animal are usually more tender as they have less connective tissues

the cut of the meat- exercise
the part of the animal that is more exercised will be tougher than the muscles of the less exercised. hence the tough meat is cheaper than the cheaper meat.

the diet of the animal- flavour
castles that were fed with grains produces meat that is more flavoured and tender compared to cattle that were fed with hay or grass

breed of the animal- marbling fats
Angus cattle produces meat with more marbling fats making the meat more tender. such meat is very sought after thus making it more expensive.

Question 6

what are fats within the muscle called?👍🏻

Answer 6

marbling fats

Question 7

function of fats

Answer 7

contribute to the overall flavour and juiciness of the meat

Question 8

nutritional value of meat (protein, fats, b-group vitamins, minerals)

Answer 8

protein- 20%-30%
fats- saturated fats 10%-20%
b-group vitamins- b1, b2, b3, b6 and folic acid
minerals- phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc, sulphur

Question 9

non nutrients found in meat

Answer 9

contain 60%-70% water and cholesterol

Question 10

how do we choose meat? (6factors)

Answer 10

have a good colour👍🏻

• fresh beef is bright red colour
• pork is pink colour
• mutton is duller red colour
• veal is pinkish beige

smell fresh and not unpleasant

feels moist but not wet

👍🏻grains in tender meat should be fine and even . coarse grains tend to be be tough. beef with short muscle fibres and marbling fats tend to be tender

lean meats should not have any visible fats or bones

the colour of the fats will determine the quality of the meat
fresh beef is creamy 
mutton is white
pork is white, smooth, oily
veal is pinkish

Question 11

how do we prepare meat for cooking

Answer 11

slicing👍🏻
must be sliced against the grain to shorten the muscle fibres (important when the meat is to be cooked quickly by frying)
-> will make the meat easier to chew

tenderising method👍🏻
tough meat can be made tender by 
1. Mechanical method 
- pound the meat with a meat pounder
- scoring it with a knife
-> break down the muscle fibres, making it easier to chew 

2. marinating with acid
   marinate meat with acids like vinegar, or lemon juice.
   -> break down the muscle fibres
   -> impart flavours into the meat
   cannot marinate for too long as can cause the meat to be mushy
3. using tenderisers
   ->enzymes (for eg. papain) present int he tenderisers will break down the protein in the connective tissues of meat.
   adding too much tenderiser will cause the connective tissues and muscle fibres to be broken down too much, giving a mushy texture.

Question 12

why do we cook meat

Answer 12

make the meat more digestible, improve its flavour and make it safe to eat

Question 13

how do we cook meat👍🏻

Answer 13

dry-heat cooking (roasting, grilling, baking)

• > usually used for tender cuts of meat
  1. protein in the meat will coagulate, causing rh meat to shrink
  2. loss of water in the meat will cause the extractives to be more concentrated, giving more flavours to the meat
  3. fats melt and the colour of the meat changes from brown to darker brown
  4. brown crust is formed on the surface of the meat, contributing to the flavour

moist-heat cooking (stewing, steaming, braising)

• > usually used for tougher cuts of meat
  1. water insoluble collagen in the meat is converted into gelatine, making the meat more tender
  2. water soluble nutrients and minerals will dissolve in the cooking liquid
  3. the meat will taste bland but the cooking liquid will tasty and nutritious
  4. elastin, which is insoluble in water, does not change during cooking