Meat theory Flashcards
What is meat?
It is essentially everything that is edible on an animal (includes musle meats)
How is the texture , and flavor of meat determined
- Genetics
- What the animal consumes
- activity level
- the slaughtering method
- The part of the animal that the meat provided came from
- How it was aged
- How it was stored
- And the method of cooking and seasoning
What diet are most food animals fed
a diet of grain
What is glycogen
It is a starch found in a animals muscle fiber. This starch gives the animal an enormous heap of energy when they feel threatened
What is dark cutting meat, and how does it happen?
Dark cutting meat is the meat of the animal that is overall definitively more dart, tough, dark coloured and it is easily spoiled. Dark colored meat occurs when the animal feels completely threatened and uses up all of it’s glycogen
What part of the meat do the tough cuts come from
Areas: Shoulders, thighs, chest legs
- overall the places that get the most exercise
Where do the most tender cuts of meat come from
The tender cuts of meat generally come from the muscle groups that get the least amount of exercise like: Back, ribs, hip loin
Parts of the animal
- Round
- Sirloin
- short loin
- Rib
- Chuck
- Brisket
- Plate
What are the advantages of grass-fed meat?
An advantage is that when given grass-fed meat, it is leaner and lower in calories compared to the other meats. Since the meat is grass fed, it will have a more organic flavour, and the flavour will be better. It also is more Grass meat is quality driven mainstream
- What determines a “high quality” grade for meat? (primarily beef)
The amount of marbling, the webbing of the fat deep within the lean muscle of well-fed animals is the primary feature that determines a high quality grade
Tenderness and Toughness of the meat determine how you cook it. What are
the ways you cook tender cuts versus tough cuts of meat (there are 3 for each)?
Tender, lean meats with less connective tissue don’t need as much moist-heat cooking, they are best cooked with dry-heat cooking methods that are fairly quick, such as grilling, broiling, and frying. Tough meats are best cooked by slower moist-heat methods such as stewing, braising, and barbecuing.
What are 2 ways of tenderizing meat before you cook it? Briefly describe how each method works.
The two ways of tenderizing meat are grinding, and pounding. Grinding cysts the muscle fibers, and the connective tissues so the meat has the flavor of a well-exercised muscle with none of its toughness, whereas pounding makes the meat more tender, and it makes the meat more thin.
What is the most important component of connective tissue for cooks? Why?
The most important component of connective tissue for cooks is collagen, which constitutes a little over 30% of the protein in animals and concentrates in the skin, tendons, and bones that accompany the muscles. When meat is heated with water, collagen denatures into gelatin, a substance that gives meats, especially slow-cooked pot roasts and barbecued meats, a rich, unctuous texture.
Generally, what happens as meat cooks
it becomes increasingly firm and dry, and protein in the muscle fibers coagulates and toughens.
Why should you let me rest after cooking?
Letting your meat rest after you cook it has it’s benefits because when it’s finally ready to serve, the cut is juicer.
