23552242.doc23552242.doc
Beef and veal
Mankind has been raising cattle, and cooking beef and veal, for centuries. All of today’s commercially reared cattle are descended from the wild ox, firstdomesticated some 8000 years ago in the areas that are now Macedonia andTurkey. Today, there are hundreds of breeds and innumerable crossbreeds. InNorth America, Australia and Argentina, most beef is produced from large, range-fed herds of good beef breeds, raised exclusively for butchering. But in Europeancountries, where most farms are relatively small, beef productions are usuallycombined with dairy production. Beef can be defined as the meat obtained from the cattle. More than any other meat, the quality of beef varies with age, breed and feeding. Most beef comesfrom steers fattened for the table. Typically they are 18 months old with carcassweight of 225-270 kg, of which 30% is fat and 16% bone . Some Europeanbreeds are raised exclusively for meat, but most are cross-bred to produce bothmilk and beef, in Europe, beef from heifers and older cows and bulls is also sold,although it is inferior to that of the steer.
Classification of beef
MaleFemale
Bull – maleHeifer calf – unmatured femaleBull calf – veuHeifer – female which has not givenbirthSteer calf – castrated youngCow – female which has given birthSteer – castrated adultBreeds affect both the size of the carcass and the meat itself, whether fat or lean,close-grained or coarse. Some of the best beef is marketed according to breed:
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