Food Preparation 2: Meat

CHAPTER 7
Meat

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the chapter, the students are

expected to:

1. Identify terms in meat cookery;

2. Assemble and label the cuts of meat;
3. Prepare and serve meat products.

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Meat Products

Think of meat products that begin with the letters indicated in the box. Write only
one product for every line.

Example: Luncheon meat

S_____________________, S______________________

C_____________________, C______________________

T_____________________, T______________________

H____________________, H______________________

P_____________________, P______________________

M____________________, M______________________

E_____________________, E______________________

O_____________________, O______________________

F_____________________, F______________________

B_____________________, B______________________

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Meat Lover?

1. Do you consider yourself as a meat lover? Why or why not?

2. Which among the list in the previous activity you like best?

3. What characteristics of the meat you love in meat products?

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Meat

Meat is the edible portion of the animal. It is distinguished by its color. The
lighter one is known the white meat while the darker in color is the red meat. The white
meat includes pork, poultry, and fish. Beef, veal, lamb, mutton and carabeef belong to
red meat. The redness of these meat depends on animal’s species, age, and concentration
of myoglobin in the muscle fibers. The meat is redder and darker if myoglobin
concentration is higher. Myoglobin is an oxygen storage protein unit found in animal
muscles. The hemichrome level rises when the meat is cooked. This results in the
conversion of myoglobin (red) to metmyoglobin (brownish-gray).

Meat is made up of bundles of muscle fibers either fine or thick. Fine muscle
fibers are dominant in young animals and in the least used muscles of older animals.
They contain little collagen, hence, tender when cooked. In contrast, longer and moist
cooking is required for thick muscle fibers as these contain more connective tissues.
These creamy white connective tissues hold fibers together in bundles and help prevent
muscle damage especially of older animals.

The connective tissues are made up of two proteins called collagen and elastin.
Collagen, the most abundant protein in animals, is arranged parallel in and around the
muscle fibers. It is generally white in color and does not stretch upon movement. It
disintegrates in hot water. Tendons, join the muscle to the bones of the animals, are
mostly collagen. Elastin, on the other hand, is yellowish in color and more elastic. It
remains tough when cooked. The ligaments, join two bones of the animals together, are
mostly made up of elastin (Meat and Education, 2011).

The individual muscle fiber is made up of cells which contain two contractile
proteins, the thick actin, and thin myosin. Actin and myosin work together to make the
muscle of live animals contract and relax. The muscle fibers of the animal contract after
slaughter. The actin filaments of the muscle fibers slide inwards between the myosin
filaments so shortening the myofibrils. This causes the carcass to be stiff.

The stiffening of the muscles is due to the process of rigor mortis. Figure 9,
illustrates how the pre-rigor stage, rigor mortis stage, and post-rigor stage affect the
tenderness of the meat.

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PRE-RIGOR STAGE RIGOR MORTIS STAGE POST-MORTIS STAGE

• Upon death, adenosine
triphosphate (ATP)
depletes, oxygen is
stopped and anaerobic
glycolysis occurs.
• Fomation of lactic acid
decreases the pH of the
meat
• Its onset occurs within 12 • The muscles gradually
hours after slaughter and tenderize with the aid of
may last for 24 hours enzymes
• As the pH falls, stiff and • The myosin heads are
rigid muscles developed degraded by enzymes,
• Actomyosin (linked allowing contracted
protein of actin and muscles to relax
myosin) is formed, which
muscles unable to relax.

Figure 9. Stages of rigor mortis

The tenderness, juiciness, and flavor of the beef are influenced by carcass’
maturity, firmness, texture, and color of lean, as well as the amount and distribution of
marbling within the lean. Maturity refers to the physiological age of the animal which is
classified as A, B, C, D and E. The lean of the meat becomes darker in color and coarser
in texture (Table 21) as the animal matures (Hale, Goodson, and Savell, 2013).

Table 21

Maturity Classification and Lean Description of Meat

Carcass Maturity Approximate Age Lean Color Lean Texture

A 9 to 30 months Light cherry red Very fine
B 30 to 42 months Light cherry red to Fine
slightly dark red
C 42 to 72 months Moderately light Moderately fine
red to moderately
dark red
D 72 to 96 months Moderately dark Slightly coarse
red to dark red
E older than 92 months Dark red to very Coarse
dark red

Marbling is an important factor in determining the meat’s quality. It is the

intermingling or dispersion of fat between the muscle fibers. The white and solid fats are
ideally well distributed in the lean of the meat. Fats are considered in meat cookery
because as it melts upon cooking, it contributes to tenderness, juiciness, and taste.
Overcooking can yield to a dry meat as it renders out many fats.

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Nutritive Value of Meat

Dr. Elizabeth Boyle (1994) discussed that meat is an excellent source of protein,
B vitamins, iron, and zinc. A three-ounce cooked portion of lean beef containing 195
calories will provide 25 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, over one-third of the daily
requirement for zinc and nearly 15 percent of an individual’s iron needs. The protein of
meat is classified as high-quality protein or complete protein as it contains all the
essential amino acids.

Dietary iron as heme iron accounts for 50 to 60 percent of the iron in beef and
lamb while 30 to 40 percent of that in pork and liver. Other remaining iron is in nonheme
form. As for zinc, it is more readily available from animal sources than vegetable sources
(Boyle, 1994).

Meat is a good source of B vitamins. Vitamin B12 is found in food from animal
sources. This vitamin promotes the proper function of the brain. Gunnars (2016) cited
that there were evidence that link B12 deficiency to Alzheimer’s disease which is the most
common cause of dementia in Western Countries. Being deficient in this vitamin can
result in poor memory, depression, and fatigue. Like other B vitamins, this is water
soluble, thus, dry heat method is most appropriate for meat.

Other nutrients found in meat that greatly affect the brain are creatine, Vitamin
D3, carnosine and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). There were scientific studies which
consistently showed that creatine supplementation can increase muscle mass and
strength. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the Vitamin D found in animals. Carnosine,
created out of two amino acids, is concentrated in muscle tissues of grass-fed and
pastured animals (Gunnars, 2016).

Meat According to Sources

Meat is named according to its animal source. The following are the terms used to
refer to the different types of meat based on sources.

Pork. Meat of pig Horsemeat. Meat of horse

Veal. Meat of young cow (calf) Chevon. Meat of goat

Beef. Meat of older cattle (cow) Squab. Meat of pigeon

Carabeef. Meat of water buffalo (carabao) Chicken. Meat of chicken

Lamb. Meat of young sheep (less than 1 year) Turkey. Meat of turkey

Mutton. Meat of older sheep Venison. Meat of deer

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Meat Cuts

The animals are divided into wholesale cuts in the slaughter houses. These cuts
are further sliced into retail cuts once sold to the consumers. Michigan State University
(2014) presented the wholesale cuts and retail cuts of beef, pork, and lamb. Refer to
Tables 22 to 24.

Table 22

Wholesale and Retail Cuts of Beef

Wholesale Cuts Retail Cuts
Brisket Whole brisket
Chuck Arm pot-roast
Blade roast
Mock tender roast
Petite tender
Flank and short plate Flank steak
Shirt steak
Short ribs
Fore shank Shank cross cut
Soup bones
Rib Ribeye roast
Ribeye steak
Round Bottom round rump roast
Round steak
Tip steak
Short loin Porterhouse steak
T-bone steak
Tenderloin steak (filet mignon)
Sirloin Top sirloin steak
Tri-tip roast
Various (from all wholesale regions) Ground beef

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Table 23

Wholesale and Retail Cuts of Lamb

Wholesale Cuts Retail Cuts
Breast Ribs
Leg Center sliced
Frenched style roast
Leg roast
Sirloin chops
Loin Loin chops
Loin roast
Rack Rib chops
Rib roast
Shoulder Arm chops
Blade chops
Square cut
Various Shank

Table 24

Wholesale and Retail Cuts of Pork

Wholesale Cuts Retail Cuts
Boston butt Blade Boston roast
Blade steak
Ham Pork fresh ham center slice
Smoked ham
Loin Back ribs
Butterfly chops
Center rib roast
Loin chops
Rib chops
Sirloin chops
Tenderloin
Picnic shoulder Arm roast
Smoked picnic
Side Fresh side
Sliced bacon
Various Ground pork
Sausage
Smoked pork hock

Soriano (2010) classified the different meat cuts as to their tenderness. These are
tender cuts, less tender cuts, and tough cuts. She also presented the variety cuts.

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Table 25

Tender Cuts of Meat

Tender Cuts. Tender cuts are the most expensive cut. These are lean meat with less
collagen. These are the parts that have the least used muscles.

Beef
Meat Cuts Description
Loin end Between the rump and the short loin and yields the
sirloin steak, pin bones, wedge bones and flat bones
Short loin The backbone and yields the beef steaks, porterhouse,
T-bone, and club steak
Sirloin Separated in top and bottom sirloin; a first cut sirloin
steak, sometimes called a pin-bone steak because it
includes a section of the hip bone
Tenderloin The most tender cut of beef; extends from the short loin
back into the sirloin
Rib Top part of the center section of rib, specifically the 6th
through the 12th ribs

Pork
Loin Long cut that extends along the backbone

Table 26

Less Tender Cuts of Meat

Less Tender Cuts. Less tender cuts have more connective tissues. These cuts are
recommended for moist heat cooking methods to gelatinize the connective tissues.

Beef
Meat Cuts Description
Round Oval shaped with a small round bone and high
proportion of lean and fat roast cut; consists of the back
leg of the animal
Rump Rear part behind the upper sirloin
Chuck The square-cut shoulder and the top five ribs, the arm,
the blade bones and the neck bones

Pork
Shoulder Contains marbled fat and connective tissues
Boston butt The cut from the upper shoulder, has a compact shape
and is easy to slice
Picnic Lower portion of the shoulder of the animal that has
more bone in proportion to lean meat
Neck bones Rich in flavor but tough

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Table 27

Tough Cuts of Meat

Tough Cuts. These cuts are usually located near or at the limbs of the animals where the
muscles are often used. These contain the highest quantities of connective tissues.

Beef
Meat Cuts Description
Shank Very bony and contains high percentage of cartilage
and connective tissues; the legs of the animal
Flank Lean, tough and high in fat content
Plate Fatty cut and meat are usually ground for comminuted
meat products such as hamburger; Also called the short
plate or long plate depending on where it is separated
from the rib primal above it
Brisket Have layers of lean and fat as well as breast bones;
basically the chest and pectoral muscle of the animal
Neck Rich in flavor but tough

Pork
There are no tough cuts for pork

Table 28

Variety Cuts of Meat

Variety Cuts. The variety cuts include the animal’s internal organs and glands.

Variety Cuts Suggested Recipe

Heart Batchoy, Bopiz, Dinuguan, Egado
Liver Liver spread, Batchoy, Bopiz, Dinuguan,
Adobo, Egado
Kidney Batchoy, Bopiz, Egado, Dinuguan
Lungs Egado, Bopiz, Dinuguan
Pancreas Egado, Bopiz, Dinuguan
Small Intestines Adobo, Kilawin, Dinuguan
Uterus Dinuguan, Bopiz
Tongue Pastel de lengua, Gisado
Tripe Menudo, Goto, Callos, Kilawin
Skin Chicharon
Blood Dinuguan, Bopiz
Esophagus Egado, Bopiz
Omentum Bopiz, Dinuguan, Goto

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Market Forms of Meat

Fresh. Fresh meat is the meat sold immediately after slaughter. It is commonly
the market form of meat in the wet market. It did not pass any processing treatment,
freezing nor chilling.

Chilled. The meat is stored above freezing temperature within 24 hours after
slaughter.

Frozen. The meat cuts are subjected to cold temperature and attain an internal
temperature of 4 oC or less.

Cured. The meat products were treated with curing agents such as salt, sugar,
spices and nitrates/nitrites.

Canned. The meat has undergone thermal processing and placed in hermetically
sealed containers.

Dried. These are the dehydrated forms of meat.

Cooking and Storage of Meat

Cooking. The following are some steps to achieve good quality cooked meat.

• Thaw frozen meat by placing it in the lower compartment of the refrigerator

hours before it will be cooked. Never soak meat in water for thawing because
this will encourage microbial activities and draw out the meat juice which will
make it taste less meaty.
• Do not subject meat to high heat. High temperature can cause the meat
especially the connective tissues to shrink, thus longer cooking may have no
effect on making it more tender.
• Use of pressure cooker can reduce the cooking time of meat. However, this
method reduces the color and flavor of meat as compared to ordinary cooking.
Nevertheless, these qualities can be achieved by the use of spices, sauces, and
vegetables (Soriano, 2010).
• Cook the center portion of the meat to its ideal cooking temperature until it is
done. Kotchevar (as cited by Soriano, 2010) presented the different degrees
of doneness of meat.
o Very rare. Only a thin portion around the edge of the meat is fully
cooked. The meat is red and bloody juices ooze out. Under finger
pressure, the meat feels soft and jelly-like inside.

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o Rare. The raw, red portion of the meat is small and around it is
pink. The brown outer surface is good brown in color. The meat
has a full, plump appearance and gives in to pressure. The meat
juices are red but not bloody.
o Medium rare. The interior portion of the meat is rich pink and
exudes juice of the same color. The meat is still plump and firm.
The amount of gray outer surface has increased.
o Medium well. The pink color has completely disappeared. Juiciness
is still evident. The juices are clear or gray, not pink. There is no
plumpness. The meat is firm to touch.
o Well. The meat is completely gray inside, hard, flinty and
shrunken. Little or no juice appears on its brown and dry surface.

Storage. Buy fresh meat from reliable sources. Then pack the meat according to
the cooking quantity. Do not put three kilograms of meat in one container if each cooking
preparation, only one kilogram is needed. Instead, have three packages with one kilogram
of meat for each container. If possible, label the container indicating the date it was
stored. Use first in, first out (FIFO) principle. For food safety, do not refreeze previously
thawed meat.

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Activity A

Identification. Write the correct term referred by each item. Write your answer on
the space provided before each number.

__________________1. This wholesale cut is divided into arm roast and smoked picnic

__________________2. Aside from the shank cross cut, this cut is also obtained from the
fore shank

__________________3. The type of Vitamin D found in food from animal sources

__________________4. The full phrase for the acronym DHA

__________________5. The classification of meat cuts from the least used muscles of
the animals

__________________6. The intermingling of fat in the muscle fibers of meat

__________________7. The term that refers to the degree of doneness of meat which is
characterized by full, plump appearance of meat that gives in to
pressure and the juices are red but not bloody

__________________8. The tough cut beef that has layers of lean and fat as well as
breast bones

__________________9. The meat from older sheep

_________________10. The approximate age range of carcass classified as B

_________________11. The trend in texture as the animal matures

_________________12. The type of protein present in meat

_________________13. These cuts include the animal’s internal organs and glands

_________________14. Tough cuts for pork

_________________15. Meat of goat

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Activity B

Cut the figures presented on the boxes on the succeeding pages. Then on the
designated parts of the activity sheets, arrange the puzzles of the different wholesale meat
cuts in order to form the animal. Then label the different wholesale cuts.

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Wholesale Cuts of Beef

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Wholesale Cuts of Pork

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Wholesale Cuts of Lamb

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Activity C

Family Favorites

1. Interview five family members.

2. Ask them their top five meat viands.

3. Summarize the results using the table below.

Meat Viand Frequency of Rank

Family Members
who Liked It

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Cooking for the Family

1. Choose one among the top five family meat favorites.

2. Cook and present the dish.

3. You may modify the recipes based on availability of ingredients, materials,

tools and equipment.

4. Document your preparation and output properly (video or pictures).

5. Then submit your write up with the following format:

a. Name of recipe
b. Description of the recipe
c. Ingredients
d. Procedure
e. Cost per serving
f. Accomplished evaluation form

Parameter Self-assessment Evaluator’s Assessment

Visual Output
(video/picture
presentation)
Planning and Attitude

Work habits

Appearance

Aroma

Texture

Flavor/Taste

TOTAL

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Evaluation Rubric for Meat Dish

Parameter 4 3 2 1

Visual Output Well organized Moderately Slightly organized Not organized

(video/picture organized
presentation)
Planning and Well planned and Adequate planning; Insufficient No planning; No
Attitude organized; Organization was planning; Needed organization
Positive attitude evident but lacks frequent evident;
without prompting motivation to prompting; Less unmotivated to
prepare without positive attitude prepare
prompting
Work habits Correctly used all Incorrectly used Incorrectly used Did not use proper
tools/ equipment; few tools/ many tools/ tools/equipment;
Excellent attention equipment; equipment; Work station and
to work space and Mostly cleaned Moderately personal sanitation
personal sanitation work space and cleaned work completely
(few if any needed occasional space and needed disregarded.
reminder was reminders for many reminders
needed to personal sanitation for personal
maintain) sanitation

Appearance The product is The product is The product is The product is not
very visually visually appealing slightly appealing visually appealing
appealing

Aroma The output had The output had The aroma was The aroma was not
great aroma and good aroma and weak and could distinct and could
was easily could be enjoyed still be smelled not be identified
identifiable for the but not as easily but not identified
recipe identified

Texture The meat has a The meat has a The meat has a The meat has a
good appropriate satisfactory weak texture; poor texture;
texture; not appropriate texture; slightly underdone or
underdone nor not underdone nor underdone nor overcooked
overcooked overcooked overcooked

Flavor/Taste The output had The output had The output had The output had
high quality good quality acceptable quality poor quality flavors
flavors and flavors and flavors and and no pleasing
pleasing blend of pleasing blend of slightly pleasing blend of taste of
taste of taste of ingredients blend of taste of ingredients
ingredients ingredients

Modified from: https://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=LXWXABX&sp=yes&

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