HE 2400_Principles of Food Preparation

MEAT AND POULTRY PROCESSING

TOPIC 1: KINDS OF MEAT AND POULTRY FOR PROCESSING
MEAT
Meat is used to describe animal that are eaten as food. The internal organs of a
butchered animal are called offal. Meat is considered as perishable food.
Meat is made up of muscle fibers connected with tissue and fats. It has a protein
and water content (15- 20 % of protein and 50-70 % of water). Aside from it, it is a good
source of vitamin B and trace amount of iron.
The moist surface of meat is prone to contamination so that it can be stored
carefully. Meat should also need to inspect by an authorized inspector or veterinarian to
provide safe and wholesome meat for human consumption.

Different Kinds of Meat

Animal Classification
Pig and Hog Pork
Young cattle or calves Veal
Adult cow Beef
Deer Venison
Carabao Carabeef
Goat Chevon
Young sheep Lamb (tender with mild flavor)
Adult sheep Mutton (more intense flavor)
Horse Horsemeat
Rabbit Lapan

Market Forms of Meat

• Fresh meat is a form of meat after
slaughter that has not undergone
chilling. It is usually sold in public
markets.

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• Chilled meat has been kept cold

above freezing point within 24 hours
after slaughter for it to be sold in
supermarkets and meat shops.

• Frozen meat is a meat stored in

freezer. It is sold in this appearance
and hard as stone.

• Cured or processed meat is a

meat product that have been
preserved by smoking or salting,
curing or adding chemical
preservatives. They include
deli meats, bacon and hot dogs.

Characteristics of the Different Types of Meat Cuts

• Tender cuts- taken from animal parts that have less muscle activity and are
plump, like sirloin and tenderloin. It can be cooked by dry heat methods such as
roasting and broiling.
• Less tender cuts- cuts that come from the muscle parts most used as by the
animal like hocks, chuck and flank. It is cooked slowly using moist heat methods
such as stewing or braising.
• Tough cuts- cuts that necessitate longer cooking like bulalo.

Pork and Beef Cuts

Pork is a very popular meat type in the world today and learning more about pork
parts and the type of cuts available will help you navigate the world of wholesale pork.
There are the 4 main essential cuts of pork that make up the wholesale pork market and

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from which retail cuts of meat are produced. These are the shoulder, the loin, the leg,
and the side or belly of the pig.
From these essential cuts, more popular retails cuts originate.

Head
This can be used to make brawn,
stocks and soups. After boiling, the ears
can be fried or baked and eaten
separately.
Hocks
The hock or knuckle is the joint
between the tibia/fibula of the leg and the
metatarsals of the foot. The pork hocks
come from the front; the ham hocks come
from the rear legs.
Leg or Ham
The leg or ham is the rear leg of the
pig and is typically eaten cured, smoked, and processed in some way.
Picnic Ham
The picnic ham (sometimes referred to as the picnic shoulder) is the lower part of
shoulder of the pig and is typically sold bone-in.
Pork Belly
The pork belly is as the name implies, the belly of the pig. Bacon is pork belly, it
can be cured, smoked, and sliced.
Spareribs
These come from the picnic ham which is the lower portion of the pig specifically
the belly and breastbone. They start behind the shoulder and include 11 to 13 long bones.
Country-style spareribs contain a combination of both dark and light meat.
Pork Shoulder

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Pork shoulder (also called pork butt) is the cut of pork that comes from the upper
part of the shoulder from the front leg and may contain the blade bone. Boneless pork
shoulder is popular as a roast. The pork shoulder or pork butt is the most common cut
used for pulled pork, a staple of barbecue in the southern United States.
Chop
Thick or thin, bone-in or bone-less, the pork chop is cut from meat perpendicular
to the spine, often from the loin.
Loin
The pork loin comes from the pig’s back and is typically large, lean, and very
tender.
Sirloin
To the rear of the loin is the section of the back that the sirloin is cut from. This
meat is typically cut into chops and it is lean and tender.
Baby Back Ribs
The most tender rib option is the baby back rib. Since these ribs come from the
pork loin, the meat in between the bones is a loin meat rather than belly meat.

Beef
Beef is first divided into primal or essential cuts. These are basic sections from
which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. The following is a list of the primal cuts,
ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes
considered as one section.

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Chuck
It is one of the most common sources for hamburger. Chuck is a heavily exercised
area. However, this area contains a great deal of connective tissue, including collagen.
Collagen melts during cooking, making the meat intensely flavorful. Cuts from this area
will benefit from slow, wet cooking methods like stewing, braising or pot-roasting.
Rib Section
• Rib Eye Roasts
• Rib Eye Steaks
Short Loin Section
It is the most tender, and the most expensive. It can be prepared without the aid
of moist heat or long cooking times. Cuts from the short loin may be sautéed, pan fried,
broiled, pan broiled or grilled.
• Porterhouse Steak - very popular steak cut from the rear end of the short loin;
the name originated from the days when it was served in public Ale Houses that
also served a dark beer called porter. The porterhouse consists of both tenderloin
and strip steak. The tenderloin is often served separately as filet mignon.
• T-bone Steak - cut from the middle section of the short loin; similar to the
porterhouse steak; has a smaller piece of the tenderloin; usually grilled or pan-
fried.
• Tenderloin - this is often considered the most tender cut of beef. It can be cut
as the whole strip of meat, or into individual filet steaks (filet mignon). The meat

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responds well to sauces, meaning the meat does not overpower the flavor of the
sauce.
Sirloin
Sirloin is less tender than short loin, but more flavorful. Sirloin is found in the area
of the hipbone. These tender cuts respond well to sautéing, pan-frying, broiling, pan-
broiling or grilling. (e.g., sirloin steaks which are available in a variety of boneless and
bone-in steaks and sirloin tip roast which are excellent when dry roasted or marinated)
Round
The round is part of the hip muscle and consists of lean meat well suited to long,
moist cooking methods. Top Round is the most tender part of the round and can be
prepared as pot roast or cut into thick steaks for braised dishes. Rump Roast is considered
a very popular cut for pot roast, but can also be roasted at low temperatures.
Lower Half
• Fore shank - Shank Cross Cuts and Beef Stew
• Brisket - Corned Beef and Brisket
a) Brisket First Cut — a leaner cut of the brisket, for those who want the
flavor but not the fat of a brisket pot roast
b) Brisket Front Cut— fork tender and succulent
• Short Plate - Short Ribs, Beef for Stew, Ground Beef
• Flank - Flank Steak, Skirt Steak, Steak Rolls

Buying the Right Kind of Meat

• Buy clean meat sold by those who observe good sanitation and hygiene. Meat
preparation area with the cutting boards and knives should be free from dirt and
kept clean at all times.
• Look for the inspected and stamped marks that ensure those are real meat from
cows, carabaos, pigs, and etc.
• Be knowledgeable of the different cuts of meat for the different recipes to be
prepared.
• Beef must be bright red in color with yellow fat. Pork must be light pink in color,
firm, and with white fat.
• Meat should have a fresh smell and free from slime.
• Buy frozen or refrigerated meats from those who have reliable refrigeration
equipment.
• Meat should be properly wrapped with plastic bags or clean wrapping materials.

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Poultry
It refers to domesticated birds that are kept for meat or eggs such as chicken,
duck, goose, turkey, pigeon, squab, and quail. Poultry provides a lot of protein, vitamin
B, iron, phosphorus, and fat. Frozen poultry has been the same nutritive values with
fresh poultry.
It is the least expensive and most versatile of all main dish foods. It can be
cooked by almost any methods.

Types of Chicken and Poultry

1. A broiler is a meat chicken processed at the age of 7-12 weeks when it reaches
2 ½ to 3 ½ pounds live weight. The meat is tender and soft, and the skin is
smooth.
2. A fryer is a meat chicken usually marketed at 12-20 weeks.
3. A roaster is a chicken that are 6-12 months of age weighing 4-7 pounds and
chosen for grilling or roasting.
4. A stag is a male chicken less than ten months old.
5. A jumbo chicken is considered large chicken if it weighs about 4 kg or more.
6. A cock is a male chicken at least one year of age or older.
7. A rooster is a mature male chicken with rough skin and dark meat. It is over one
year of age.
8. A game hen is a young about 5-6 weeks and very flavorful.
9. A capon is surgically cons rated male under 8 months, tender meat with soft,
smooth textured skin, well flavored, contains high proportion of light to dark
meat, and high fat content.
10. A hen is a mature female over 10 months with rough skin and dark meat. It is
flavorful but less tender meat, and has a non-flexible breastbone.
11. A pecking duck is originated from China which is famous for its tenderness and
delicious meat.
12. A duck or itik is available in many places in the country. The eggs are made into
“balut”.
13. A squab is a young immature pigeon of either sex and has extra tender meat.

Market Forms of Poultry

1. Live Poultry should have clear eyes. If a
chicken is young, its feathers are small and
feet are fine and soft. If it is old, the feet are
thick and scaly.

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2. Whole Poultry refers to poultry carcass

from which feathers have been removed;
and the head, feet, and innards are still
intact.

3. Dressed Poultry refers to poultry

carcass from which feathers and innards
have been removed. The skin of dressed
poultry should be smooth and yellowish,
and the breast must be plump with no foul
odor.

4. Drawn poultry is a dressed poultry

with the visceral organs, feet, and head
removed.

5. Ready to cook is a slaughtered bird that

have been defeathered, visceral organs,
feet, head removed ready for cooking.

6. Choice cuts of Poultry are poultry

parts packed in a box or plastic and usually frozen or chilled. Examples are
drumsticks, wings, necks, breasts, gizzards, and liver.

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