Preparing Meat for Curing
Slicing - is cutting across meat in
Meat, the flesh or other edible parts of animals
(usually domesticated cattle, swine, and sheep)
used for food, including not only the muscles
and fat but also the tendons and ligaments
What are the types/sources of meat?
PORK-Hog/ swine
BEEF- Cow/Cattle
LAMB- Sheep less than 1 year old
MUTTON- Adult sheep
VENISON- Deer
VEAL- Young cow/calf
How do you do sorting and grading of meat?
When you buy meat, it is a must that
you check for the inspection stamp. It is a proof
that the meat is safe, hygienic, fit for human
consumption and is properly inspected by the
assigned veterinarian in your locality. Meat is
graded according to the following:
1. Quality. It refers to the tenderness,
juiciness and palatability of the meat.
2. Conformation. It refers to the shape,
form or general outline of the side or the whole
carcass. It indicates the relative proportion of
lean-to bone ratio. Good conformation means a
high meat bone ratio high percentage of tender
cuts.
3. Finish. It is the amount, quality and
color of the fat found within the muscles.
Meats are prepared for salting, curing and
smoking through the following:
1. Skinning - is the removal of the skin
from meat.
2. Deboning - is the separation of bones
from flesh.
3.
uniform sizes.
4. Chopping - is a process where meat is
cut in small pieces or irregular forms.
5. Mincing - is chopping meat into fine
pieces or fine cuts.
6. Grinding - is cutting of meat into finer
form using a grinder.
Characteristics of Good Quality Meat
In food processing, it is very important
to start with a fresh and good quality meat in
order to come up with a highly desirable
finished products. Below are the characteristics
of good quality meat.
PORK
 The flesh is pink.
 It is compact and does not separate
when you touch it.
 Texture is fine and firm
 The flesh is layered with fine white fat.
The fat is soft and oily
 There is no foul odor.
BEEF
 The flesh is red and marbling.
 The fat is white for carabeef. It is
yellowish and creamy in cow’s meat
 The flesh is compact and does not
separate when you hold it. • There is no
foul odor.
 The texture is fine and firm.
 The bone is pinkish if young and grayish,
and coarse if old.
 The flesh is evenly layered with fat.
LAMB
  The meat should be healthy red in color

 Not pale but also not dripping in blood

 Look for marbling—the more marbling

the meat has ,the more tender and
flavorful it will be.

 Choose meat on the following scale:

prime, choice, good, utility and cull.

MUTTON

 Choose the right cut

 Very high in tenderness, juiciness, and

flavour

 The color should be bright red

 The smell should be slightly acidic

 Flesh should be elastic when pressed

 Well-butchered pieces of meat

VENISON

 The flesh is elastic

 There is no foul odor.

 The texture is fine and firm.

 The flesh is evenly layered with fat.

VEAL

 Delicate in flavour, pale grayish white in

color.

 Firm and fine-grained with velvety

texture

 Has no marbling and with small amount

of fat coverings is firm