Two Kinds of Connective Tissue

A. Collagen – white connective tissue that

dissolves or breaks down by long, slow
cooking with liquid. Moist-heat cooking
methods at low temperature are not
effective for turning a meat high in
connective tissue into a tender, juicy
finished product. Acid helps dissolve
collagen.

J. Elastin – yellow connective tissue

and is not broken down in cooking.
Tenderizing can be accomplished only
by removing the elastin, by pounding
and by
slicing and grinding.

Basic Preparation Methods of Meat

1. Washing
Generally, the only occasion in which you will have to wash meat is when
it comes into contact with blood during preparation. After washing, dry
the food thoroughly with absorbent kitchen paper.
2. Skinning
Most of the meat you dealt with has been already skinned by the supplier.
3. Dicing
Meat are diced when it is cut into cubes for various types of casseroles,
stems, curries, and dishes such as steak, kidney pie and pudding.
4. Trimming
Reasons for trimming:
a. Improve the appearance of the cut or joint
b. Leave as much of the meat intact as possible.
c. Leave an even thickness of fat (where fat is to be left). How
much fat you trim off will depend on the type of meat,
preference, and the cooking process to be used.
d. Remove as much gristles and sinews as possible.

5. Slicing
It is the cutting of meat by determining the direction of the grain (the
muscle fibers), and cut across the grain. This is particularly important
with tougher cuts such as steak, in which the grain is also quite
obvious.You slice meat with―instead of against―the grain.

6. Seasoning
It is the addition of salt and white or black pepper to improve the flavor of
 food.
a. Use white pepper or cayenne pepper on food which you want
to keep attractive with white color.
b. Add salt to roast and grill after the meat has browned. Adding
salt before cooking will extract the juices of the meat to the
surface, and slows down the browning reactions (which need
high temperature and dry heat).
7. Coating
The two basic coatings are:
a. Flour – coat the meat before cooking, otherwise the flour
becomes sticky and unpleasant.
b. Bread crumbs – coat the meat in flour, then egg wash (egg
wash is made of lightly beaten whole egg with a little
water/milk) and finally with the bread crumbs.

Different kinds of meat and its source

1. Pork – meat from domesticated pigs, typically high in fat,
commonly slaughtered one year or less of age to ensure tender cuts
.
.

2. Beef -meat from cattle over one year old

3. Lamb – meats of domesticated sheep. Its texture is a direct result

of what it consumes and the age at which it is slaughtered.

4. Carabeef – meat from carabao.

 5. Chevon – meat from deer/goat.

5. Veal – flesh of a young calf, 4-5 months old. Because of its age, it is
considered by some to be the finest meat.

PRIMARY CUTS OF MEAT

BEEF/VEAL
 CHUCK
- comes from the cow’s shoulder.
- It’s a very flavorful region that can be cut and prepared in many ways, but
it’s also typically a firmer cut of beef. 

 RIB
- refers to meat cut from the cow’s ribs and backbone. Of the 13 pairs of ribs
on a cow, only the last six are classified in this section – the rest are
grouped with chuck and short plate
- are notable for their fatty marbling, tenderness, and distinctive flavor.
- tend to be a little pricier than most and are often better slow-cooked than
grilled.
 LOIN
- This is where you’ll find your most expensive cuts of beef.
- located directly behind the ribs and, due to its location, is not a heavily used
muscle.
- This makes loin very tender compared to more muscular cuts.
- This primal cut comprises two parts worth mentioning: sirloin and short loin.

1. SIRLOIN
- is the rearmost cut of the loin region and the least tender of the two
subregions (though arguably more flavorful).
- is typically best for grilling and almost never used for slow cooking. 
COMMON CUTS 
• sirloin steak,
• top sirloin,
• bottom sirloin,
• tri-tip roast
• tri-tip steak.

2. SHORT LOIN
- is similar to sirloin cuts, but is closer to the center of the cow and more
tender than sirloin cuts as a result.
- Like sirloin, it dries out very fast so it’s typically best grilled or fried.

COMMON SHORT LOIN CUTS

• NY strip, 
• T-Bone,
• porterhouse,
• tenderloin filet,
• filet mignon 
• strip loin.

 ROUND
- primal region that is an inexpensive, lean cut.
- Located near the cow’s hind legs,
- it’s typically a tough cut of beef.
- Due to the leanness of this cut, it’s important to thoroughly research how to
prepare and cook the individual portion cuts of this primal region;
sometimes it calls for high heat cooking (like top, bottom and eye round
portion cuts), or slow-cooking (like rump and eye roast).
 COMMON ROUND CUTS
• round steak,
• eye of round,
• tip roast,
• tip steak,
• top round
• bottom round roasts.

 FLANK
- is located just below the loin.
- This region has no bones, but is flavorful despite its toughness.
- In the past, it was typically the least expensive cut one could find in a store.
- However, as the recent demand for lean meat increased, so did the
demand for flank steak – driving its popularity and price up.

TWO FLANK CUTS:

• a flank steak
• a skirt steak

*both of which are best grilled at high heat.

 SHORT PLATE
- Often grouped with the brisket beef region, short plate cuts are found near
the stomach of the cow.
- Its location in the cow lends to cheap, tough and fatty cuts of beef.
- This is also where you’ll find your other source of marbled short ribs.

MOST COMMON SHORT PLATE PORTION CUTS

• skirt steak,
• hanger steak,
• beef bacon,
• pastrami, 
• short ribs
• ground beef

 BRISKET
- A barbecue favorite,
- belongs to a cow’s breast.
 - Brisket is known for its fatty, tough texture, but if prepared correctly (low
and slow) it can be cooked to melt-in-your-mouth perfection.
- Just be careful when slow cooking – with brisket, there’s a slim margin
between juicy and dry!
- That’s why you should always tenderize and marinate this cut before slow
cooking to soften it up.

TWO CUTS OF BRISKET

• brisket point
• brisket flat.

*They are both better slow-cooked, but the flat is distinguished by its leaner quality.

 SHANK
- is arguably the toughest, cheapest cut of beef.
- Located in front of the brisket at the cow’s forearm, this beef cut is notable
for its sinewy dryness. Due to its lack of popularity, shank is not typically
found in retail stores.
- However, if you can find it, it’s a great inexpensive option for beef stock or
lean ground beef.
- Because of its dry nature, it’s best cooked for a long time in moist heat.
- You’ll often find this cut used for stew or soup meat, or prepared as the
popular Osso Buco dish.