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Meat - Offal
Meat - Offal
● Meat refers to the flesh and some internal organs of animals that are used for
human consumption.
● The main reason for the high price of meat is the amount of time, effort and
feed it takes to rear animals for meat.
● The butcher cut the meat into joints or cuts, according to:
-the amount and position of bones, lean meat, and fat on the various parts of
the body.
● Lean, tender joints are more popular and difficult to procedure and therefore
cost more, so the butcher must separate these accurately.
● The size of muscle fibres affect the tenderness of the cooked meat.
For example : - slender, small fibres are associated with tender meat.
- large, long fibres are associated with tougher meat.
● The older the animal, the tougher the meat because of the increase in size of muscle
fibres.
● Parts of the animal such as neck, skin and forearm, have the largest muscle fibres thus
making them tougher meat due to receiving regular and the most physical work.
● Individual muscle fibres are formed into bundles, surrounded by a substance called
connective tissue.
● Whole muscles are attached to bones by rough, gristly tissue called tendons.
Connective tissue
● Connective tissue is made of 2 proteins:
❖ Collagen
❖ Elastin
● Collagen is the white to transparent tissue component of tendons and connective tissue
surrounding muscles, particularly those that do the most work.
● Collagen when heated in the presence of moisture is converted into soluble gelatine,
which greatly increases the tenderness of connective tissue and therefore of the meat.
● Elastin is a main component of ligaments (in-between bones), and has the ability to
stretch and return to its original shape. Very little change occurs in elastin during
cooking.
● Elastin is an insoluble and tough protein, but there is less elastin than collagen in
muscles. Thus, elastin does not have a major influence on the toughness of meat.
Fats
● A certain amount of visible and invisible fat is found in meat.
● The amount and kind of fat in meat vary with the kind of meat, the age and diet of the
animal.
● Invisible fat is the fat that is distributed between cells as tiny globules.
● Visible fat is located between muscles, around organs and directly under the skin of the
animal.
● The fat under the skin may be yellowish, because of the presence of carotenes from
plants, depending on what the animal fed on.
● The visible fat between the bundles of muscle fibres gives the meat a ‘marbled’ effect.
● One of the reasons why lean meat is so expensive is because the large amounts of feed
required producing it.
● The fat content of meat helps to give flavour, moisture and texture to the cooked meat.
Texture and Colour of meat
● Texture refers to firmness and smoothness. Firmness is desirable because it
suggests a good diet and therefore a good flavour. Smoothness is associated
with short, fine fibres and tenderness.
● The darkness of colour may be a sign of staleness. In this case, meat has a
brownish hue.
● Yellow fat and grey flinty bones are associated with older animals and are
therefore signs of toughness and strong flavours.
Choosing Meat
Consider the following:
● Value for your money
- Too much bone in a joint reduces its value of money
- Cheaper, tougher cuts of meat are just as nutritious as more expensive,
leaner cuts.
- There should not be too much visible fat on the joint.
● Appearance
The following physical characteristics should be noted:
-Colour
● Intended use
○ Allow for possible shrinkage during cooking when choosing a joint.
○ When stewing or casseroling, it is uneconomic to use expensive, lean
joints of meat.
○ 100 grams of meat per person
The effect of heat and changes during cooking
● Texture and tenderness
○ The protein s of the meat denature at temperatures of 40 degrees
Celsius to 65 degrees Celsius. As this occurs, the structure of the meat
tightens and the meat becomes firmer.
● Fat
○ The adipose tissue becomes more tender when cooked
○ The fat melts, and penetrates the lean meat during cooking, which
increases the energy value of the lean meat.
○ The fat content may also make the meat appear more juicy
○ On the skin of roasted meat, the fat becomes crisp and brown
● Colour
○ During cooking, the colour of the meat changes from red to brown,
due to the oxymyoglobin being converted to haemochrome.
● Flavour
○ Cooking meat improves it palatability.
● Nutritive value
○ Protein: -affect very little during normal methods of cooking
-if overcooked, they become less digestible
● Both the protein and fat in meat are readily digested and absorbed in the
body
Processed Meats
● Meat can be bought cured, canned, frozen or dried
● Ham is usually made from the hind legs and shoulders of the pig.
● Sausages and luncheon meats are made from chopped or ground meats
blended with a variety of seasonings and spices.
● Canned products are usually fully cured or cooked products such as ham,
corned beef and stew. Most can be stored without refrigeration.
Dried meats may be prepared by sun or over drying. Meats that are dried in
commercial quantities are cured or cooked, then dried under controlled conditions,
to allow moisture to evaporate.
Cuts of Meat
Lamb and Mutton
Beef
Joint Method of cooking
Chuck Braise, stew
Fore rib Roast
Sirloin Roast
As steak - grill, fry, barbecue
Fillet Grill, fry, barbecue
Rump Grill, fry, barbecue
Topside Roast, pot-roast, braise
Silverside Roast, pot-roast, braise
Boil, salt and boil
Buttock steak Braise, pot-roast, stew
Top rump Pot-roast, braise
Flank Salt and boil, stew
Wing rib Roast
Brisket Braise, pot-roast
Salt and boil
Thick rib Roast
Shin Stew, braise
POULTRY
What is Poultry?
● Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, their meat or
their feathers.
● Poultry is the name given to birds eaten for food and includes:
Chicken
Duck Pigeon
Goose
Turkey
● Except for goose and duck, there is less fat in the meat of poultry, so it is
drier when cooked.
● The flavour of poultry is generally not strong, and develops during cooking
similarly to that of other meat.
Choosing Poultry
Appearance
1. Poultry meat (except for pigeon, which is darker) should be pink/white, with
darker meat on the wings and legs.
Intended use
● Poussins are a very young bird that are cooked and served whole or in
half.
Nutritive Value
● The protein of poultry is easily digested and of high biological value.
Except for goose and duck, poultry contains less fat than red meat.
There is also less iron, thiamin, riboflavin, and nicotinic acid than in
red meat.
Turkey
● Turkey can be cooked similarly to chicken. Boneless turkey rolls can
be roasted to provide 3 to 4 servings
Storage of poultry
● Freshly killed birds should be hung in a cool, dry place, with all the internal
organs in place. This is to ensure that the meat becomes tender before it is
cooked.
● Fresh poultry should be kept in a cold place after the goblets (internal
organs-neck, gizzard, and liver) and other organs have been removed. It
should be eaten soon after purchase. (two to three days if kept in the
refrigerator).
Reflection
Despite a time-planning hiccup while preparing sweet and sour chicken, the post-frying addition
of seasoning and sauce resulted in a delightful surprise. The unconventional approach yielded a
unique blend of crispy exterior and succulent tenderness, with flavors harmonizing perfectly.
OFFAL
What is Offal?
● The edible entrails, internal organs of an animal used as food.
Examples of offal
Liver Kidney
Heart ● Tripe (stomach of
an ox or sheep)
● Chitterlings (pig’s
intestine, often
used as sausage
casing)
● Tail (e.g. oxtail)
Brain ● Feet (e.g. pig’s
trotters)
● Ears
● Head
● Eyes
Tongue
● Sweetbread (the
pancreas and
thymus glands)
Choosing offal
All offal, particularly the kidneys, liver and heart, should be bought very
fresh. It should be eaten within 24 hours of purchase, and carefully washed and
prepared before eating. Thorough cooking is necessary to prevent food poisoning
and to tenderize the offal.
● Protein:
○ The protein of offal is of high biological value, and it well cooked is
readily digested.
● Carbohydrate:
○ Liver may contain a little glycogen, but is not an important source.
● Vitamins:
○ Retinol (vitamin A) is stored in the liver, so liver is a very rich source.
Kidney and heart also contain some retinol.
○ Heart and liver contain useful amounts of thiamin. This is some
vitamin C in liver, but it is not a valuable source.
● Minerals:
○ Tripe contains a useful amount of calcium. Liver and, to a lesser
extent, kidney, are important sources of iron.