Meat and Meat

Products
Meat is an important food in the diet and is the
foremost food of the people in the world. In
nearly every home the daily menu is built
around meat as the central dish. This extensive
use of meat is due to its palatability and high
nutritive value. Technically, the term meat is
used to designate only those portions of the
various animals used for food like muscle, fatty
tissues and some glands such as the liver, heart,
and spleen. Commercially, the term meat
includes all portions of the dressed carcass as
muscle tissues, connective tissues, fat, lym
phatic glands, edible organs, and the bone.
Zoological classes of animals from which
meat is obtained are:
1. Mammalia
Examples are: cattle, carabaos, sheep,
swine or pigs, and other similar four-
footed animals.
2. Aces - fowls and birds.
3. Pisces — fishes.

4. Reptilia — turtles.
5. Amphibia — frogs.
6. Mollusca — oysters and clams.
7. Crustacea — lobsters and crabs.
Nutritive Value of Meat
Meat is a very valuable food. It is rich
source of high quality protein needed for
building and repairing worn-out body
tissues. It contains rich supply of
phosphorous, copper, iron and Vitamin B,
thiamin, ribofl avin, and niacin. It is
relatively low in calories without the fat.
The fat in meat gives the body energy
The variety meat or the internal organs
that include the brain, sweet breads,
liver, spleen, and intestines are equally
as nutritious as the lean meat. Liver is a
good source of iron which is needed to
make the blood red.
 Classes of Meat
Beef carcasses
are classified on the basis of age and sex.
The specific classes are:
stear — a male cow, castrated when young;
heifer — a young female which has not
borne a calf;
cow — a female that has not borne a calf;
stag — a male castrated after maturity; and
bull — a mature male not castrated.
Cara beef
is carabao meat. Although widely eaten
by Filipinos, it is still sold and passed as
beef.
Veal
is meat from immature animals of the
bovine species. The best
veal carcasses are usually from animals 4
to 8 weeks of age of either sex.
Pork
is the meat of swine. Good quality pork
comes from young animals usually 7 to 12
months of age.
Lamb and mutton
are sheep carcasses so classifi ed
according to the age of animals.
Lamb meat is taken from young animals of
one year or less of age. Mutton is derived
from those that have passed the lamb
stage.
Goat’s meat
is quite popular in some parts of the
Philip pines particularly in the Ilocos
Region. It is taken mainly as “pulutan”
with basi or tuba by men who drink
during their leisure hours or after work in
the farm.
Rabbit’s meat
comes from rabbits that should be 3 to 4
months old before they are slaughtered
for food. Rabbits are known in the
Philippines as pets and certainly not for
eating.
Market Forms of Meat
Meat is available in the market as:
Fresh Meat
has not undergone chilling, freezing, or
any processing treatment. Most market
meat in the Philippines is in this form.
Chilled Meat
has been cooled to a temperature range of
1 to 3°C (34° to 36°F) within 24 hours
after slaughter.
Frozen Meat
has been chilled and then frozen. Most
meat in supermarkets are pre-packaged
frozen meat for self-service. Frozen meat
should have an expiry date stamped on the
package.
Cured Meat
is preserved meat acted upon by curing
agents such as salt, sodium nitrate
(salitre), sugar, and some times spices and
vinegar without refrigeration.
examples of cured meat
Sausage
Hotdog
Langoniza
Tocino
Ham
bacon
corned beef
tapa
Canned Meat
is cooked and requires only to be
reheated. Corned beef, adobo, liver
spread and other meat recipes are
examples of this form.

Dried Meat
is also known as dehydrated meat. There
is a limited amount of dried meat
available. Tapa is an example of dried
meat that is also cured.
 MEAT CUTS
A slaughtered animal is called a
carcass. The carcass is cut into
larger pieces called wholesale cuts,
which are further reduced into retail
cuts. The retail cuts commonly found in
the market are further classified
as tender cuts, less tender cuts, tough
cuts, and variety cuts. The specific
cut determines the price of the meat.
MEAT COOKERY
There are six stages of doneness:
(Kotchevar, 1975)
1. Very rare.
Only a thin portion around the edge of the
meat is fully cooked. Red that almost
bloody juices ooze out. Under finger
pressure, the meat feels soft and jelly-
like inside.
2. Rare.
The raw, red portion of the meat is
small and around it is pink; there is good
brown outer surface. The meat has a
full, plump appearance and gives in to
pressure; juices are red but not bloody.
3. Medium rare.
The interior portion 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.
4. Medium.
The interior color of the meat is a modified rose
Pink juices are apparent but less. The exterior
portion is well browned. The surface does not
appear plump or full. When pressed, there is
definite resistance.
5. Medium well.
The pink color has completely
disappeared. Juiciness is still evident,
but the juices are clear or gray, not
pink. There is no plumpness; the meat is
firm to touch.
6. Well.

The meat is completely gray inside,

hard, flinty and shrunken. Little or no
juice appears on its surface which is
brown and dry.
 Cooking Techniques
The extent of its tenderness largely
dictates how meat should be cooked.
Tender cuts are usually cooked by dry
heat and tough cuts by moist heat. Some
tough cuts may be treated mechanically
with tenderizers to make them soft, and
then be cooked by dry-heat methods.
Dry heat methods are:
1. Broiling, pan broiling, or griddle broiling
2. Roasting or baking
3. Barbecuing
4. Sautéing, pan frying, or grilling
5. Deep-frying
6. Ovenizing
Moist heat methods are:
1. Braising (pot-roasting, fricassing,
casseroling, and stewing)
2. Simmering
3. Steaming
4. Blanching
Principles of Cooking Meat
1. Meat should be immediately removed from
wrapping paper because paper absorbs the
juice of meat. Soaking meat in a pan of cold
water for a long period of time draws out the
meat juices.
2. Low to moderate heat is the best cooking
temperature for meat. Such temperature
produces a tender and flavorful product,
minimizes meat shrinkage and retains much of
its nutritive value.
3. Tough cuts of meat must be cooked with
moisture or in water at low temperature
for a longer period of time.
4. Pressure-cooking meat results in
decreased cooking time. However, the
process reduces the color and flavor of
food produced by ordinary cooking.
Nevertheless, these qualities
can be attained by the use of other food
materials such as spices, sauces, and
vegetables.
5. When defrosting or thawing frozen
meat, one should not remove
its wrapping to prevent the growth of
bacteria.
Meat that has been defrosted should be
cooked immediately. It should never be
refrozen.
6. Pork should always be thoroughly
cooked because it may contain harmful
pathogenic organisms or small worm
harmful to the human body.
7. Meat is done when the heat necessary
to bring about desired changes in color,
texture, and flavor has penetrated to the
center of the piece.
8. Ground meat will cook in a much shorter
time because its connective tissues have
been broken making it more tender.

9. When broiling meat, one must keep the

fi re very hot and turn the meat every two
or three minutes to keep it at proper
temperature.