. Types of meat
. Signs of good quality meat
. Homemade ways to prevent meat from spoiling
. Meat pre-treatment
. Cooking meat
. Beef, offal, veal, pork, lamb - choice for dishes
. Poultry, game
. Cooking poultry

Steamed, cooled, chilled and frozen meat

After slaughtering an animal, rigor mortis sets in within 2-5 hours, as a result of which the meat becomes extremely tough. After about a day, thanks to a series of physicochemical transformations caused by the action of enzymes, the meat begins to acquire a delicate texture, as well as its characteristic aroma and taste. The speed of this process, called ripening of meat, depends on the ambient temperature. Provided the surface of the carcass is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the meat ripens at 0° for 8-10 days, and at 17° for 3 days; With this ripening mode, meat has the best organoleptic properties.

Fresh - meat that has not cooled down and has not lost its animal warmth. Such meat is not used for food, the processes of post-mortem rigor make it tough, rough, it is poorly digestible and has an unpleasant odor; when cooked, such meat produces a non-aromatic broth.

Cooled - meat that, after cutting the carcass, has been subjected to cooling in natural conditions for at least 6 hours and has become covered with a drying crust on the surface.

Chilled - meat that has been cooled in chambers to a temperature in the thickness of the muscles near the bone from 0 to 4 ° and covered with a drying crust.

Ice cream is meat that, after cooling, has been subjected to freezing in special freezers or in natural conditions to a temperature in the thickness of the muscles near the bones not higher than - 6°.

Thawed (defrosted), i.e. brought to a temperature in the thickness of the muscles near the bones to 0°. If the necessary storage conditions are not observed, the meat deteriorates as a result of the action of microorganisms (rotting process). High temperature, humid air, lack of ventilation, accumulation of a large mass of fresh and warm parts of meat lead to the rapid proliferation of microbes.

Signs of good quality meat

Indicators of the freshness of meat are its appearance, color, smell, color, and consistency. However, determining the freshness of meat based on these characteristics is not always sufficient, since, for example, frozen meat that is completely unsuitable for food does not smell.

Test cooking of meat reveals its staleness; the latter cannot always be detected only by external inspection. Piercing the meat with a heated knife can also help determine its poor quality, since it happens, for example, that the smell of the outer layers is normal, but in the thickness of the muscles the process of rotting has already begun.

Insufficiently fresh meat is not only tasteless, it can cause illness, and spoiled meat can cause fatal poisoning.

In all cases when the freshness of meat raises even the slightest doubt, the cook is obliged to seek help from a representative of the food sanitary inspection or a food sanitary laboratory.

Meat from animals affected by diseases that can be transmitted to humans (anthrax, glanders, tuberculosis, brucellosis, foot-and-mouth disease, smallpox, swine erysipelas and sheep tularemia) is not allowed for food.

At meat processing plants, the strictest veterinary and sanitary control is carried out both before and after the slaughter of animals. Each carcass of small livestock and each quarter of cattle must have a veterinary control stamp.

Meat that is not marked should always inspire concern, and its use without examination by veterinary and sanitary inspection authorities is not allowed.

Signs of good quality of cooled and chilled meat

Benign meat is covered with a thin crust of pale pink or pale red color. When touching the surface, the hand remains dry. When cut, the meat does not stick to your fingers, and the juice is clear. The consistency of the meat is dense, the pits from finger pressure are quickly filled, the color of the meat when cut is red (cattle meat), whitish-pink (veal), brown-red (lamb) and pinkish-red (pork). Beef carcass fat is white, creamy or yellowish, hard, and when crushed it does not smear, but crumbles. Lamb fat is white, dense; pork - soft pale pink or white. The smell of meat and fat is pleasant, without any foreign odors. The bone marrow is yellow, shiny at the fracture, and completely fills the entire space of the tubular bones. The tendons are elastic and dense. The surface of the joints is white and shiny.

The best way to determine freshness, which is always available to the cook, is to cook a test piece of meat. Completely benign meat produces a clear and aromatic broth, on the surface of which large “sparkles” of fat float, while a broth from stale meat is cloudy, with small “sparkles” of fat on its surface, and an unpleasant odor.

The signs of good quality of cooled and chilled meat are the same. The surface of both cooled and chilled meat should be covered with a dry crust.

Meat that is suspicious of freshness has a weathered dark crust or its surface is moist, sticky, and covered with mucus. When cut, the meat also has a darker color and higher moisture content. Meat juice is cloudy. The muscles are loose, the hole caused by pressing with a finger is not fully filled or remains for a long time. The fat of the meat turns gray, loses its shine, sticks and smears. The bone marrow is the same as that of fresh meat, but does not have a shine when broken. The tendons are somewhat softened; their color is matte white or grayish. The joints are covered with mucus.
The smell of meat is sour, musty, sometimes putrid on the outside; in deeper layers, the putrid odor is sometimes absent.
Poor quality meat has a sticky, moist, gray or greenish surface, sometimes covered with mold. When cut, the meat is darkened, gray or greenish. The meat tissues are flabby, the pits from finger pressure are not filled, and at some stages of decomposition the muscles are easily pierced with a finger. The fat is slimy, gray, with an unpleasant greasy odor. The bone marrow is soft, smearable, and gray in color. The joints and tendons are abundantly covered with mucus. A clearly putrid smell is felt in the deep layers of the meat.

Signs of good quality of frozen meat

Well-frozen meat is completely hard to the touch and makes a clear sound when tapped. On the surface and on cuts, the meat is red with a grayish tint, which is given to the meat by small ice crystals. The color of frozen meat quickly changes even with slight heating: a bright red spot forms where the finger is applied. Frozen meat does not have a specific meat smell. Its freshness can be determined by this sign only after thawing. After thawing, fresh meat may have a slight damp smell. The tendons of frozen meat are white and shiny. Bone marrow completely lines the cavity of the long bones.

The quality and freshness of re-frozen meat can only be determined after it has been thawed. You can distinguish meat that has been frozen once from meat that has been repeatedly frozen by the color of its surface. Twice frozen meat is dark red on the surface and cherry red when cut. When warmed with your finger, the color of the meat does not change. Muscles and bone marrow are red.

As already mentioned, meat is a perishable product. The first signs of stale meat are a slimy surface and a bad smell. To avoid spoilage, meat should be stored in a refrigerator or in a cold room protected from flies, and, if possible, without access to light, at a temperature of + 4 ° C, protected from flies. In addition, you can use home canning methods. The choice of method depends on the purpose, type and time of use of meat.

Home methods
protecting meat from spoilage
(canning)

Using a dressing made from vegetable oil and vegetables. Vegetables must be washed, peeled, rinsed, cut into circles, mixed with crushed seasonings and vegetable oil. Then stir with your hand to release the juice. Rub this dressing over the meat. Keep in a cool place at a temperature no higher than +8 °C. This method is used for preserving lamb, beef, horse meat and protects the meat from spoilage for one day.

Storing meat in sour milk or vinegar dressing:
a) pour milk over beef or veal so that the meat is completely covered. Milk, when fermented, protects meat from spoilage for 2-3 days. This method speeds up the ripening process;
b) marinating beef, horse meat, venison, lamb and hare meat in a vinegar dressing. To prepare the dressing, boil water with sliced onions and seasonings, and then add vinegar. Pour the chilled dressing over the meat, placed in a clay bowl, and keep for 2-3 days in summer, up to 5 days in winter.
During the marinating process, the meat softens.
You can also store meat for a short period of time in a napkin soaked in vinegar.

A very good result is obtained by coating a piece of meat with ready-made mustard, prepared without salt and sugar, then wrapping it in a cloth greased with the same mustard and placing it in a loosely closed plastic bag.

To preserve meat for a longer period (8-20 days), it is salted. This method is applicable to veal, pork, beef (tenderloin, brisket, tongue).
For salting, you need to prepare a brine from water, salt mixed with saltpeter (3-4 g/kg of meat), sugar and crushed seasonings. Combine half of the ingredients with water, rub the other half into the meat. Before salting, meat should be washed, squeezed out the water, dried, and bones removed. Then rub half the mixture of salt, saltpeter, sugar and seasonings into the meat on all sides, place in an earthenware, enamel bowl or wooden tub, press with a lid and a weight. Keep the meat at room temperature for 2 days. Combine the rest of the mixture with cold boiled water. After 2 days, pour it over the meat and take it to a cold place (4-8 °C). During the salting process, which lasts 2-3 weeks, turn the meat every other day. During this entire time, the meat must be covered with a lid and weight. Small pieces of meat, tongue, etc. are salted for 8-10 days.

Currently, home canning methods, which do not always meet all sanitary requirements, are used quite rarely.
Poultry is also preserved using the same methods.

PRE-PROCESSING OF MEAT

Pre-processing of meat consists primarily of thoroughly washing it. The meat should be washed quickly under running water, and the entire piece intended for processing is washed. You cannot wash meat after it has already been cut and cleaned of tendons and bones, since in this case the contamination is transferred from the surface into the meat, first with your hands and then with a stream of water.

Before washing, scrape off the most contaminated areas with a knife; cut off the seal after washing. If meat is washed in small pieces, especially after removing the bones, this causes loss of juices, and thereby a decrease in nutritional value. For the same reason, meat should not be soaked. During the soaking process, water-soluble proteins, minerals and B vitamins are transferred into the water. In French cuisine, meat is blanched instead of washed.

The washed meat should be dried. Remove excess fat, leaving a layer of 2-3 mm, which prevents excessive evaporation and helps maintain the juiciness of the meat. Then, carefully, so as not to damage the fabric, cut off the film, preferably with a sharp knife, without interrupting the movement, in one direction, holding the film with your left hand. Separate the bones from the pulp with a sharp knife, holding it directly against the bone. Chop the separated bones, which facilitates the penetration of nutrients into the broth.

Meat intended for frying and stewing should be chopped depending on the dish being prepared.
Meat is minced by cutting or chopping.

Should be cut:
a) slices across the grain; beat the resulting portioned pieces with a hoe and shape depending on the dish chosen for cooking;
b) in small pieces 3-4 cm in size.

The first cutting method is used when preparing chops, cutlets, steaks, the second - when preparing goulash, paprikash, and stew.

Chopping meat is used when preparing minced meat dishes.

CHOPPED MEAT

Minced meat includes: meat, stale wheat bread at the rate of 25% of the weight of meat, milk or water, eggs, salt and seasonings. Thanks to bread, fried or baked minced meat retains its juiciness, since the juices released during cooking are retained in the pores of the bread. Eggs are a binding agent; for the same purpose you can take boiled potatoes, semolina or potato flour, but the latter in small quantities, otherwise the minced meat turns out to be too hard.

The bread must be soaked in milk or water. Wash the meat, remove films and tendons, cut into pieces 4 cm in diameter and pass through a meat grinder. Squeeze out the bread, mix with minced meat and mince again. Add whole eggs or whites, season to taste with salt and pepper. The minced meat should be fluffy, so you need to mix it thoroughly with a spoon or wet hands (if necessary, you can add water or milk). Well-kneaded minced meat easily comes off the walls of the dishes and hands.

Minced meat can be prepared from beef, veal, lamb, pork, horse meat. Second-class meat or trimmings are taken. You can prepare minced meat from different types of meat, combining them so that lean meat is complemented by fatty meat, for example, adding pork to horse meat and beef.

From minced meat you can prepare:
1) cutlets,
2) meatballs,
3) meatballs,
4) zrazy,
5) roll (roast Roman style).

To obtain these semi-finished products, you need to place the minced meat on a moistened board and with wet hands give it the shape of a thick roll, which is divided into equal parts. Then shape, rolling in crushed breadcrumbs or flour.

Items used in pre-processing meat:
1) hardwood board,
2) a chopper for beating meat,
3) narrow pointed knives,
4) a cleaver for cutting bones,
5) meat grinder,
6) a ceramic or enamel bowl for storing meat during processing.

COOKING MEAT

The meat is boiled in water or in a decoction of vegetables. If meat is placed in boiling water, the top layer of proteins quickly coagulates, which prevents the substances that make up the meat from turning into liquid. If the meat is placed in cold water, the predominant part of these substances goes into the broth. We are talking about soluble proteins, mineral salts and some other substances. Proteins that have passed into the broth coagulate under the influence of high temperature and form the so-called foam. The foam should not be skimmed as it has nutritional value and removing it will reduce the nutritional value of the broth.

It should be remembered that basically the richness of the broth and the quality of boiled meat depend precisely on the ratio of the amount of meat and water, and not on the method of laying it out. Therefore, you should choose the right size of dishes.

When cooking, about 35% of the liquid contained in raw meat goes into the broth, and most of it in the first 15 minutes of boiling. That is, the broth becomes larger in volume, but the meat becomes significantly smaller. Therefore, you should not strive for the meat to be completely covered at the beginning of cooking.

Cooking should be carried out under a tightly closed lid at a minimum boil - so that the steam floats up “through the bubble”. This boiling prevents the fat from emulsifying and giving the broth a greasy taste. And under a tightly closed lid, steam squeezes out the air and ensures a virtual absence of fat-oxidizing oxygen. In French cuisine, for greater compaction, after boiling, before the final closing of the lid, the edge of the pan is sometimes even greased with batter.

Cleaned and washed meat is placed in boiling, slightly salted water with seasonings. Salt prevents meat juices from completely turning into liquid. The water should cover the meat. The pan must first be placed on high heat, quickly brought to a boil, then the meat must be simmered over low heat under the lid. When the foam disappears from the surface, add the peeled vegetables and cook until fully cooked, add salt at the end of cooking (10 minutes before the end).

Any addition of water during the cooking process is unacceptable, since it irreparably worsens the taste of both the broth and the meat.

After cooking, without opening the lid, let the meat sit for 10 minutes. Then immediately remove the finished meat from the broth (so as not to get wet) and wrap tightly in foil (for storage) or serve immediately, cut into portions and sprinkle with hot broth (can be mixed with a small amount of butter) to prevent it from drying out.

NOTE. If, when adding meat to water, add 1-2 full teaspoons of ready-made mustard (per 1 kg of meat), the meat will be softer, and the broth will acquire a piquant taste. The smell and taste of mustard will disappear after 40-50 minutes of cooking. In this case, due to the presence of mustard powder, the broth turns out to be somewhat cloudy, but can be clarified if desired.

MEAT IN SAUCE
Meat that is to be served with sauce should be boiled with the bone in a small amount of water. Place the meat in boiling salted water and add peeled vegetables halfway through cooking. Separate the finished meat from the bone and cut into portions. Prepare a sauce using the resulting broth (with flour dressing, sour cream, etc.).

COOKING SMOKED MEAT
Before cooking, smoked meat should be washed and then placed in boiling water. The water should cover the meat. Counting from the secondary boil, the meat is cooked from 1 to 3 hours, depending on the size of the piece. As it evaporates, add water.
The readiness of the meat is determined by using a fork. Remove the finished meat from the broth after final cooling.
For cooking meat, utensils made of durable material are used. Cast iron cookware with a lid is also suitable for this purpose.

ROASTING MEAT

Frying does not last long in an open container on the stove. The meat should be placed on heated fat. Upon contact with the bottom of the dish, a crust of browned proteins and caramelized starch forms (meat for frying should be rolled in flour or crushed breadcrumbs). The crust protects the meat from loss of juices and from being over-saturated with fat. In addition, the crust has good taste. When a golden brown crust forms on one side, the meat should be turned over to the other side and fried so that the surface is evenly browned.

You should not place the meat too closely in the frying pan, as the steam released during frying makes it difficult to form a golden brown crust on the entire surface of the meat; In addition, turning the meat over will damage the breading.

Meat intended for frying must be of high quality, tender, without films or tendons. The worst grades of meat remain hard and fibrous after frying, and therefore it is recommended to prepare fried minced meat from it.

The meat is fried in pieces cut across the grain. The thickness of the pieces depends on the type of dish and is determined by the detailed recipe. Portioned pieces are given a certain shape using a hoe (a metal or wooden hammer in a metal frame) lightly moistened with water. In some cases, the meat must be flattened by hand and shaped with a knife (tenderloin steak).

Before frying, prepared pieces of meat should be sprinkled with flour, rolled in crushed breadcrumbs, breaded or dipped in dough. The crackers must be pressed against the meat with a knife so that they do not crumble during frying and do not burn.

Breading consists of the following: the prepared products must be rolled in flour on both sides, then in scrambled eggs, then taken out, dried, rolled in crushed breadcrumbs on both sides, and pressed the breadcrumbs onto the meat. Some products made from raw meat (for example, pork chops) or boiled (for example, ham, veal brisket, veal legs) must be dipped in a batter thicker than for pancakes immediately before frying. The dough covers the meat with a thin layer, forming a crispy crust during frying.

The meat should be placed on preheated, but not burnt, fat. Fry over medium heat until the meat is cooked through. For frying, lard or deep fat is most often recommended. The temperature of the fat should not decrease during the frying process, as otherwise the meat will not brown and will become heavily saturated with fat. It is not recommended to bring the fat to too high a temperature, as this will cause it to disintegrate and, in addition, the meat will burn.

Breaded meats and meats should be fried in a small amount of fat the English way, that is, with a browned crust but undercooked inside (pale pink or red).

A type of fried food prepared in a small amount of fat is the so-called sauté, that is, meat that is first fried in very hot fat and, after forming a golden brown crust, is fried on the edge of the stove or in the oven. Less commonly used is frying meat in a large amount of fat (beef lard) poured into a deep pan. This method of frying meat is used when preparing dishes from boiled meat, which must be dipped in dough before frying (veal brisket, veal legs).

Utensils used when frying meat in a small amount of fat: a durable metal frying pan, a metal spatula, a heated dish; in a large amount of fat: a saucepan, a metal spatula, a heated dish for serving.

A few tips on how to cook juicy and tasty meat dishes

The first tip is that it is very important to choose the right meat for a particular dish, especially if you want to fry or grill it. It is impossible to prepare a decent steak (beefsteak in Russian cuisine) from the flesh of the sternum or part of the leg.

For frying in a pan or grill, you can only use fillet (in Russian terminology - tenderloin), entrecote (thick edge) or thin edge.

The quality of the prepared dish also depends on the age of the animal: the younger the meat, the tastier it is.

Tip two: it’s better to marinate the meat before frying. The fastest and easiest way is to pepper and add vegetable oil, after rubbing the meat with crushed garlic. It is not recommended to salt in advance, as salt causes the premature release of meat juice, which reduces the taste of the meat. Therefore, you need to salt the meat at the very end of frying. This marinating method is good for frying pork, lamb, and veal ribs.

If the meat needs to be marinated, and there is not enough time for this, the following marinade recipe is recommended: Cut the meat into portions (usually 150-200 g), beat them, put them in a bowl, sprinkle with chopped onions, cumin, bay leaf, parsley root. Then pour in vegetable oil mixed with lemon juice in the proportion of 5 g of oil to the juice of a third of a lemon, pepper and salt. Turn the meat periodically.

Tip three: When frying, meat should not be turned frequently. Usually it is turned over to the other side only when the first side is almost ready.

Tip four - you must determine what kind of meat you want by the degree of frying (deeply fried - well done, medium-rare - medium, rare - rare and derivatives medium-rare or medium-well done). Only some beef dishes (roast beef or steak) can be medium-roasted; lamb, veal and pork are never cooked this way.

Tip five - the taste of portioned pieces of meat deteriorates during storage. Therefore, the meat must be fried shortly before serving.

How to cook schnitzels

Schnitzels are widespread in world cuisine. It is almost impossible to find a restaurant, even an exclusive one, where you would not be offered this very simple dish. And restaurant visitors often prefer schnitzel to all culinary delights. Wiener schnitzel is especially famous.

Typically, schnitzel is prepared from various types of meat: chicken, turkey, veal. Chopped schnitzel is offered less often and only sometimes you can be offered vegetable schnitzel.

It is very important what kind of meat you eat. For schnitzels, veal is best suited - the flesh of the hind leg or fillet. And the bird has a chest part.

Schnitzels also differ in the method of breading.

Classic breading methods
— Parisian (meat is rolled in flour, then in egg and fried in hot oil)
- and Viennese (all the same, only after the egg the meat is also rolled in breadcrumbs, to which sum-sum, dry herbs and other additives are added for taste and beauty).

You can also suggest the following breading methods

1. Sprinkle the product with flour, dip it in white sauce (a mixture of raw egg with a tablespoon of butter), add salt, and bread it in breadcrumbs. Press the breading down, then dip it back into the sauce and bread it again.

2. Add lemon juice, salt, pepper to the olive oil and beat with a fork. Bread the meat in flour, moisten it with the prepared mixture and bread it again in flour.

3. A very unusual taste is obtained by wetting the schnitzels before breading with a mixture of eggs and ready-made mustard.

STEWING MEAT

Basically, stewing consists of frying and boiling. Meat intended for stewing is sprinkled with flour and fried in heated fat until golden brown. The fried meat, along with the fat remaining from frying, is transferred to a saucepan, poured with a small amount of broth or water, covered with a lid and simmered over low heat. During stewing, turn the meat over or shake the pan so that the meat does not burn. As the juice evaporates, add water. When the meat is ready, the sauce is strained and seasoned or served in the sauce formed during stewing.

Meat for stewing can be of a lower grade, with tendons, as well as old animals.

The stewing process, which lasts a long time, softens the muscle tissue, and the steam generated during braising is trapped under the lid, penetrates the tissue and softens it. Simmer until the meat becomes soft. If you stew for too long, the meat becomes overcooked, the fat melts, the meat juices turn into the sauce, the amount of meat decreases and the dish looks unsightly.

Meat that has been stewed correctly retains its shape, and the sauce formed during stewing should be thick, since the films, when boiled, turn into sauce. The meat is stewed in large pieces weighing about 2 kg (stewed roast), in portioned pieces (zrazy chops), small pieces (goulash, paprikash) and larger pieces (stew). You can also stew products made from minced meat.

Stew can be served in different forms, depending on the sauce:
1) in natural sauce (sprinkle with flour and salt, fry in hot fat and add a small amount of water);
2) in sour cream sauce (prepared as in point 1, and seasoned with sour cream before serving);
3) in sauce with dressing (prepared as in step 1; fry flour in the fat remaining from frying, dilute with broth or water, boil and combine with meat).

The following items are used when extinguishing:
for frying: it is best to use a cast iron frying pan, as well as a metal spatula and fork;
for stewing: a saucepan corresponding to the size of the piece of meat, a spoon for the sauce.

BAKED AND BAKED MEAT

Meat for roasting should be first-class, without rough films and tendons, and not too fatty (too fatty results in large losses during cooking). The quality of the dish is also influenced by the degree of maturation of the meat, and therefore it is often pre-marinated in vegetables or in a vinegar dressing. Meat must be baked for a certain time - a piece weighing 2 kg requires about 1.5 hours.

You should beat the meat with a hoe, add salt, sprinkle with flour, brown on all sides in a frying pan with heated fat, transfer to a pan of appropriate size, pour in the fat remaining from frying, put in the oven and bake, pouring over the fat and the resulting sauce, into which, according to As it evaporates, you need to add water. The meat is ready when a fork slides into it easily and clear, not too rich juice comes out.

English-style meat (undercooked, pink or red inside) is fried in very hot fat or baked in a very hot oven so that it remains undercooked inside. During cooking it is necessary to pour sauce over it. Such dishes must be prepared from high-grade meat.

Meat can also be baked on a wire rack. Place the salted meat on a greased grate, rub the meat with fat and place it in the hot oven. Pour over the resulting sauce. The sauce drips onto a baking sheet placed on a wire rack. Boiled, fried, baked meat can be baked in different sauces (bechamel sauce, horseradish, etc.). Bake on fireproof dishes or in shallow pans. Place the prepared and chopped meat on a greased dish, pour in the sauce and sprinkle with grated rennet cheese (“Tilsit”, “Emmental”) or sprinkle with butter and breadcrumbs. Place in the heated oven and bake for a short time. When the sauce on top has browned, remove and serve immediately.

BEEF

The best varieties of beef are meat from large but young cattle. The meat of 20-month-old, well-fed animals is considered the most valuable. It is distinguished by its red color and juiciness. The fat on it is elastic, creamy-pink in color, there are much more muscles than bones, unlike the meat of old, poorly fed cattle. The meat of old animals can be distinguished by its dark red hue; fat with an abundance of films, yellowish, meat tissues are flabby. Beef fat is difficult to digest and is rarely used for culinary purposes. Used as deep fryer.

Meatballs are made from bone fat.

The taste, juiciness and digestibility of beef depend on whether the meat is ripe. To speed up this process, the meat is marinated in a vinegar dressing, a vegetable and vegetable oil dressing, or in milk. In addition to the quality of meat, the cooking method, which must correspond to the characteristics of the part of the carcass used, is crucial for the softness, taste and juiciness of dishes.

BY-PRODUCTS

The nutritional and culinary value of different types of offal varies. Depending on their nutritional value and industrial processing, by-products are divided into four categories.

Liver Cattle and calves have good nutritional qualities. It is rich in proteins, carbohydrates and vitamins. For some diseases associated with blood loss or deterioration of its composition, doctors especially recommend consuming lightly boiled or fried (half-raw) liver, which quickly restores and improves the composition of the blood.

Veal liver has the highest culinary qualities. It is used for frying and preparing delicious pates.

Pork liver often has a slight bitter taste. Pork liver can be distinguished from beef liver not only by size, but also by the peculiar granular structure of its tissue.

The liver goes on sale processed - without bile ducts and gallbladder and freed from large blood vessels. Frozen liver comes in the form of blocks.

Languages veal and beef have a delicate and pleasant taste. They are rich in proteins and fat.

Brain- a delicious product, they have a delicate taste, but are poorly digested. Brains entering processing must be intact, with an intact membrane and without the presence of blood.

Kidneys used for preparing many main courses, as well as pickles. Veal and beef kidneys from older animals have the best culinary qualities. Kidneys must arrive at catering establishments intact, freed from the fatty membrane, ureters and external blood vessels.

Heart consists of dense muscle fibers and requires very long heat treatment. It must first be boiled in two waters, and both broths should be drained, because they are unsuitable for food.

Udder it needs to be boiled or stewed for a very long time, as it contains a lot of connective tissue.

Lung does not have great nutritional benefits. It is used to prepare fillings.

Meat-bone tails Cattle produce good broths, which are practically indispensable in the preparation of brown broth.

Legs Cattle and small livestock are used primarily for preparing jellies. The best tasting jellies are obtained from beef and pork legs. Veal legs are prepared boiled and fried in breadcrumbs.

Stomach use only after very thorough cleaning; Boiled or stewed dishes are prepared from it.

BEEF SELECTION
FOR COOKING

BEEF FOR COOKING:
broth - bones;
broth and boiled meat - rump, sirloin, brisket, shank, shank, flank;
meatballs - grade III meat.

BEEF FOR ROASTING:
entrecote - thick and thin edge;
brizolya - tenderloin;
beefsteak - tenderloin, thick and thin edge;
splint - tenderloin;
rump steak - tenderloin, sirloin, rump;
rozbratela - thick and thin edge;
beef stroganoff - tenderloin, sirloin, rump;
chopped cutlets - shoulder blade, thigh.

BEEF FOR BAKED DISHES:
baked meat - rump or rump:
roast beef in English - sirloin;
tenderloins in English - tenderloin;
roll - shoulder blade, thigh.

BEEF FOR STEW:
goulash - shoulder, shank, shank, neck, rump, thigh, rump;
roast - rump or rump, shoulder blade;
stufata - rump or rump, shoulder blade;
roll - rump or rump, shoulder blade;
for the chops - rump or rump, thigh, thick and thin edge;
immediately chopped - a spatula.

BY-PRODUCTS:
boiled - tripe, tongue, salted tongue, heart;
fried - brains, liver;
stewed - kidneys, heart goulash.

VEAL

CUTTING VEAL CARCASS
AND THE USE OF ITS INDIVIDUAL PARTS

Veal has a pale pink color. There is often no fat on its surface; the internal fat is dense and pale pink in color. The best meat is considered to be meat from 6-8 week old calves. Well-fed calves have fairly thick muscles. The meat of calves that are too young (up to 4 weeks) is watery and the muscles are poorly developed. Such meat is considered second-class. Veal is tender, ripens quickly, but also spoils quickly, so you should remember the rules for storing it and methods of canning.

SELECTION OF VEAL FOR COOKING DISHES

VEAL FOR BOILED DISHES
Broths for soups: bones;
Jelly: legs, head;
In the sauce: neck part, brisket, shoulder, first cutlet part.

VEAL FOR ROASTED DISHES
Schnitzel, stack, brizol: pulp of the hind leg;
Cutlets: first cutlet part;
Fillet, medallion: hind leg flesh;
In the dough: legs, brisket;
Chopped cutlets: shoulder blade, neck part.

VEAL FOR STEWS
Chops zrazy: the flesh of the hind leg;
Roast: shoulder, kidney, hind leg flesh;
Paprikash: shoulder, brisket;
Roll: the flesh of the hind leg.

VEAL FOR BAKED DISHES
Roast: hind leg flesh; kidney part, knuckle;
Stuffed: brisket, kidney part;
Roll: the flesh of the hind leg.

VEAL FOR CHOPPED MEAT
Shoulder blade, cervical part.

PORK

The best pork meat for culinary processing is considered to be meat from animals weighing about 100 kg, raised for meat, not lard.

Pork meat is tender, only in older animals the meat is hard and stringy. Pork matures faster than beef.

Pork meat is preserved by salting; for a short period of time, it can be filled with milk for the same purpose. Preservation in vinegar dressing is not used, since pork meat with small layers of fat is tender.

SELECTING PORK FOR COOKING DISHES

PORK FOR COOKING
Ribs, shank, shoulder, legs, sideburns;
Jelly: legs; Broth: bones.

PORK FOR ROASTING
Sauteed cutlets: loin;
Steak: ham;
Brizol: ham;
Medallion: loin;
Langet: rear loin;
Breaded cutlets: loin;
Schnitzel: ham;
Chopped cutlets: spatula.

PORK FOR STEW
Goulash: spatula;
Zrazy chops: loin, ham;
Roast stew: loin, shoulder, back sirloin, ham;
Chopped zrazy: spatula;
Braised ribs: ribs;
Braised brisket: brisket.

PORK FOR BAKED DISHES
Roast: ham, shoulder, loin, back loin;
Brisket: brisket;
Roast Roman style: shoulder blade;
Roll: ham.

PORK FOR SALING
Ham, loin, shank, shank, brisket,
Neck, tongue, back loin, ribs.

MUTTON

The most valuable meat is the meat of young (up to 18 months) castrated rams or sheep that are unsuitable for breeding. The meat of well-fed sheep, no older than 3 years, is also tasty. It is distinguished by a light red hue, the fat is elastic and white. The meat of old, poorly fed sheep has a dark red tint and yellow fat. This meat is stringy and is therefore best consumed as minced meat. Lamb fat is rarely used in cooking, as it has an unpleasant odor and, moreover, is difficult to digest.

Lamb meat ripens slowly; to speed up the ripening process, it is best to use a dressing made from vegetable oil and vegetables (up to 24 hours), marinade (2-3 days) or pour sour milk over the meat. The seasonings included in the vinegar dressing add flavor to lamb meat, which is necessary due to its specific smell.

SELECTION OF LAMB FOR COOKING DISHES

LAMB FOR COOKING
Broth: bones;
Boiled meat: neck, brisket, shoulder.

LAMB FOR Roasting
Steak: back leg;
Cutlets with bone: loin;
Chopped cutlets: shoulder blade, neck part.

LAMB FOR STEW
Zrazy chops: back leg;
Goulash: spatula;
Pilaf: brisket, shoulder;
Stew: brisket, shoulder;
Stewed roast: neck, hind leg or kidney.

LAMB FOR BAKED DISHES
Baked meat: hind leg or kidney part.

BIRD

Since ancient times in Rus', poultry dishes have been considered tasty and healthy food. And this is no coincidence: after all, the tender and aromatic meat of chickens, turkeys, ducks, and game has high nutritional value. Thus, the edible part of a chicken carcass (and it makes up about 60% of its total mass) on average contains 13.5% proteins, 4.5% fats, 0.9% carbohydrates. Poultry meat is not deprived of vitamins and minerals. It contains little connective tissue proteins elastin and collagen, and fat is easily melted, so it is well absorbed by the body and is considered a dietary product. For those who are predisposed to cardiovascular diseases, doctors recommend replacing pork, beef, and lamb with chicken and fish. Boiled chicken without skin can be included in the most strict diets.

A large number of extractive substances determine the special taste of poultry broth. The meat of a young bird contains less extractive substances than that of an adult, so for preparing broths it is better to use an adult bird, but not an old one. Old poultry produces cloudy, flavorless broths. It is used for boiling and stewing, and when young it is used for frying.

Game bird meat, unlike poultry, contains more protein and extractives, but less fat. It has a specific taste and aroma. The slight bitterness and resinous smell are considered especially valuable. Game is mainly used for frying. This is due to the fact that the vertebral bones of game contain bitter substances, which, when cooked, pass into the broth.

Poultry includes chickens, chicks, ducks, ducklings, geese, turkeys, and guinea fowl. Feathered game is divided into steppe, swamp, forest and waterfowl. The steppe includes quails, gray and red partridges; to the swamp - snipe, great snipe, waders, woodcock; to the forest - hazel grouse, black grouse, wood grouse, pheasants; to waterfowl - ducks, geese. Compared to poultry meat, game meat is darker in color and has a denser consistency.

Farm poultry goes on sale broken without feathers, semi-gutted, gutted, with a set of by-products included. Game is sold uncleaned.

COOKING POULTRY

Carcasses of chickens, chicks and turkeys, tucked into a pocket or stitched with one or two threads, are placed in hot water. When cooking chickens, chicks and turkeys in one pot, place the turkeys first, then the hens and lastly the chickens, cover the pot with a lid and heat to a boil. After boiling, remove the foam from the broth, add chopped roots and onions, salt and cook at a very low boil.

When the birds are ready, remove them from the boiler first.
- chickens that are cooked for 25-30 minutes,
- then chickens (45-60 min),
- then turkeys (1.5-2 hours).
Ducks are cooked for 1 hour, geese for 1-2 hours.

The readiness of the carcass is determined by piercing the thick part of the leg with a chef's needle (the needle should pass freely).

Game for main courses is rarely boiled (usually boiled game is used in the preparation of salads and other cold appetizers), but the process of cooking game is basically no different from cooking poultry.

LETTERING THE BIRD

They mainly use products made from cutlet and dumpling masses, chicken and game fillets, as well as chickens and pullets.

The cutlet mass products are placed in one row in a saucepan, the bottom of which is greased with oil, and the broth is poured so that it covers the products to 1/4-1/3 of their height. Cover the dish with a lid and simmer over low heat.

Chicken or game fillets are simmered in a saucepan, salted, the surface is sprinkled with lemon juice so that the color of the meat is white, broth is poured so that it covers the fillet by 1/4-1/3 of the height, and simmered over low heat.

Chicks and pullets (hens) are placed in a dish at an angle of 45° to the bottom plane, chopped aromatic vegetables and onions are placed on the bottom of the dish and filled with broth and dry wine to 1/4-1/3 of the height of the bird. After this, the bird is salted, the dish is covered with a lid and simmered until cooked.

The broth obtained by poaching is used to prepare sauces.

ROASTING AND STEWING POULTRY

Carcasses of large poultry (turkeys, geese and ducks), tucked into a pocket or stitched with thread, are salted and placed on baking sheets with their backs down. The surface of turkey carcasses is poured with melted poultry fat, and if the bird is skinny, then with melted lard; for fat geese and ducks - with hot water and placed in the oven.

Carcasses of chickens, chickens, hazel grouse, partridges, black grouse, wood grouse and pheasants are salted, placed on a baking sheet or frying pan with fat (removed from the poultry and melted or with lard), heated to a temperature of 150° (fat layer 3-5 cm), and , gradually turning, fry until a crispy crust forms over the entire surface of the carcass. To create a crispier and more beautiful crust, the carcasses are brushed with sour cream. After frying, the carcasses are turned over on their backs, placed in the oven and cooked until cooked.

When frying poultry and game in an oven, it is necessary to periodically turn the carcasses over and baste them with fat and the juices released from them.

Frying duration
- turkeys and geese 1.5-2 hours,
- chickens 45-60 minutes,
- chickens 25-30 minutes,
— ducks 50-60,
— hazel grouse and partridges 20-30,
- black grouse and pheasants 40-50,
- snipe and quail 8-10 min.

The readiness of poultry meat is determined by the juice released from the frying carcasses when the thickest parts are pierced with a needle. If the juice is colorless-transparent, the bird is ready; if it is reddish-cloudy, the bird is raw.

The finished carcasses of poultry and game are removed from the oven, the threads are removed, transferred to another bowl, and the fat remaining on the baking sheet is removed from the liquid and gravy (juice) is prepared from it, which is poured over the bird when serving. Immediately before serving, poultry and game are chopped into portioned pieces.

Roasted carcasses of turkeys, geese and ducks are cut in half lengthwise, then each half is divided into fillet and leg and chopped into the same number of pieces. Chickens are chopped into four, five, six or more parts, depending on the size of the carcasses and the standard of layout. Hazel grouse and partridge are served whole carcasses or cut into two parts along the breast bone.

Grouse and pheasants are cut into two or three parts in the longitudinal direction, and wood grouse into six to eight parts. Small game - woodcock, quail, great snipe and snipe - is served whole carcasses.

The main side dish for fried poultry and game is fried potatoes. Additionally, green salads, red and white cabbage salads, pickled and pickled cucumbers, pickles, gherkins, squash, as well as pickled apples and pickled fruits and berries can be served separately in salad bowls, on pie plates or vases. Stewed cabbage and baked apples are also served with goose and duck.

Poultry and game for stews are first fried whole carcasses or chopped into pieces, and then stewed in sauce or broth, sometimes with the addition of tomato puree, vegetables, mushrooms, spices and herbs.

ROASTING POULTRY

Poultry and game meat, as well as products included in baked dishes, are boiled, poached, stewed or fried until fully cooked before baking.

Depending on the nature of the dish, the finished products are seasoned with sauce, placed in cupronickel dishes, frying pans, metal molds, rolls, baskets or vol-au-vents baked from puff pastry or butter dough, and then baked.

Baking aims to quickly form a crispy crust over the entire surface of the baked dish; this requires a higher oven temperature, in the range of 300-350°. After a crispy crust has formed, the dish is placed in the oven (150-200°) to warm it completely.

Dishes prepared for baking as semi-finished products can be stored for no more than 2 hours.

Ready-made baked dishes should not be stored, as their appearance and taste deteriorate.

May vegetarians, Hindus, Hare Krishnas and fasters forgive me - this book is not for them. I wrote it in a good mood - and how can one be bored if I had the chance to write on such a topical, burning topic that is close to everyone, like MEAT.

Meat occupies one of the most important places in our diet.

The ancient Arabs assured that there are three types of pleasure: “...eating meat, riding meat and sticking meat into meat” (let everyone understand the last point to the extent of their depravity).

The Jews in the Torah indicated that the two original occupations of mankind since the fall of Adam and Eve were agriculture (which was invented by the vile Cain) and cattle breeding (which was invented by the noble, but died in his prime, Abel). So bread and meat are inseparable in the human diet, just like meat and its side dish.

At the same time, not all representatives of humanity include meat in their diet, and not every day. Christians do not eat it on Wednesdays, Fridays and during periods of fasting, vegetarians do not eat it at all - and nothing, they live. This simply means that they make up for the lack of useful substances contained in this product with other products and other substances.

Our book is devoted to various methods of preparing various types of meat and accompanying side dishes. These will be recipes not only for holiday dishes, but also for ordinary, everyday ones, but this does not make them any less important for our diet.

So let's get started, blessings!

What you need to know about meat

The nutritional value meat is determined primarily by the fact that it is a carrier of complete animal protein and fat. Meat goes well with a wide variety of foods, vegetables, cereals, and pasta.

Meat weight during heat treatment (cooking, frying) it decreases by an average of 40%, mainly due to the release of water from coagulating proteins. From 1 kg of raw meat you get about 600 g of cooked meat. Extractive substances, mineral salts, vitamins, and water-soluble proteins are released from meat along with water. All these substances dissolve in the water in which the meat is cooked and form a broth; fat collects on the surface of the broth. The nutritional value of meat practically does not decrease during cooking, since its most valuable component - proteins - is preserved almost completely, only a small amount of proteins goes into the broth.

At frying the meat also loses moisture, which is released mainly as steam. Therefore, most of the extractives remain in the meat. Due to the preservation of a significant amount of extractive substances in fried meat and the formation of a specific crust on its surface during frying, it has a particularly pleasant taste and aroma. The meat is fried by 35-38%. This means that from 1 kg of raw meat 620-650 g of fried meat is obtained.

Meat is sold by weight, packaged and in the form of semi-finished products.

Carcasses of large and small livestock for retail sale are cut up according to the rules established by state standards.

Signs of good quality meat

The main indicators of freshness meat are its smell, color, consistency. However, in some cases, these signs are not enough to determine the freshness of meat. For example, completely unsuitable frozen meat does not have an unpleasant odor.

Staleness may be detected during test cooking of a piece of meat. Sometimes the meat is pierced with a heated knife, since it happens, for example, that the smell of the outer layer is normal, but in the thickness of the muscles the process of decomposition has already begun.

Benign cooled and chilled meat covered with a thin crust of pale pink or pale red color. When touching the surface, the hand remains dry. When cut, the meat does not stick to your fingers. Its color is red (cattle meat), whitish-pinkish (veal), brown-red (lamb) and pinkish-red (pork), and the juice is clear. The consistency of fresh meat is dense; the hole formed by pressing with a finger quickly levels out.

Beef fat should be white, cream or yellowish in color and firm. When cut, such fat does not spread, but crumbles. Lamb fat should be white, dense, pork fat should be soft, pale pink or white. The smell of fresh meat and fat is pleasant, without foreign impurities.

Benign frozen meat It feels hard to the touch and makes a clear sound when tapped. On the surface and on cuts, the meat is red with a grayish tint, which is given to the meat by small ice crystals. Even with slight heating (for example, if you apply your finger), a bright red spot will form.

Frozen meat does not have a specific meat smell. You can determine its freshness by its smell only after it has thawed.

If meat frozen twice then the quality is much lower. The color of twice-frozen meat is dark red on the surface and cherry red when cut. When warmed with your finger, the color of the meat does not change. Muscles and bone marrow should be red.

Frozen meat should be washed, placed in a pan or basin, covered and left for 2-3 hours so that it gradually thaws. You cannot defrost meat in water or put it in a warm place, as this will greatly deteriorate the quality of the meat.

Topic: Types of raw meat. Signs of good quality meat

Lesson objectives: Familiarization with types of meat raw materials.

Tasks:

Introduce the classification of meat, signs of good quality, storage methods;

Learn to determine the good quality of meat;

Cultivate friendly relationships in the team;

develop a culture of nutrition and the ability to analyze information.

Lesson type: lecture.

During the classes.

Organizational moment (3-5 min.)

Checking readiness for the lesson.

Checking the payroll.

State the topic and purpose of the lesson.

I.Repetition of the covered material (3-5 min.)

What is a balanced diet and why should you follow it?

What is a diet?

What requirements for menu planning must be followed?

II. Explanation of new material (65-70 min.)

Listen to student reports on a new topic.

Meat is a valuable food product, which includes: moisture (73-77%), squirrels (18-21 %), lipids (1-3 %), extractives(1.7-2% nitrogenous, 0.9-1.2% nitrogen-free), minerals(0.8-1.0%) and vitamins A, B, K, E, PP, etc. A person receives all the minerals he needs with meat and meat products. Meat foods are especially rich in phosphorus, sulfur, iron, sodium, potassium; In addition, meat contains microelements - copper, cobalt, zinc, iodine.

Individual by-products also have significant nutritional value, which can replace meat in chemical composition, and even surpass it in vitamin content and hormonal substances.

Classification of meat.

Meat is sorted according to a number of characteristics: by type of animal (beef, lamb, pork, etc.), by gender, age and fatness.

Cattle meat. Depending on the age of the animals, cattle meat is divided into veal (meat from calves aged 14 days to 6 weeks), meat from young animals (from 6 weeks to 2 years), meat from adult cattle (from 2 to 5 years) and meat from old animals. (over 5 years old). Veal meat is most suitable for dietary and baby food. Its color is pale pink. The meat of young animals is light red in color, the fat is almost white. The meat of old cattle is dark red, the fat is yellow.

Pork. The meat of piglets and pork carcasses of animals 7-10 months of age have the best culinary qualities. The color of pork is pinkish red, the internal fat is white, and the subcutaneous fat, depending on the food, can be either white or pale pink.

Mutton. The color of the meat of young animals is light red, of adult animals is brick red, of old animals is dark red. A strong specific smell is characteristic of old lamb meat and is almost not felt in young lamb. Lamb fat is white.

Goat meat. The color of the meat, depending on age, is light red in young animals and dark red in old animals.

Rabbit meat. Depending on the fatness, rabbit meat has a lighter or darker shade of pink.

Horse meat. The population of some areas of our country uses horse meat (horse meat) for food.

Condition of the meat.

Depending on the refrigeration treatment, the following types of meat are distinguished:

fresh meat;

cooled (not chilled) - meat that, after cutting the carcass, has been cooled under natural conditions for at least 6 hours;

chilled - meat that has been cooled in chambers to a temperature of 0 to 4°;

ice cream - meat that, after cooling, has been frozen in special freezers or in natural conditions to a temperature not higher than -6°.

Signs of good quality meat.

Meat storage.

The air temperature in the frozen meat storage chamber is no higher than -12oC for short-term storage, and no higher than -18oC for long-term storage. The relative humidity in the chamber is maintained at 95 ... 98%, with moderate air circulation at a speed not exceeding 0.2 ... 0.3 m/s. The shelf life of frozen meat is at a temperature of -12oC - 2 ... 8 months; at -18oC - 4 ... 12 months; at -25oC - 8 ... 12 months.

In order to keep meat fresh even in the summer heat for a week in the absence of a refrigerator, there are the following methods:

The meat is wrapped in linen, generously soaked in a strong vinegar solution. Before use, rinse in cold water.

The meat is thoroughly rubbed with cut lemon and then stored in an open, well-ventilated place.

The meat is wrapped in parchment paper and then in linen soaked in cold, salty water. From time to time the canvas is wetted again. Ground meat is preserved in the same way.

In warm weather, meat can be preserved for 8-10 days if you wrap it in linen soaked in a solution of salicylic acid, at the rate of 1 teaspoon per 0.5 liter of water. Before use, rinse thoroughly in running water.

Meat is well preserved in whole or skimmed, raw or boiled milk, in yogurt or whey; Changing it every day, pour the liquid so that it just covers the meat, put in a circle and a clean stone.

The meat is immersed in melted beef fat, which, when solidified, also protects the meat from spoilage.

Preserve meat in a harmless borax solution by adding 1/2 to 1 pound of borax to a bucket of boiled water; before eating, rinse the meat thoroughly under running water.

The meat is preserved in the same way, by covering the pieces with nettles, thanks to which it remains fresh for 3-4 days.

Lightly cooked meat is well preserved. The meat is immersed in boiling, highly salted water for 3 minutes for old varieties of meat (sheep, beef) and for 1 minute for young varieties (veal, lamb). After this, place the meat in a pan, compact it, and pour sunflower oil on top.

III.Practical work

1. Describe certain types of meat.

2. Write down the method of processing meat.

IV. Fixing the material.

1.Talk about the nutritional value of meat.

2.How is meat stored?

3.What types of meat do you know?

V. Summing up the lesson. Reflection(5-7min.)

1. Accept completed work

2.Analysis of mistakes made.

3 giving and commenting on ratings.

Signs of good quality meat.

The main criterion when buying meat is its degree of freshness.

Good quality chilled meat should have:

Characteristic color (beef - red, pork - white-pink, lamb - brownish-red, veal - pink with a grayish tint);

The smell is pleasant, without any foreign shades (it is best to pierce the meat with a hot knife, then you can make sure that the decomposition process has not yet begun inside);

White or cream-colored fat (beef fat is hard, does not spread, but crumbles, pork fat is soft with a pinkish tint, lamb fat is dense and not yellow);

The consistency is dense (when pressed, the hole quickly levels out);

The thin crust on top is pale pink or pale red.

Good-quality frozen meat makes a clear sound when tapped and feels firm to the touch. On the surface of the cuts, the meat is red with a grayish coating, which is given to it by ice crystals.

If you place your finger on the surface, a bright red spot should form. After secondary freezing, the quality of the meat is much worse. Its color becomes cherry-red, but when warmed with a finger, the color does not change. We must remember that when thawing frozen meat, you cannot immerse it in warm water, otherwise all water-soluble salts and vitamins will be lost. In general, frozen meat is always worse than fresh meat, and even more so fresh meat. (Source: “idilbay.ru”, “mydiet.ru”).

Questions and answers.

1. What is marbled meat?

Meat with equal amounts of proteins and fats is considered to be the best in terms of taste and nutritional properties. The most tender and juicy is meat with intramuscular fat layers - the so-called “marble”. It is thanks to these small fatty veins that the meat becomes juicy and flavorful when cooked.

2. Do you get better from eating meat?

Naturally, fatty meat contains more calories than lean meat. But still, this alone does not make you better. Only an unbalanced combination of all foods or exclusively one-sided nutrition can lead to weight gain.

3. What vitamins does it contain?

Meat contains a large amount of water-soluble B vitamins: thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, choline, as well as minerals (phosphorus, iron, sodium, etc.) They take care of shiny hair, smooth skin, beautiful nails and strengthen nervous system.

4. For what diseases should you not eat meat?

Fortunately, absolute abstinence from meat is only necessary for very few illnesses. Some, such as chronic kidney disease, require a completely protein-free diet. In this case, you need to completely abandon meat, as it contains a lot of protein.

5. Is a vegetarian diet unhealthy?

A vegetarian lifestyle is, of course, in no way unhealthy. However, a balanced diet is much easier to achieve with meat. Vegetarian diet is not recommended for children and youth.

6. Can salted meat be grilled?

Yes, but in moderation. Grilling loin, ham and similar meat products is carried out at high temperatures. In this case, nitrosamines are formed - substances that have harmful effects on our body (for example, on the liver).

7. Which meat is healthier: white or red?

8. Is it possible to protect yourself from salmonella?

Frozen meat, especially poultry, should never be defrosted directly in the package. It's better to let it defrost slowly right in the package. It's best to leave it to defrost in the refrigerator in a sieve placed in a bowl to allow the water to drain. Hands, as well as all kitchen utensils that will touch meat, should be thoroughly washed. The meat must be thoroughly fried, as high temperatures are detrimental to salmonella.

9. Is it possible to freeze minced meat?

According to the degree of freshness, meat and meat products can be fresh, questionable freshness or stale. When evaluating meat, great importance is attached to organoleptic indicators. In arbitration and in all cases where organoleptic evaluation is insufficient, la bo ratory methods of chemical and microscopic analysis.

Organoleptic and laboratory tests to determine meat spoilage are carried out in case of doubt about its freshness.

To do this, use the methods provided for by regulatory documents (GOSTs, Rules).

M i s o s k o t a

This group includes beef, lamb, pork and meat of other types of slaughter cattle, the freshness of which is assessed according to GOSTs 7269-79, 23392-78 and STB 1036-97.

According to GOST 7269-79 “Meat. Sampling methods and organoleptic methods for determining freshness” establishes sampling methods and organoleptic methods for determining freshness in case of doubt.

SAMPLE SELECTION

Samples are taken from each examined meat carcass or part thereof in a whole piece weighing at least 200 g from the following places:

At the cut against the 4th and 5th cervical vertebrae;

In the area of the scapula;

In the thigh area and thick parts of the muscles.

The mass of the combined sample must be at least 1.0 kg.

If the selected samples are sent to the production laboratory, then each of them is individually wrapped in parchment paper. On the outside of the paper, a simple pencil indicates the number of ink and the name of the fabric (sample) selected for research. Samples taken from the same carcass are packaged together in a paper bag and placed in a lockable box.

If samples are sent to a laboratory other than the meat inspection site, samples taken from the same carcass are wrapped together in a paper bag and sealed.

When sending samples to the production laboratory, an accompanying note is written, and to a laboratory outside the inspection site, a sample collection report is written.

Both the first and second documents indicate the place and time of sampling, the type of animal, the carcass number, the name of the owner of the meat (or the name of the organization), the reasons or purposes of the study. The document is signed by the person sending the samples for analysis.

In the laboratory, the samples are examined, the time of receipt and any packaging defects are noted.

ORGANOLEPTICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Organoleptic methods include determining:

Appearance and color;

Consistency;

Conditions of fat;

Tendon condition;

Appearance meat is determined by visual examination - visual perception of the properties of the product under study. It is produced in natural light. When examining muscle tissue, the presence or absence of a dry crust is recorded, the color of the meat is determined from the surface and on the cut, attention is paid to the presence of blood clots, dirt, mucus, mold and fly larvae. Fresh meat that has been refrigerated has a clean, dry crust on the outside. The cut surface is slightly moist, the color corresponds to the meat of this type of animal.

In the initial stage of putrefactive spoilage, the meat becomes wet and sticky on the surface and on the cut. The color of the meat takes on dark tones compared to fresh meat.

Spoiled meat is slimy on the surface, the color of such meat is dark or gray-green, the cut surface is sticky.

Definition CONSISTENTIES of meat is carried out by pressing on the surface of the meat with a finger, after which the rate of replenishment of the hole is observed. Fresh meat has a dense consistency, the hole is quickly filled, meat in the initial stage of spoilage has a less dense consistency, the hole is filled slowly.

Spoiled meat has a flabby consistency, the hole is not replenished.

Determination of consistency should be carried out at meat temperature +15...+20 0 C.

Definition smell. The smell is determined by sniffing the test samples. Such a study is carried out at a temperature of +15...+20 0 C, since at a lower temperature it is more difficult to establish the smell of meat. During the study, it is necessary to distinguish and record the following types of meat odor: normal (meat-specific), damp or musty odor, putrefactive, rancid, acidic.

Meat in the initial stage of spoilage loses its normal smell and acquires, to a mild degree, one of the above types of smell.

Spoiled meat acquires a strongly pronounced abnormal, most often putrefactive odor due to the accumulation of rotting products. Spoiled meat from fatty animals also acquires a rancid odor due to the breakdown of fat and the accumulation of aldehydes and ketones.

In rare cases, when meat spoils, it acquires a sharply sour smell of sour cabbage or cucumbers.

When examining a large number of meat samples, errors may occur when determining odor. To avoid them, it is necessary to pre-sort the samples and first assess the smell of less spoiled samples, and then more spoiled ones. If there are doubts about the assessment of the smell, then use methods to enhance the smell.

P o b a sh p i l k o y . A smoothly planed sharp pin made from hardwood is stuck into the meat, removed and the smell is immediately determined.

Tested by heating with a multiply. A clean, pointed knife or scalpel is heated by immersion in hot water, quickly stuck into the meat, removed and the smell determined.

P ro b a v a r k o y. Finely chopped pieces of meat are placed in a flask and filled with water (1:3); The flask is covered with glass and its contents are heated to boiling. After the broth boils, lift the glass and smell the steam.

The broth made from fresh meat is aromatic and transparent. Fat floats on the surface of the broth in the form of large sparkles. The broth from meat in the initial stage of spoilage does not have a specific aromatic odor, it is cloudy, and there are small drops of fat on the surface. From spoiled meat, the broth is musty, dirty, cloudy, with flakes; drops of fat on the surface of the broth are almost undetectable.

The cooking test is also used when examining meat to detect the smell of drugs or disinfectants.

Research on other chemical tissues. The condition of fat and tendons is determined at the time of sampling.

In fresh meat, the tendons are dense, white, shiny, and the synovial fluid is clear.

In cattle, the fat is pale yellow, hard, crumbles when crushed, and does not stick to the fingers. Lamb fat is white, solid. Pork fat is white or pale pink, soft.

In all types of slaughtered animals, the color of the bone marrow in the absence of signs of decomposition is pink-yellow, its consistency is dense, the marrow fills the entire lumen of the bone.

In meat of suspicious freshness, the tendons are softened, their color is matte white or grayish. The articular surfaces are covered with mucus, the synovium is cloudy. The fat is matte in color, smears when crushed, and has a slightly rancid or stearic odor. The bone marrow is pink-yellow with a dull gray tint. Its consistency is less dense, and in some places the brain lags behind the bone walls. In spoiled meat, the tendons are dirty gray in color, slimy, and the articular surfaces are abundantly covered with mucus. Synovia is dirty red in color. The fat is gray in color, smears when crushed with fingers, the smell is sharply rancid or strongly stearic. The bone marrow is dark or dirty gray in color, soft in consistency, smearable, and does not completely fill the cavity of the tubular bone.

It should be noted that when examining meat for freshness, practically valuable results are obtained by boiling the meat until fully cooked. To do this, pieces of meat weighing 200-250 g are boiled in a saucepan with a closed lid. After that, the smell of the meat in a hot and cooled state is determined from the surface and on the cut, and its color is also determined. When assessing the taste of boiled meat, special attention is paid to the presence of an unpleasant or foreign aftertaste, bitterness, etc. When assessing the condition of fat, the presence of signs of greasing or rancidity is determined.

All indicators of organoleptic research are related to each other. Based on the organoleptic assessment of meat, the expert must make a judgment about its sanitary condition with a positive, questionable or negative characteristic.

According to the degree of freshness, meat is divided into three categories: fresh, questionable freshness and stale.

Based on the test results, a conclusion is made about the freshness of the meat in accordance with the characteristic features presented in tables 1 and 2.

Table 1

Organoleptic characteristics of meat

varying degrees of freshness

Name	Characteristic feature of meat
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale
	Has a drying pale pink crust or pale red; thawed carcasses are red in color, the fat is soft, partially colored bright red	Moistened in places, slightly sticky, darkened	Very dried out, covered with grayish-brown slime or mold
Muscles on	Slightly damp, do not leave a wet spot on the filter paper; color characteristic of this type of meat	Wet, leave a wet spot on the filter paper, slightly sticky, dark red in color. For defrosted meat - meat juice flows from the cut surface, slightly cloudy	Wet, leave a wet spot on the filter paper, sticky red-brown in color. For defrosted meat - cloudy meat juice flows from the cut surface
Consistency	When cut, the meat is dense and elastic;	the hole formed when pressing with a finger quickly levels out	When cut, the meat is less dense and less elastic; the hole formed when pressing with a finger is leveled out slowly (within 1 minute), the fat is soft, in defrosted meat it is slightly loosened
	When cut, the meat is flabby; the hole formed when pressing with a finger does not level out, the fat is soft, in thawed meat it is loose and greasy	Specific, characteristic of each type of fresh meat	Slightly sour or with a hint of mustiness
Sour or musty or slightly putrid	Condition of fat	Beef - has a white, yellowish or yellow color; the consistency is hard, crumbles when crushed; pork - has a white or pale pink color, soft elastic; lamb - white, thick consistency	It has a grayish-matte tint, slightly sticks to the fingers; may have a slight greasy odor
	Has a grayish-matte tint; when crushed it smudges. Pork fat may be moldy. The smell is rancid Transparent,

fragrant

table 2

Signs of fresh frozen, defrosted and

Name	Characteristic feature of meat
indicator	refrozen meat	frozen	defrosted refrozen meat
again	Appearance and surface color of the carcass	The surface of the carcass is of normal color with a brighter shade than that of chilled meat.	The surface of the cut is pinkish-gray. A bright red spot appears at the point of contact with a finger or a warm knife.
Consistency	The surface of the carcass is red. The color of the fat is reddish. The surface of the cut is smooth, very wet, wets the fingers, and red meat juice drains from the meat.	The surface of the carcass is red. the color of the fat is reddish. The cut surface is dark red. When touched with a finger or a warm knife, the color does not change.
	The meat is as hard as ice; When tapped with a hard object, it produces a clear sound.	The meat is inelastic; The hole formed when pressing with a finger does not level out. The consistency is doughy.	When frozen, meat has no odor. When thawing, a smell specific to this type of meat appears, without the characteristic smell of ripened meat.
	The color of fat in cattle is white to light yellow; in pigs and small cattle it is white.	The fat is partly colored bright red, soft, and watery.	The fat is brick-red in color. Otherwise the same as for frozen meat.
Tendons and joints	Tendons are dense, white with a grayish tint	The tendons are soft, loose, and bright red in color.	The tendons are painted bright red.
Broth clarity and aroma	The broth is cloudy, with an abundance of gray-red foam, and does not have the aroma characteristic of a broth made from chilled, ripened meat.

In cases where meat is classified as questionable freshness based on at least one criterion, as well as disagreements in the assessment of organoleptic indicators, a chemical and microscopic analysis of the freshness of the meat is carried out.

If there is a discrepancy between the results of organoleptic and chemical or microscopic analysis, a repeated chemical analysis is carried out on newly selected samples. The results of the analysis are final.

Laboratory research

Chemical and microscopic analysis is carried out in case of disagreement in assessing the freshness of meat and the methods are defined by GOST 23392-78 “Meat. Methods for chemical and microscopic analysis of meat freshness.”

Microscopic analysis.

Research is carried out using selected samples according to GOST 7269-79.

Chemical analysis procedures are given below.

The results are assessed according to the data in Table 3.

Table 3

meat freshness research

Name	Characteristic feature of meat
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale


	Transparent

M i s o p t i c s

This group includes meat (carcasses) of chickens, chicks, turkeys, poults, ducks, ducklings, geese, goslings, the freshness of which is assessed according to GOSTs 7702.0-74 and 77021-74.

SAMPLE SELECTION

For organoleptic, chemical and microscopic analyses, three samples (carcasses) are taken from the sampling boxes.

If there is a discrepancy between the organoleptic assessment and the results of chemical and microscopic analyses, the meat is subjected to repeated chemical analyzes on five newly selected samples.

The selected samples are sent to the laboratory with an accompanying document, packaged and sealed.

ORGANOLEPTICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Determining the freshness of poultry meat by an organoleptic method includes determining:

Appearance and color;

Condition of the muscles on the cut;

Consistency;

Conditions of fat;

Clarity and aroma of the broth.

Definition beak, oral mucosa, eyeball, carcass surface, subcutaneous and internal adipose tissue, and thoraco-abdominal serous membrane are carried out by external examination.

determined by transverse sections of the pectoral and hip muscles. At the same time, their humidity is determined by applying filter paper to the cut surface for 2 seconds, stickiness by touching the surface of the muscle cut with a finger, and color by visually in daylight.

For determining CONSISTENTIES press on the surface of the bird carcass in the area of the pectoral and hip muscles with a finger and monitor the time it takes for the hole to level out.

Smell The surfaces of the carcass and the abdominal cavity are determined organoleptically. To determine the smell of the deep layers, a muscle incision is made with a clean knife. Particular attention is paid to the smell of the layers of muscle tissue adjacent to the bones. To determine the smell of fat, at least 20 g of internal adipose tissue is taken from each sample. Each sample is crushed and melted in beakers in a water bath, cooled to 20 0 C and the smell is determined by stirring it with a clean glass rod.

For determining TRANSPARENCY OF aroma From the carcass, 70 g of muscle tissue of the lower leg and thigh are cut with a scalpel to the entire depth of the muscles and, without mixing them according to samples, they are ground twice in a meat grinder. The minced meat obtained from each sample is thoroughly mixed, then a sample is taken. To prepare meat broth, place 20 g of minced meat in a conical flask and add 60 ml of distilled water. The contents of the flask are thoroughly mixed, the flask is closed with a clean watch glass and placed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. The aroma of the meat broth is determined during the process of heating to a temperature of 80-85 0 C by sensing the aroma of the vapors coming out of the slightly open flask.

The results of the organoleptic assessment of poultry meat (carcasses) are compared with the characteristic features given in Table 4.

Table 4

Organoleptic characteristics of poultry meat

varying degrees of freshness

Name
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale
Appearance and color:	Glossy	No gloss	No gloss
Oral mucosa	Shiny, pale pink, slightly moisturized	Without shine, pinkish-gray color, slightly covered with mucus	No shine, gray in color, covered with slime and mold
Eyeball	Convex, shiny cornea	Non-convex cornea without shine	Collapsed cornea without shine

Carcass surfaces	Dry, whitish-yellow in color with a pink tint; in lean carcasses, yellowish-gray in color with a reddish tint; skinny people have a gray color with a bluish tint	Moist in places, sticky under the wings, in the groins and in the folds of the skin; whitish-yellow with a gray tint	Covered with mucus, especially under the wings; in the groins and folds of the skin; whitish-yellow with a gray tint, sometimes with dark or greenish spots
Subcutaneous and internal adipose tissue		Pale yellow or yellow color	Pale yellow in color, and the inner color is pale white with a gray tint
Serous membrane of the thoraco-abdominal cavity	Moist, shiny, free of mucus and mold	No shine, sticky, may have some mildew	Covered with mucus, possible presence of mold
Muscles in section	Slightly moist, does not leave a wet spot on the filter paper, pale pink in chickens and turkeys, red in ducks and geese	Wet, leaves a wet spot on filter paper, slightly sticky, darker in color than fresh carcasses	Wet, leaves a wet spot on filter paper, sticky, darker in color than fresh carcasses
Consistency	The muscles are dense, elastic, when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole quickly levels out	The muscles are less dense and less elastic than fresh ones; when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole is leveled out slowly (within one minute)	The muscles are flabby; when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole does not level out
	Specific, characteristic of fresh poultry meat	Musty in the abdominal cavity	Putrefactive from the surface of the carcass and inside the muscles, most pronounced in the abdominal cavity
Broth clarity and aroma	Transparent, fragrant	Transparent or cloudy with a slight unpleasant odor	Cloudy with a lot of flakes and a strong unpleasant odor

Poultry meat classified as meat of questionable freshness based on the results of organoleptic evaluation is subjected to chemical and microscopic analyses.

Chemical and microscopic analyzes are carried out in accordance with GOST 7702.1-74 “Poultry meat. Methods of chemical and microscopic analysis of meat freshness”:

Research includes indicators:

Determination of ammonia and ammonium salts;

Determination of peroxidase (except waterfowl);

Determination of the amount of volatile fatty acids;

Determination of acid number of fat;

Determination of fat peroxide value;

Microscopic analysis.

Research is carried out using selected samples in accordance with GOST 7702.0-74.

The results are assessed according to the data given in Table 5.

Table 5

Microscopic and chemical indicators at

poultry meat freshness research

Name	Characteristic feature of meat
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale
Number of microorganisms in 1 field of view, pcs.	Up to 10, no muscle fiber breakdown	No more than 30, traces of muscle tissue breakdown	Over 30, tissue breakdown is significant


Peroxidase reaction	The hood acquires a blue-green color, turning into brown-brown within 1-2 minutes.		The hood does not acquire a blue-green color, or a brown-brown color appears immediately
Acid number of fat, mg KOH turkey
Peroxide value of fat, % iodine	no more than 0.01		over 0.04

M i s o k r o l i k o v

According to GOST 20235.0-74 “Rabbit meat. Sampling methods. Organoleptic methods of quality assessment” establishes the rules for sampling and methods of organoleptic studies to determine the good quality of the product.

SAMPLE SELECTION

Three samples (carcasses) are taken from the sampling box for organoleptic, chemical and microscopic analyses.

If there is a discrepancy between the organoleptic assessment and the results of chemical and microscopic analyses, rabbit meat is subjected to repeated chemical analyzes on five newly selected samples.

Three samples (carcasses) are taken for bacteriological analyses.

Each selected sample is packaged in polyethylene, cellophane or parchment paper and sent to the laboratory.

From the moment of selection until the start of analysis, samples are stored at a temperature from 0 to 2 0 C for no more than a day.

ORGANOLEPTICAL INVESTIGATIONS

Determining the freshness of rabbit meat by an organoleptic method includes determining:

Appearance and color;

Condition of the muscles on the cut;

Consistency;

Clarity and aroma of the broth.

Definition EXTERNAL APPEARANCE AND COLOR the surface of the carcass, the integumentary and internal adipose tissue and the abdominal serous membrane is carried out by external examination.

Condition of the muscle at the section determined by transverse sections of the femoral muscles. At the same time, their humidity is determined by applying filter paper to the cut surface for 2 seconds, stickiness by touching the surface of the muscle cut with a finger, and color by visually in daylight.

For determining CONSISTENTIES press with your finger in the area of the femoral muscles and monitor the time it takes for the formed hole to level out.

Smell the surfaces of the carcass and abdominal cavity are determined organoleptically. To determine the smell of the deep layers, a muscle incision is made with a clean knife. Particular attention is paid to the smell of the layers of muscle tissue adjacent to the bones. To determine the smell of fat, at least 20 g of internal adipose tissue is taken from each sample. Each sample is crushed and melted in beakers in a water bath, cooled to 20 0 C and the smell is determined by stirring it with a clean glass rod.

For determining TRANSPARENCY AND aroma From each sample, pieces of muscle weighing 25 g are cut out from the area of the thigh, shoulder blade, back, butt and crushed in a meat grinder. The minced meat obtained from each sample is thoroughly mixed, then a sample is taken. To prepare meat broth, place 20 g of minced meat in a conical flask and add 60 ml of distilled water. The contents of the flask are thoroughly mixed, the flask is closed with a clean watch glass and placed in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. The aroma of the meat broth is determined during the process of heating to a temperature of 80-85 0 C by sensing the aroma of the vapors coming out of the slightly open flask.

The degree of transparency of the broth is determined visually by examining 20 ml of broth poured into a measuring cylinder with a capacity of 25 ml and a diameter of 20 mm.

The results of the organoleptic assessment of poultry meat (carcasses) are compared with the characteristic features given in Table 6.

Table 6

Organoleptic characteristics of rabbit meat

varying degrees of freshness

Name	Characteristics of poultry meat (carcasses)
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale
Appearance and color: Carcass surfaces	Has a drying crust of pale pink color	Moistened in places, slightly sticky, slightly darkened	Covered with grayish-brown mucus
Integumentary and internal adipose tissue	Yellowish-white color	Yellowish-white color	Grayish-white color
Serous membrane of the abdominal cavity	brilliant	No shine, sticky, may contain a small amount of mucus and mold	No shine, covered with slime, mold
Muscles in section	Slightly moist, does not leave a wet spot on the filter paper, pale pink with a reddish tint	Wet, leaves a wet spot on the filter paper, slightly sticky, dark red in color	Wet, leaves a wet spot on the filter paper, sticky, dark brown
Consistency	The muscles are dense, elastic, and when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole quickly levels out; dense fat	The muscles are less dense and less elastic; when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole is leveled out slowly; soft fat	The muscles are flabby, and when pressed with a finger, the resulting hole does not level out;
	soft fat	Specific, characteristic of fresh rabbit meat	Musty, most pronounced in the abdominal cavity
Putrid, most pronounced in the abdominal cavity Transparency and	Transparent, fragrant	broth aroma	Clear or cloudy, with a slight unpleasant odor

Cloudy, with a lot of flakes, with a pungent, unpleasant odor

Rabbit meat, classified by organoleptic assessment as meat of questionable freshness, is subjected to chemical and microscopic analyses.

Chemical and microscopic analyzes are carried out in accordance with GOST 20235.1-74 “Rabbit meat. Methods for chemical and microscopic analysis of meat freshness.”

Research includes indicators:

Determination of ammonia and ammonium salts;

Determination of the amount of volatile fatty acids;

Determination of products of primary breakdown of proteins in broth;

Microscopic analysis.

Research is carried out using samples selected in accordance with GOST 20235.0-74.

Research methods are given below.

The results are assessed according to the data given in Table 7.

Table 7

Microscopic and chemical indicators at

rabbit meat freshness research

Name	Characteristic feature of meat
indicator	fresh	dubious freshness	stale
Number of microorganisms in 1 field of view, pcs.	Up to 10, no muscle fiber breakdown	No more than 30, traces of muscle tissue breakdown	Over 30, tissue breakdown is significant

State of the broth after adding copper sulfate	Transparent	Cloudiness from defrosted meat - intense cloudiness with flakes	Formation of a jelly-like sediment from defrosted meat - cloudiness with large flakes
Reaction to ammonia and ammonium salts with Nesler's reagent	The extract becomes greenish-yellow in color and remains transparent or becomes slightly cloudy.	The extract becomes intensely yellow and becomes significantly cloudy.	The hood turns yellow-orange or orange, and flakes quickly form and precipitate.