State College of Washingt N U. S. Department of Agricu Ture
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State College of Washingt n Extension Service U. s. Department of Agricu ture County Agent Work Cooperating Pullman, Washington Ext. Mimeo. 1828 4-H JUDGING -AID IN CUTS OF MEAT ,Tudging Meat by its Appearance There are certain terms that are used to designate the more important characteristics of beef, veal, pork and lamb. These terms are: (1) conformation, (2) ~h' (3) quality. Whether you. are judging meat or buying meat as a consumer, you will want to understand the me~ning of these three terms. They form the basis for judging and grading meats from their appearance. The factors of conformation, finish, and quality are the measuring sticks used in judring beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton. These factors differ to some extent with each of the five· meats. Here is what we mean andlook for in meat judging: 1. CONFORMATION Conformation refers to the general build, form, shape, contour or out- line of the carcass side or cut. Good conformation implies short necks and shanks, deep plump rounds, thick backs with full loins and well- fleshed ribs and shoulders. The most desirable cuts including the l~in, Ext. iv1i.meo. 1828 Par;e 2 rib, round or leg, and chuck and shoulder have full muscles and a l .~rge proportion of edible meat to bone. 2. FINISH Finish refers specifically to the quality, amount, color and distribution of fat. 'I'he best finish implies abundant marbl- inE?; (inter-mingling of fat with lean) and smooth, even covering of firm fat over the exterior surface of the carcass side or cut. The fatness of meat is very important because eating quality which includee juiciness and tenderness depend~ upon the proportion of fat present. Quality has to do with the factors which effect the eating quality of the cooked meat, if the cookine has been done properly. Quality refers to the characteristics of the lean and fat. Quality is related primarily to the firmness and strength of the muscle fibers and connective tissues. These affect the tenderness of the meat. Quality involves the amount, consis- tency and the_ character of the juices and extractives for these influence the eating quality. Ext. Mimeo. 1828 Page 3 Although cooked meat should yield a high proportion of juice, the uncooked meat should be of such a consistency that the flesh when chilled remains firm and resilient. ~Jality is also influenced by marbl- ling. Best quality implies a well-marbled, lean, fine-grained meat with color typical of the meat being judged. Let's look at some variations in meat: Veal shows practically no marbl- ing of fat with the lean. Consequently, the flesh is less firm than is found in comparable grades of beef. Veal also has a moderately thin outside covering of fat as compared with beef. The firmness and color of the fat varies with the S meats and from grade to grade for each kind of meat. Generally, the fat of each kind of meat is progressively firmer as the meat increases in grade. Lamb and mutton produce the hardest fat with the highest melting point, while pork fat is the softest and has the lowest melt- ing point. Now let's place the cuts of meat that are available for judging. Ext. Mimeo ~~tt4 .1828 ~~* i ~ ~ ' v .. ~ ~ ~~' ,, ~~~'«.._ ~- ~ ~ - Remember the various cuts that you will ~e judging are based on a standard of high quality and graded down from that standard. Here are the primary things you are looking for in judging the different meats: High quality beef High guality pork High quality veal High quality lamb Fat Fat Fat Fat --Smooth covering of firm --Exterior-r5 well-covered --Far is clear, firm and white. --Smooth covering of creamy-white fat, evenly with a layer of fairlY firm, Veal has very little fat. clear, white brittle fat distributed over the ex- white fat. over most of the exterior terior of the carcass or of the cut. the cut. 1--Pork fat indicates quality and is largely responsible for t he desirable flavor of this meat. ~an Lean Lean Lean --Lean ~eef should --Color or-the lean of young --Lean is light pink with no --Lean is pinkish red in be ur~form and bright pork is grayish-pink turning marbling. color (In yearling lamb to a delicate rose color in and mutton it is deeper - -Color ranges from older animals. --Lean is very fine, fairly red). pale red to deep blood firm texture, though not so r ed. --Lean is well-marbled with firm as beef and velvety in - -Lean i s fine- grai ned a1d fat. appearance. velvety i n appearance and --The lean of this beef text ure. is well-marbled with --Lean is firm and fine-grained --Veal is the young of beef. creamy-white fat. texture. --Lean is finn, texture is velvety in appearance and fine in grain. Bones Bones Bones Bones --Bones in young beef --Bones are-porous and pinkish --Bones are porous and soft, --Bones are porcus and are pinkish and porous; in color since ·pork is usually with a reddish tinge. Some redish i n color. in older animals, white young. ends are still in the carti and flinty. lage stage. --In older lamb and mu t --Eating quality of --Cuts of veal are considerably ton, they become hard the older animals is smaller than the cuts of beef. and white. likely to be less tend They are from younger animals. er but more flavorful than younger animals. .