Meat, Poultry, and
Seafood
© Copyright 2011 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
and published by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
, Grades of Meat
Meat inspection is mandatory in the United States. It ensures that meat
is wholesome and that the processing facilities and equipment meet
food safety standards. Grading is voluntary.
Grading refers to the meat’s quality. The quality of meat
is based primarily on its overall flavor characteristics and
tenderness.
Quality grade measures the flavor characteristics of
meat products. The USDA evaluates meat for traits that
indicate its tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.
Yield grade measures the proportion of edible or usable
meat after it has been trimmed of bones or fat.
6.1 Chapter 6 | Meat, Poultry, and Seafood 2
, Cuts of Meat
A chef must understand the various cuts of meat, the physical
composition of the muscle tissue, and how it is affected by heat.
Muscle fibers are surrounded by connective tissue. This tissue
makes the meat tougher but also more flavorful.
Before a cut of meat becomes available for purchase by an
operation, the processor cuts the whole carcass into large
sections.
After butchering, the meat must be aged between 48 and 72
hours to allow the muscles to relax. At the end of the aging
period, the butcher cuts the carcass into primal cuts.
After the butcher makes primal cuts, fabrication can take place.
Fabrication is the process of butchering primal cuts into usable
portions.
6.1 Chapter 6 | Meat, Poultry, and Seafood 3
Seafood
© Copyright 2011 by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)
and published by Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
, Grades of Meat
Meat inspection is mandatory in the United States. It ensures that meat
is wholesome and that the processing facilities and equipment meet
food safety standards. Grading is voluntary.
Grading refers to the meat’s quality. The quality of meat
is based primarily on its overall flavor characteristics and
tenderness.
Quality grade measures the flavor characteristics of
meat products. The USDA evaluates meat for traits that
indicate its tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.
Yield grade measures the proportion of edible or usable
meat after it has been trimmed of bones or fat.
6.1 Chapter 6 | Meat, Poultry, and Seafood 2
, Cuts of Meat
A chef must understand the various cuts of meat, the physical
composition of the muscle tissue, and how it is affected by heat.
Muscle fibers are surrounded by connective tissue. This tissue
makes the meat tougher but also more flavorful.
Before a cut of meat becomes available for purchase by an
operation, the processor cuts the whole carcass into large
sections.
After butchering, the meat must be aged between 48 and 72
hours to allow the muscles to relax. At the end of the aging
period, the butcher cuts the carcass into primal cuts.
After the butcher makes primal cuts, fabrication can take place.
Fabrication is the process of butchering primal cuts into usable
portions.
6.1 Chapter 6 | Meat, Poultry, and Seafood 3
