When a person goes to the grocery store for dinner, he has a clear idea in his head what he needs to buy: chicken wings, juicy pork steaks, beef tenderloin for goulash or soup set. None of the average consumers think about the classification of meat. This information is important, first of all, for technologists of slaughterhouses and meat processing enterprises.
What kind of meat is it?
There are several different classifications of meat for slaughtered animals:
- by type of livestock;
- on the floor of slaughtered animals;
- by thermal condition;
- by fatness;
- according to the age.
The first, most important point in the classification of meat is by the appearance of slaughtered animals. Here, poultry, wild animals, cattle and small cattle are distinguished. Pork, rabbit meat, horse meat and venison stand apart.
A group of birds unites not only chicken and turkey. This includes the meat of ducks, geese, guinea fowl and even ostriches.
Products from cattle and small cattle include beef, lamb and goat meat.
Classification of poultry meat
The poultry product, in turn, is divided by fatness, age, thermal condition, type and method of processing.
Each species is divided into two subcategories - carcasses of young birds and adults. The first include turkey poults, chickens, goslings, broilers and ducklings. The second includes ducks, chickens, geese, guinea fowl and turkey.
The young have a soft skin, the keel has not yet ossified, and the beak has not been keratinized. Cockerels can be distinguished by soft tubercles-spurs. Adults are characterized by a keratinized beak, a rough skin and scaly paws.
According to the processing method, they are divided into gutted (without internal organs and head), half-gutted (birds with removed intestines) and gutted with an enclosed, hermetically packed set of offal.
According to the thermal state, carcasses can be cooled (t = 25 ° C), frozen (t = -8 ° C) and chilled (t = 0-4 ° C). Temperature is measured in the thickness of the pectoral muscles.
According to their fatness, they distinguish meat of I and II categories. When a carcass is assigned a category, meat is evaluated by technologists according to several parameters, which include the development of muscle mass and body fat, as well as the condition and integrity of the skin.
Pork
Pork is widely used in cooking. They make soups, broths, barbecue, casseroles, steaks, stews, goulash. Pork can be baked, fried, stewed - this is one of the easiest types of meat in cooking. It has a high energy value and good taste. Due to its high fat content, it is not suitable for people who are on a diet, and for children of the first years of life.
The classification of pig meat contains three groups:
- The meat of dairy piglets. Such products are obtained from pigs weighing from 3 to 6 kilograms. This meat is pale pink, often white. There are no veins and coarse fibers in it. Great for baking. Often, milk pigs are stuffed and served to the table with whole baked carcasses.
- Gilts are young pigs weighing from 12 to 35 kilograms. The meat from such animals is pale pink or pale red. The structure is homogeneous, with thin layers of fat.
- Pork. It is obtained from adult pigs weighing more than 38 kilograms. The color can be from red to pink, usually marble in color. Fat veins of white color, pronounced.
Beef
Beef in cooking is called meat obtained from cattle. It is rich in protein, widely used in cuisines of various nations. In some cultures, such as Hinduism, eating beef is taboo.
The classification of cattle meat is based on age:
- The product obtained from adult cows - individuals older than 3 years - usually has a red color with white streaks of fat. Because of the pronounced pattern, it is called marble. Muscle tissue is very dense. More suitable for making soups, broths, stews.
- Young beef is meat from cows and gobies older than 3 months and younger than 3 years. It is pinkish-red in color, fat layers are practically not expressed, the muscles are fine-grained. Young beef is well suited for grilling and frying.
- Veal is obtained from animals under 3 months of age. Such meat is light pink or gray-pink in color, does not have a fat layer, muscle structures are not expressed. It is well absorbed by man. Recommended for diet and baby food. Often used to introduce meat supplements.
Mutton
Lamb refers to meat obtained from small cattle: sheep, sheep and lambs.
Classification of meat of this species contains only two groups:
- Lamb itself, obtained from adults. It has a red-brick color, the structure is rough, the fat layer is pronounced. The fat itself is crumbling, white or yellowish, refractory. It underlies the cuisine of the Turkic peoples and is traditionally used for making barbecue, pilaf or goulash.
- Lamb - meat of young individuals. It has a light red tint, marbling is not pronounced, the subcutaneous fat layer is thin.
Goat
Goat meat is obtained by slaughtering domestic goats. It gained special distribution in Asia and Africa.
You can eat goat meat of 5-6 weeks of age, young animals, neutered goats and summer goats. The classification of goat meat is not different from lamb:
- The meat obtained from adults, saturated brick red, the fat layer of white, quickly darkens in the air. May have an unpleasant specific odor due to improper slaughter or processing of the carcass.
- The product obtained from young animals and kids is usually light pink in color, without any pronounced fat and odor.
Goat is rich in protein and B vitamins, practically does not contain cholesterol and can be used in diet food.
Game
The classification and assortment of wild meat varies greatly from country to country. Typically, dishes from it are served in luxury or national restaurants. The game includes deer, antelopes, kangaroos, bison, bears, roe deer, wild boars, hares, saigas.
Due to natural nutrition and an active lifestyle, it has historically been found that wild meat contains less fat and more protein. As a rule, it is rigid, without visible marbling, dark red or dark brick color.
Such a product is quite difficult to cook, but in the hands of an experienced chef it turns into a delicacy. In cooking, the meat of females and young animals is more valued, since it has a more delicate structure and there is no unpleasant odor in it.
Storage Methods and Implementation
Classification of meat by thermal state is extremely important for points of sale and meat processing enterprises.
The product obtained immediately after slaughter is called paired. The temperature in the thickness of the muscles ranges from 33-35 degrees. Such meat is used for cooking boiled and cooked smoked sausages.
When the temperature drops to 12 degrees, it gets the name cooled down. As a rule, the product is not kept in this condition, since it is the most unstable temperature for storage, bacteria can quickly develop in it, putrefactive processes can begin.
The third category is meat chilled to 0-4 ° C. It is in this form that it has the best taste and the highest energy value. Chilled usually goes to retail or sausage shops. It is also widely used for the preparation of convenience foods. For chilled meat, not only constant temperature is important, but also good air circulation.
For long-term storage use freezing technology. The temperature of the product is not higher than -8 ° C. Frozen meat can be stored for up to three to four months, but has the worst taste.
Categories and varieties
Like poultry, there is a classification of animal meat by fatness: I and II categories. Technologists assign a category depending on the weight, presence and thickness of the body fat, subcutaneous fat, and also the development of muscle mass.
A product having indicators of fatness worse than the second category is not allowed for sale. Such meat is called lean, it has no value. But it may well be suitable for cooking broths.