IDENTIFYING STANDART MEAT CUTS

1. Beef:

- Beef is the most popular of all the edible meats. Since beef is so popular, it is important that Kitchen personnel have some knowledge of this Product.

Age and sex have such a great influence on the taste and quality of the meat and classified into five classes:

a. Steers;

- A steer is a young male that has been castrated when still a calf. Most steers are about 2,5 to 3 years old when they are marketed with weight about 325 to 625kg.

b. Heifers;

- A heifer is a young female that has not given birth to a calf. They are generally marketed like a steer.

c. Cows;

- A cow is Female, which has borne one or more calves.

d. Stags;

- A stag is a Male castrated after it has become sexually mature. A big percentage of this beef is used in canned Meat products and dried-beef.

e. Bulls;

- A bull is a Male that is sexually mature and uncastrated.

- Most bull Meat is used in the making of sausage and dried-beef.

2. Veal

- Veal carcasses will average in weight from 30 to 80kg, but the best veal is slaughtered when between 6 to 8 weeks old and weight about 125 pounds.

- From birth to about 8 weeks old the calf is fed its mother's milk, so the fat is clear, firm and white, the flesh is light pink in colour and there is no marbling or fat.

3. Lamb

- Lambs are young sheep, both male and female, approximately 12 months old.

- Mutton are sheep, both Male and Female, approximately 20 months or older.  

- Lamb is more tender and delicate in flavour - mutton is slightly tougher, depending on its age, and quite strong in flavour.

There are three types of lambs:

a. Genuine spring lamb, they are 3 to 5 months old and are fattened chiefly on their mother's milk, and also known as Milk lambs.

b. Spring lamb, they are usually 5 to 10 months old when slaughtered.

c. Yearing lamb, they are about 12 to 20 months old-generally too young to be mutton and too old to be lamb.

4. Pork

- Pork is the meat of hogs, usually less then 12 months of age.

- Pork has a very high fat content.

- Practically all pork is marketed as cuts rather than by the quarter, side or carcass. Many pork cuts are more desirable when smoked.

- Another reaseon pork is marketed by cuts is the fact that pork meat will spoil much more rapidly than other edible meats.

- Pork is in light-coloured meat and, therefore, very delicate in flavour.

- Pork is always cooked well done in order develop the delicate flavour to its fullest extent. If pork is not cooked well done, a disease called trichinosis might be passeed on to the customer.