Product Information: General
Large, complex business Harvesting
Average animal age = 18 to 22 months Average animal weight = 1,300 lbs Average carcass weight = 825 lbs Begins 1 to 2 hours after arrival at plant
48 to 72 hours for whole process
Processing & Selecting Beef
4 major tissues: Muscle Fat Bone Connective tissue
Muscle is major component of meat
Meat Composition
Meat Grading The meat grading program is administered by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA). Beef quality grades indicate palatability characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor.
Inspection By law, all meat must be inspected and passed for
wholesomeness by the USDA Grading
Quality grading is voluntary. Prime, Choice and Select are the most common quality grades consumers see.
Grade Types Prime
Has the most marbling It usually is sold to high-end restaurants, although
some specialty meat markets and supermarkets may carry it
Choice Tends to have a little less marbling The most widely available grade in the market
Select Has the least amount of marbling It’s leaner and a little less juicy and flavorful than the
other two grades
Grade Types
First stage of fabrication = primals 4 major primals account for >75%
Fabricating Primals
Subprimals = primals broken down into smaller portions Excess fat, bone removed; bone-in also available May be purchased for further fabrication in the kitchen
Fabricating Subprimals
example:Ribeye Roast
example:Strip Steak
Increasingly popular Advantages
Less labor Uniformity and consistency More time for creative preparation and presentation Used as needed to reduce product waste Safer and more efficient handling and storage
Limitations Can be ordered by weight or by thickness, not both,
due to variations in carcass size
Fabricating Oven-Ready, Portion-Control Cuts
1998 – New research uncovered several tender and flavorful muscles in the underutilized Chuck and Round
Traditionally used for roast and ground beef - these muscles could be extracted and turned into new steak cuts
Led to development of 13 new beef cuts, also known as beef value-added cuts
Gives consumers more options for favorite cooking methods, while helping meat processors, manufacturers, retailers, foodservice operators improve overall profitability
Easy to prepare and often moderately priced
Muscle Profiling Study = New Steak Cuts
Muscle Profiling Study = New Steak Cuts
At home, consumers are buying more case-ready beef, thanks to advancements in packaging
Case-ready beef accounted for 51% of all beef packages sold at retail in 2010, up from 31% in 2007
Beef Packaging
Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications (IMPS) North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) Both designed to facilitate buyer-supplier communications
in meat product transactions Meat Buyer’s Guide
Produced by NAMP with industry groups Depicts each IMPS item with color photograph and
written description Ensures “apple-to-apple” comparison
Ordering Beef
Processing and selecting beef is a big and complex business
Meat must by inspected and passed for wholesomeness by the USDA, but quality grading is voluntary
Meat can be purchased as: Primal Subprimal Oven-Ready and Portion-Controlled
Muscle profiling research led to introduction of newer steak cuts
Ordering beef streamlined with Meat Buyer’s Guide
Summary
Product Information General: QUIZ1. Which of the following is not a major tissue? (See slide 3)
A. Muscle
B. Myogloben
C. Fat
D. Connective Tissue
2. The USDA meat grading program indicates which of the following about graded meat?
A. Palatability characteristics, like tenderness, juiciness and flavor
B. Meat protein content
C. Levels of pathogenic bacteria
D. The meat’s origin
3. True or false: Quality grading is voluntary.
4. Which of the following USDA grades is the best choice for leanness and minimal marbling?
A. Select
B. Choice
C. Grass-fed
D. Prime
5. True or false: Portion control cuts can be ordered by weight and thickness
Product Information General: QUIZ
Product Information General: QUIZ KEY1. B. Myogloben (See slide 3)
2. A. Palatability characteristics, like tenderness, juiciness and flavor (See slide 4)
3. True (See slide 4)
4. A. Select (See slide 5)
5. False (See slide 9)
Resources Beef cut finder
http://www.BeefRetail.org/ImagesRecipes.aspx
http://www.beeffoodservice.com/cutsearch.aspx Recipes and images
http://www.BeefRetail.org/ImagesRecipes.aspx
www.BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com/Recipes.aspx
http://www.BeefFoodservice.com/recipesearch.aspx Beef cut charts
http://beefretail.org/beefcutcharts.aspx• Beef Culinary Innovation Center
http://www.culinaryinnovationcenter.com/ • Beef Product & Market Research
www.BeefResearch.org
Resources• NAMP Meat Buyer’s Guide
www.MeatBuyersGuide.com • Beef Innovations Group – New Cuts
http://www.beefinnovationsgroup.com/newcutstechnical.aspx
http://www.beefinnovationsgroup.com/cutsanimationandresources.aspx