Judging Retail Meat Cuts

judging retail meat cuts introduction

Traits to Evaluate When Judging Retail Meat Cuts

Judging retail meat cuts involves the same things that are considered when purchasing a retail meat cut to cook and eat.

Muscling
Trim or cooking loss (excess fat and bone)
Quality (flavor, tender, juicy, good color, etc.)

Parts of a Retail Meat Cut

Parts of a retail meat cut diagram

Retail Meat Cut Muscling

Evaluating Muscling

The muscle in a retail meat cut is the red or pink shaded portion of the cut.
The muscle is the most valuable part of the meat cut.
Although some retail meat cuts may contain only one primary muscle, others will contain several different muscles.

Number of muscles in retail meat cuts

Number of muscles in retail meat cuts lamb rack rib chop

Number of muscles in retail meat cuts beef chuck arm steak

Evaluating Muscling

No matter how many muscles are present, a good retail meat cut will have a large precentage of muscle.
- Especially when compared to the amount of fat and bone.
When judging a class of retail meat cuts, cuts with a higher percentage of muscle are desired.

Which of these pork loin rib chops has the most muscle

Left Pork chop has largest loin eye muscle larger amount secondary muscles

Which Lamb Loin Chops has the most muscle

Lamb Loin Chops Most Muscle Answer

Beef Rib Eye Steaks Most Muscle

Beef Rig Eye Steaks Most Muscle Answer

Trimming or Cooking Loss

Evaluating Trim or Cooking Loss

Trim or cooking loss refers to the amount of fat and bone that is lost as the retail meat cut is processed, cooked, and eaten.
In judging a class of retail meat cuts, cuts with a low percentage of trim or cooking loss (fat and bone) are most desirable.
- Should have a high percentage of muscle relative to fat and bone.

Evaluating Amount of Fat

There are three types of fat that are typically present in most retail meat cuts:
- External fat
- Intermuscular fat (seam fat)
- Intramuscular fat (marbling)
Of these three type of fat, external and intermuscular fat are considered waste because this fat is typically not eaten.
- Intramuscular fat is considered as a quality factor, rather than as trim or cooking loss.

External Fat

This is the fat found on the outside of a retail meat cut.
Most of the external fat can be removed by meat cutters as the cut is processed.
A small amount of external fat is good because it protects the outside of the meat and keeps it from drying out.

Intermuscular (Seam) Fat

Intermuscular (seam) fat is the fat that separates muscles.
Unlike external fat, seam fat cannot be removed by meat cutters when the cut is processed.
Seam fat is considered to be a waste, so cuts with minimal seam fat is preferred.
Ideally, seam fat would only be a small line of fat in the cut, not large chunks.

Evaluating Amount of Bone

Another factor to consider when evaluating plate loss is the amount of bone.
Since bone is not a consumable part of a meat cut, bone is considered as a waste.
Depending on the particular cut, retail meat cuts may contain round, flat, rib, or vertebrae bones.
Cuts with less bone are preferred.

Types of Bones

Which Pork Cuts Lowest Trim Loss

Pork cuts lowest trim answer

Which Lamb Cuts Lowest Trim Loss

Lamb Cuts Lowest Trim Loss Answer

Beef Cuts Lowest Trim Loss

Beef Cuts Lowest Trim Loss Answer

Quality

Evaluating Quality

Quality in retail meat cuts deals with the palatability characteristics of tenderness, flavor, and juiciness, and the visual quality of the cut.
The palatability characteristics of a retail meat cut are primarily infuenced by:
- Amount of intramuscular fat (marbling) in the cut.
- Firmness of the lean in the cut
The visual quality of the cut is primarily influenced by the color of the cut.

Intramuscular Fat (Marbling)

Marbling is the little flecks of fat that is found within the muscle (intramuscular fat).
Marbling is important for:
- Flavor - marbling is referred to as the taste fat.
- Juiciness = marbling melts at cooking temperatures, and helps make cooked cuts juicy.
Pork and lamb will typically not marble as well as beef.

Pork cut with the best marbling question

pork cut best marbling answer

lamb cut best marbling

pork cut best marbling answer

beef cut best marbling question

beef cut best marbling answer

Evaluating Firmness of the Lean

The lean in retail meat cuts should be relatively firm to the touch and should not display any obvious fluid accumulations on the surface.
Meat cuts should be discounted if they are:
- Very soft with excess moisture on the surface or present in the packaging. These cuts will lack juiciness and be tough after cooking.
Overly firm and dry. These cuts often have a short shelf-life, and are tough after cooking.

Evaluating color of the cut

Evaluating Colors of Lean

Evaluating Color of the Cut

Dull or off colors may be an indication of:
- Aging
- Spoiling
- Poor quality control
- Poor handling of meat or animals prior to slaughter
Meat cuts that ar overly dark or very pale in color should be discounted.