Beef + Lamb New Zealand Reference Guide

New Zealand Beef and Lamb - Products to be Proud of

New Zealand has a long history as a Beef and Lamb which carries the
producer of quality meat. We are justly Quality Mark provides buyers with
proud of the excellent reputation of an assurance that a range of
our naturally raised beef and lamb, in quality standards for beef and lamb,
export markets around the world, and beginning at the farm and carried right
on New Zealand dining tables. through to retail level, has been met.

Meat is important to New Zealanders. The Beef + Lamb New Zealand

Beef and lamb are delicious, nutritious Reference Guide has been produced
meats which make an important to give butchers, chefs and cookery
contribution to a healthy, balanced students a better understanding of
diet. The wider meat industry makes New Zealand beef and lamb quality,
a very important contribution to the range of processing cuts available
employment and to foreign exchange and their attributes, handling and
earnings through export, and also cooking methods. It includes a broad
as more and more tourists enjoy the background on meat structure and
experience of eating New Zealand the nutritive value of beef and lamb,
beef and lamb here. with both a glossary and index for easy
reference.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand is responsible
for the promotion of beef and lamb If you would like further information on
within New Zealand and is jointly funded beef and lamb, contact us at Beef +
by farmers, processors and retailers. Lamb New Zealand on freephone 0800
733 466 or email enquiries@beeflambnz.
Included in its activities to promote
co.nz, or visit www.beeflambnz.co.nz
the consumption of beef and lamb
is the production of leaflets on meat
cuts, recipe cards and information
packs for school teachers and health
professionals, and the highly successful
campaign to highlight awareness of
the importance of iron in the diet.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand also works Rod Slater

closely with the foodservice industry in Chief Executive Officer
order to encourage excellence in beef Beef + Lamb New Zealand
and lamb cuisine.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand manages

the New Zealand Beef and Lamb
Quality Mark. The introduction of the
Quality Mark in September 1997 put
New Zealands domestic meat industry
at the forefront of quality initiatives.

3rd Edition, 2010

Contents Naturally raised, Quality assured

Naturally raised, quality assured....................... 1

Quality begins on the farm............................... 2
Processing notes................................................ 10
New Zealand Beef & Lamb Quality Mark....... 3
Tenderness and eating quality........................ 16
Processing: efficient, hygienic and humane
Meat cuts........................................................... 23
Beef cuts....................................................................................... 24 Pre-slaughter care....................................................................... 4
Veal cuts....................................................................................... 35 Slaughter process......................................................................... 4
Lamb cuts..................................................................................... 36 Post-slaughter: conditioning and aging................................... 4
Meat inspection........................................................................... 5
Edible offal/variety meats........................................................... 44
Special cultural procedures: Halal and Kosher........................ 5

Notes for meat buyers (Foodservice) ............ 49

Flow chart: beef processing....................................... 6
Food safety and meat hygiene...................... 57

Good nutrition with beef and lamb................ 62 Flow chart: sheep and lamb processing. .......... 7

Meat cookery.................................................... 69 Classification: putting like with like......................... 8

Cooking techniques......................................... 74
New Zealand beef classification............................. 8
Glossary of meat, butchery, cookery and
menu terms...................................................... 105
New Zealand sheep classification. ........................ 8
Index................................................................. 121

1
 Quality begins on the farm The New Zealand Beef & Lamb Quality Mark
New Zealand cattle and sheep are New Zealand beef cattle breeds Today the New Zealand Romney is the Quality for the customer The Quality Mark label on beef Processors and independent
raised on grass - their natural diet - a In 2009 New Zealands beef herd countrys main sheep breed, being The New Zealand Beef and Lamb and lamb provides customers with wholesalers are audited on average
luxury this country can afford because numbered nearly four million. 41% of the national flock. Coopworths Quality Mark represents a set of an assurance the meat has been four times a year and retailers are
of the temperate climate, and its (Romney/Border Leicester cross) standards designed to deliver a produced in a way which ensures high audited a minimum of twice a year.
extensive pasture and hill country. The majority of New Zealands represent 12%; Perendale (Romney/ consistent level of quality. It was standards of:
cattle herd evolved from traditional Cheviot) 10%; and the Corriedale, the launched to the consumer in 1997. Product tenderness is audited at point
This is not the case elsewhere in the British breeds, including Angus and first New Zealand-bred sheep, 2%. eating quality including tenderness of sale (retail). Random samples
world. In the USA and Europe, for Hereford. Today the main beef breed Beef + Lamb New Zealand is and colour; of beef and lamb are purchased
example, many animals are finished on is Angus, followed by Hereford and the Some other sheep breeds include New responsible for implementing the microbiological quality (food from meat retailers and analysed for
a grain-based diet for varying periods of crossbreeds of these. Zealand Halfbred, Merino, Borderdale, Quality Mark programme. safety); tenderness (see page 21).
time and some are housed indoors for Texel, Drysdale, Southdown, Cheviot, storage and handling treatment;
part of the year. Other beef breeds include: Simmental, South Suffolk, Suffolk, Poll Dorset, Dorset The Quality Mark label appears only on animal welfare. Customer feedback
Shorthorn, Charolais, Murray Grey, Down, Dorset Horn, English Leicester, meat which has achieved standards Customers are encouraged to call
Pasture-fed beef is generally lower in South Devon, Limousin, Blonde Hampshire, Cormo, Polwarth and set by Beef + Lamb New Zealand and Auditing the Quality Mark Beef + Lamb New Zealand toll free on
fat with less marbling than grain-fed dAquitaine, Belgian Blue, Salers, Lincoln. More recently breeds such as representatives of the meat industry at The Quality Mark programme involves 0800 733 466 or email any concerns
beef. Gelbvieh, Chianina, Piedmontese, the Finn have been introduced. East all levels through to retail. producers, processors, wholesalers, to enquiries@beeflambnz.co.nz if they
Welsh Black and Red Devon to name Friesian, a breed used for milking as retailers and marketers. have any issues about Quality Mark
A very small percentage of New a few. well as meat has also become popular. beef and lamb products.
Zealand beef and lamb is grain-finished To ensure the success of the Quality
to meet specific market demand. The Some beef originates from New Quality meat comes from unstressed Mark, regular auditing is undertaken at
animals are fed a specially formulated Zealands dairy herds (mainly Friesian/ animals all points to ensure standards are being
grain-based diet for a specified time Holstein), often being crossbreeds There are some differences in meat met.
before slaughter. derived from traditional beef bulls. texture between the different breeds
of cattle and sheep. Beef with more
New Zealands healthy feed regime New Zealand sheep breeds marbling is likely to be more succulent.
produces quality beef and lamb, In 2009 New Zealands estimated
and the technology and hygienic
conditions employed in processing
sheep flock was just over 32 million. Flavour differences in meat are related
to an animals age, feed and breed.
Why have the Quality Mark?
meat are unsurpassed. Since the refrigerated meat export
business began over 125 years ago, For meat tenderness, the feeding and The quality of meat cannot be judged The Quality Mark provides for some
Beef and lamb are nutritious meats there has been an increasing focus on management, pre-slaughter handling solely by its appearance. additional requirements in these areas
providing high quality protein. They are developing dual-purpose breeds to and processing of the animal are as well as having a specific eating
considered nutrient dense (ie a small produce both quality meat and wool. far more significant than any breed Customers today want consistent quality standard.
serving gives a high concentration of More recently, with wool prices low difference. quality. If a product does not meet
many essential nutrients). and lamb, especially chilled lamb, a their expectations or if the quality For some years Beef + Lamb New
premium product in overseas markets, Quality begins on the farm. An animal is inconsistent, they will switch to Zealand research at retail level showed
most sheep are being bred first and stressed because of undernourishment something else. while there was a great deal of good
foremost for the quality of the meat or excessive activity will not produce quality meat being sold, there was also
they produce. quality meat. Consumer confidence in beef and variability.
lamb and the meat industry is critical.
Beef + Lamb New Zealands most
All meat produced in New Zealand recent consumer research highlights
is subject to strict food hygiene and the fact consumers are unsure about
animal welfare standards. what meat to buy or how to cook it.
This Guide is designed to assist the
understanding of these processes.
2 3
 Processing: efficient, hygienic and humane
New Zealand is a world leader Sub-primals are prepared by Pre-slaughter stress in livestock affects It can, however, be accelerated by Special Cultural Procedures
in innovative meat processing subdividing these (eg by seaming, meat quality because the glycogen passing an electric current through the HALAL
technology, including humane which is cutting along the muscle in muscle cells is used up, resulting in a carcass after slaughter. This reduces New Zealand produces meat for
slaughter. seam). high pH (see page 18). High pH affects the conditioning time for sheep to Islamic markets and is the worlds
meat colour, texture, shelf life, flavour within two to six hours and beef to major exporter of halal-certified sheep
Meat processing companies are very Everything from the animal is used. and tenderness. within three to six hours. meat as well as a significant exporter
aware they are in the food business. In additon to meat, a wide variety of halal beef. New Zealand plants are
For this reason, plants where stock of by-products (co-products) are Keeping animal stress to a minimum Accelerated conditioning, usually inspected and approved by halal-
is slaughtered are now known as produced which range from hides and helps maintain meat quality. followed by aging (Accelerated certifying authorities prior to exporting
Conditioning and Aging) is widely used any halal product.
processing plants and considered pelts to casings (used for sausages)
as food factories (the term freezing and pharmaceuticals, eg from blood. The slaughter process in New Zealand to achieve uniform
To be accepted as halal meat,
works is seldom used). Inedible materials may be rendered The slaughter process complies levels of meat tenderness. (See section
the sheep or cattle must be
down to produce tallow and meal. with the New Zealand slaughter on tenderness, page 16.) slaughtered in the true Islamic
Modern, efficient meat processing regulations (controlled by the New manner, in accordance with the
facilities comply with stringent New Note: Plants which process meat for Zealand Food Safety Authority or Meat Inspection Sharia of Islam.
Zealand hygiene standards to meet export each have their own Meat NZFSA). New Zealands meat inspection regime Only accredited Muslim halal
those demanded by certifying Export (ME) licence number. Plants The slaughter process is fast, is regarded as being one of the best in slaughtermen are employed to
agencies from all major importing which process for the domestic market humane and efficient. Animals the world. perform the ritual procedure,
countries. only have an Abattoir (AB) licence. are stunned immediately prior to which is supervised by
slaughter and experienced Plants meet international hygiene halal-certifying authorities.
Achieving ISO 9002 standards is a operators carry out slaughter. standards under NZFSA mandated Customers are assured by
Pre-slaughter care
For details of what happens inspection regimes. certification that the meat is truly
priority for many meat companies, as Pre-slaughter care of livestock is the
Inspection is done both before halal.
is introducing Hazard Analysis Critical most important part of the production at each stage of processing from
Control Points (HACCP) and other of quality meat. Meat quality slaughter to packaging, see page and after slaughter and at
Halal processed meat is also available
quality assurance systems as part of the starts with healthy, well-nourished 6 (beef) and page 7 (sheep and various points throughout the on the New Zealand domestic market.
overall management system. stock. Prevention of animal stress lamb). processing/dressing chain
and maintenance of good hygiene operation.
An increasing amount of product is standards are top priorities for ensuring Post-slaughter The task of the Government- KOSHER
further processed (ie beyond the quality meat. The process starts on the Post-slaughter procedures, which appointed inspectors is to Jewish people observe the dietary laws
carcass) at the plant after slaughter, farm, with farmers required to present include conditioning, accelerated ensure stock is slaughtered of kashrut, which lists foods which are
although some major supermarket their stock in a clean, rested condition. conditioning, chilling and aging, also humanely and meat is free from not permitted and those which are.
chains prepare and package meat at have a major impact on meat quality disease and fit for human Permitted foods are termed kosher-fit.
their own boning centres. The farmer, the stock truck driver and and tenderness. consumption.
processing plant staff all have a part to The New Zealand Meat Animals must be slaughtered in
Large companies may have several play in animal welfare. Livestock must These procedures are designed to Classification Authority is a ritual manner by a professional
thousand specifications for cuts to suit be handled with care during muster, avoid cold shortening, which causes responsible for the meat slaughterman, to cause least pain
various customers. Many specialist loading and transport, as well as on meat to be less tender. classification system (see page 8). and let as much blood drain as
suppliers to the New Zealand market arrival at the plant. possible. Consumption of blood is
offer a buyers manual listing their Cold shortening occurs if meat is For more scientific and technical forbidden.
specifications. Some specialists supply A transport code of practice has exposed to temperatures colder than information about the slaughter Certain parts of the animal are
restaurant-ready chilled meat by been drawn up by the Animal 7C before the muscle has passed process, you can contact either Carne not permitted, eg fat from below
courier. Welfare Advisory Committee, through the process of rigor mortis Technologies on 07 826 0731, or the abdomen and the
which also sets Recommended Plant (stiffening after death). Beef + Lamb New Zealand, email: hindquarters may not be eaten
The first large cuts made from the Pre-Slaughter Standards. These codes enquiries@beeflambnz.co.nz or unless the sciatic nerve and
carcass are the whole muscle cuts are underpinned by animal welfare This process, known as conditioning, freephone 0800 733 466. sinews are carefully removed.
known as primal cuts (such as a rump). legislation. takes from 18 to 24 hours to occur
4 naturally in lamb and from 24 to 36 Kosher processed meat is not produced 5
hours in beef. in New Zealand.
 Stock delivered to the Flow Chart: Beef Processing Stock delivered to the Flow Chart: Sheep and Lamb Processing
processing plant. processing plant.
Pre-slaughter inspection Pre-slaughter inspection

Stockyard Stockyard Weighed,

Low voltage Final washed, Accelerated
Sorted, counted, stimulation Sorted, counted, carcass classified
Conditioning
inspected, washed Accelerated inspected, washed inspection Tunnel
Conditioning

Slaughter Board & Dressing Chain Slaughter Board & Dressing Chain

Stunned, Feet Head Remains Hide Tail Stunned, Feet Pelt Eviscerated Head Remains
slaughtered, removed removed removed removed slaughtered, removed removed Casings Dept removed
blood blood
Rendering Dept Fellmongery Tongues, brains
Tongue, Edible Edible Inedible Rendering Dept
cheeks, Offals Dept Fellmongery
Rendering Dept headmeats Eviscerated Casings Dept Offals Dept Offals Dept Edible
Rendering Dept Offals Dept
removed Chiller (cooling
Sawn into sides Heart
Liver
Cooked floor)
Edible Inedible Pet food
Sausage Casing Skin selected Wool removed Kidneys
Edible Offals Dept Offals Dept for further from skin Sweetbreads Tallow Meal
Offals Dept Final carcass processing Rendering Dept
into sheepskin
Heart Pet food inspections products Wool graded Pelt processed
Liver Rendering Dept and baled and packed
Kidneys Railed by
Tripe Cold Store Blast classification,
Local Trade Shipped Frozen
Local Trade -180C freezer bagged

Chiller (primals) IW or VP
Chilled Chiller 00C to 20C IW or VP
Boned or
packed in Specific cuts Boning room Chiller 00C packed in Cutting
Export Trade Export Trade particular cuts
cartons or removed less than 100C to 70C cartons or removed Room
bins bins
Weighed,
Quarters washed,
Blast freezer Rendering Dept classified Chilled carcass
(non-primals) Blast freezer
Local Trade
Local Trade Cooked Local Trade

Tallow Meal Frozen

Frozen Cold store -180C Cold store -180C
Export Trade Export Trade

IW- Individually Wrapped IW- Individually Wrapped Local Trade

VP - Vacuum Packed VP - Vacuum Packed

6 7
 Classification: putting like with like
New Zealands export meat NEW ZEALAND BEEF CLASSIFICATION For Export Classification the Hogget (two-tooth) - a young
classification system has been designed following variations apply: male or female sheep with no
to put like product with like. This For domestic/local market Steer carcass weight is over more than two permanent
benefits both the farmer, who is paid Beef (bovine) carcasses are: 145kg. incisors (these usually appear at
according to what has specifically Steer, heifer, cow, bull and bobby calf. Heifer carcass weight is over about 12-15 months of age).
been produced and the buyer, who For the purpose of this classification the 145kg. Ram - adult uncastrated (entire)
can give clear specifications. following definitions apply: Steer, heifer, bull and cow male sheep with more than two
carcasses (except dairy permanent incisors.
Once livestock has been slaughtered, Gender and maturity types) are graded into Four-Tooth Mutton - a wether
the carcass meat from cattle and Bobby Veal - meat from a calf muscling classes. Muscling (castrated male sheep) or
sheep is classified as beef or veal, or as weighing less than 30kg and classification is based on the ewe (female) with four permanent
mutton, hogget or lamb. generally under two weeks of degree of muscling in the incisors.
age. hindquarter. Mutton - a wether or ewe with six
After slaughter and dressing, meat White Veal - meat from a calf Selected Young Beef is a or more permanent incisors.
companies classify all carcasses which has been fed entirely on milk voluntary carcass category.
according to a voluntary standard. or milk products. These are young bovine Fat
(Dressing is the term for evisceration Veal - the meat from calves animals having no more than All fat content assessment is based on
of the carcass and removal of head, weighing no more than 160kg four permanent incisors the measurement of total tissue depth
hooves and hides or pelts.) (domestic market only, no erupted and weighing over the twelfth rib, at a point 11cm
export equivalent). between 245 to 360kg. from the midline of the back. This is
Meat is classified by four factors: Calf - a bovine animal of either known as the GR measure.
sex not over 12 months of age. New Zealand is unique in having
1. Gender (sex) Heifer - female cattle over 12 a substantial export trade in beef Lambs or hoggets provide quality meat
2. Maturity (age) months of age and having from young bulls, slaughtered at for table cuts. Meat from wethers
3. Fat content (finish) no more than six permanent 18 months to 3 years of age. and ewes is more suited to stewing or
4. Muscling (conformation) incisors (cutting teeth) and a manufacturing, although legs and loins
carcass weight over 160kg. can be suitable for table cuts.
NEW ZEALAND SHEEP
All export meat companies employ Steer - a castrated male bovine
their own graders to carry out this over 12 months of age, or with a
CLASSIFICATION For Export Classification:
function. The Meat Classification carcass weight over 160kg. Alpha Lamb - a specialised class
Authority employs auditors to ensure For the domestic/local market, for young lamb under 9.1kg, almost
Cow - female cattle having
the classification is carried out sheep carcasses are classified devoid of fat.
more than six permanent incisor
consistently across all meat plants. according to the maturity of the Lamb - a young sheep under 12
teeth.
carcass (lamb, hogget or mutton), months of age or without any
Bull - uncastrated (entire male
There are some slight differences in sex, fat content, weight and in some permanent incisor teeth.
bovine) 12 months or older.
definitions used for classifying meat cases muscling. Hogget - a young male sheep or
for export and local sale. Many local Fat maiden ewe having no more than
suppliers choose to classify to export For the purpose of this classification two permanent incisors.
All carcasses, except bobby calves,
standards. the following definitions apply: Mutton - a wether or ewe with six
are classified according to depth of fat
cover. or more permanent incisors.
Gender and maturity Ram - adult uncastrated male
Lamb - a young sheep under 12 sheep with more than two
Prime quality beef comes from steers or
months of age, or with no permanent incisors.
heifers and occasionally from Selected
permanent incisor teeth (cutting
Young Beef (see following column).
teeth).
Most manufacturing beef comes from
bulls or dairy cows.
8 9
Processing Notes Beef Boning Chilled and Frozen Product Product Descriptions
New Zealand meat companies have a The New Zealand export meat industry
variety of beef processing systems that owes its existence to the development Chilled beef
allow them to match products to their of refrigerated shipping. The first Vacuum-packed and stored at a
Processing Notes customers needs. shipment of frozen meat from New temperature of - 10C (+ or - 0.50C).
Zealand to England was in 1882. This product has a storage life of
Beef boning............................................................................................ 11 up to 12 weeks after production.
Two major systems, cold boning and
Chilled and frozen product.................................................................. 11
hot boning, are used; the names In the early days, almost all product
The curing of meat................................................................................. 12
referring to the time and temperature exported from New Zealand was Aged frozen beef
at which the carcass is processed into frozen, the large percentage of In this process, beef is vacuum-
cuts following slaughter. sheep meat as carcasses and beef as packed then chilled at - 10C (+ or
quarters.
Technical Facts about Meat Cold boning
- 0.50C) for 15 to 21 days. It is then
blast frozen at - 360C, and kept at
Cold boning is the more traditional Now, only about 3% of lamb is exported a temperature of - 120C or colder.
Structure and composition................................................................... 13
system used for processing beef to as carcasses. A huge variety of This product has a storage life of
Colour...................................................................................................... 15
produce quality table cuts. cuts, both boneless and bone-in, are up to 24 months. When required,
prepared for export. Almost all beef is it is best thawed slowly under
After slaughter, the carcass is placed exported boneless. refrigeration.
into a temperature and humidity-
controlled chiller where it is held The first shipments of chilled beef were
for approximately 24 hours to allow in the 1930s, but chilled exports of both Chilled lamb
the meat to cool and go into rigor. beef and lamb did not really begin to Lamb cuts are vacuum-packed
The carcass is then processed into grow until after the development of and held at - 10C (+ or - 0.50C) for
cuts in a temperature-controlled vacuum packaging and Controlled up to 12 weeks after production.
environment (70C). Cuts are trimmed Atmosphere Packaging (CAP).
to specification before packing. Frozen lamb
These and other new packaging After conditioning, lamb is chilled
Hot boning techniques, many of them developed for up to 72 hours at - 10C (+ or -
Hot boning is carried out soon after or refined in New Zealand, make it 0.50C) to ensure tenderness. After
slaughter, while the muscles are still possible for meat to be transported by chilling it is cut, vacuum-packed
pre-rigor and the meat still warm. sea to international markets and arrive or shrink-wrapped, then frozen
in a fresh condition, with several weeks and stored at - 120C or colder. This
The process was originally designed of shelf life remaining. product has a storage life of up to
for the production of beef for 24 months.
manufacturing or further processing, eg Now an increasing proportion of both
hamburgers, ground beef for pizzas, etc. beef and lamb is exported chilled.
However there has been significant
research and development carried out
in this area and, as a result, many now
claim hot boning is the equivalent to
cold boning in terms of eating quality
consistency.

10 11
 The Curing of Meat Food regulations
There are strict regulations on additives
Curing meat by drying
The process of dry-curing meat involves
Technical Facts about Meat
Reasons for curing meat permitted in cured meats and limits the removal of moisture. To draw out Structure and composition The Structure of Muscle
Increase the keeping time on the nitrite or nitrate content of final moisture, fresh meat is first rubbed with An understanding of the structure Bundles of muscle
(preservation) products. dry salt, or a salt and spice mixture, and composition of meat is helpful in fibres
Alter or improve flavour, and regularly turned (a process which understanding why meat behaves
aroma and/or texture In limited quantities, nitrate itself is not is slow and time consuming) before it is the way it does during processing and Connective Tissue
Offer greater variety of cuts toxic. Nitrate is found in all vegetable air-dried under controlled conditions. when it is cooked.
Add value to the cut foods. Quite high levels are found
in vegetables, such as spinach and An example of dried meat is beef jerky. Meat is made up of:
silverbeet. But nitrate is easily changed Theprocess involves thinly-sliced beef Fibre
Cured, corned, salted or pickled meat Protein (in muscle and connective
is fresh meat which has been prepared to nitrite - harmless in small doses but being marinated to impart flavour tissue)
by treatment with salt or brine (or both), poisonous at very high levels. before drying. If stored air-tight or Water
with or without the addition of sodium under very dry conditions, jerky keeps Fat
nitrate. Nitrite can form nitrosamines, which well and does not need refrigeration. Minor components (glycogen,
are reported to be carcinogenic in vitamins, minerals, etc)
animals if taken for a long time at high Muscle fibres
Cured meats may also have any of the
following added: concentrations. However, this has not Muscle Connective tissue
Sweeteners, flavouring substances, been proven in humans. Muscle tissue is made up of long, thin
smoke and smoke flavours, spices cells or fibres bound together by thin
Acidity regulators The curing process sheets of connective tissue.
Ascorbic acid, isoascorbic acid Brine, a mixture of clean water,
salt, nitrite with or without nitrate, These bundles of fibres are held in Bone
(erythorbate) or their sodium salts
Sodium citrate polyphosphate, sweeteners and groups by more connective tissue to
Phosphates (retain moisture) spices, is injected into meat using an make up an individual muscle. Several
electrically-operated brine pump. muscles usually make up one meat cut,
Nitrate has several desirable effects on eg rump consists of five main muscles.
meat: The strength (concentration) of the
brine is very important and is measured Muscle
It has a preservative, bactericidal Two major proteins are found in muscle:
effect. Nitrate (when working by an instrument called a salinometer. myosin and actin. These exist as long,
together with pH and common The pumped meat is then placed in a chain-like molecules lying parallel Tendon
salt) inhibits harmful organisms such holding brine for approximately 48 to 72 to each other and are molecules
as Clostridium botulinum. hours under 100C. of motion. They are able to slide
It has an antioxidant effect alongside each other, form cross-bonds
Cuts commonly cured: Beef silverside, and lock together to form a complex Bundle of muscle
(delaying rancidity of animal fats).
brisket, topside, tongue, lamb or molecule, actomyosin. This cross fibres
It causes reddening of the meat
mutton leg. Some cured meats are bridging shortens the muscle cell so the Muscle fibres are held in bundles by
(cured meat is pink to dark red). Cross-section of a muscle showing fibres
further processed by smoking, eg muscle contracts. connective tissue, then the bundles are held
This reddish, cured meat colour is in bundles bound together by connective
smoked beef, pastrami and ham. together by more connective tissue to form
a result of reactions between the tissue.
muscle.
muscle pigment, myoglobin or the
blood pigment, haemoglobin with
nitric oxide (NO). Cut across the grain
It causes flavour and aroma
changes. (No one has succeeded The lengthwise structure of the muscle bundles creates what is called the grain of
in producing the typical cured the meat. This lengthwise structure or texture is clearly visible in many meat cuts.
aroma in meat products without If cut at right angles across the fibres or grain, meat is more tender and easier to
the help of nitrous compounds.)
chew.
12 13
 Connective tissue Fat Marbling is thought to enhance the Colour Exposure to oxygen Consumer preference
Connective tissue is the protein Fat is found on the surface of cuts sense of succulence in several When raw meat is first exposed to When buying meat, most consumers
structure which holds muscles together. and, to a lesser degree, scattered ways. Fat acts as a lubricant to The colour of meat does not indicate air or oxygen, the freshly cut prefer bright red beef, and lamb
throughout the muscle. aid in chewing and swallowing. tenderness. surfaces bloom to a brighter red. of a lighter shade of red. However,
It is found: Fat colour is influenced mainly The melted fats, in combination After some days, the meat surface aged beef and lamb with a darker
between individual muscle fibres by natural pigments in the animals with water, are released upon Lean meat colour is affected by: begins to turn brownish. This meat appearance is more likely to be
holding bundles of fibres together diet and also by age and breed. It chewing, which helps stimulate the The pH may still be good to eat, as long as superior in eating quality.
between whole muscles ranges from white through to flow of saliva, creating an even pH is Influenced by the pre- it hasnt spoiled.
anchoring muscles to bone creamy white to yellow. New greater sense of eating pleasure slaughter condition of the animal Packaging It is important to remember colour is
Zealand beef fat is generally (known as mouth feel). (see page 18). Meat with a high Meat in a low-oxygen package only one indication of eating quality.
The amount and type of connective creamy. Its yellowish tinge is the pH level may appear dark. This such as a vacuum pack or
tissue in a cut of meat affects the result of pigment in the grass called Fat in cooking meat is called dark cutting and Controlled Atmosphere Packaging
tenderness of the meat. Cuts with a carotene or pro-vitamin A. (This is Meat cuts with a high fat content can have texture and flavour (CAP) has a dark purple/red colour
lot of connective tissue tend to be less the same pigment which makes take longer to cook than lean cuts. problems. This meat is sticky and (see page 52). When the pack is
tender than those with little connective carrots orange.) Lamb fat is pearly Traditional large meat cuts with the fat does not keep as well. It should not opened and the meat exposed to
tissue. white. cover on, are cooked slowly for a long be used for table cuts. the air (oxygenated), the bright
Fat helps to contribute to meat time so fat melts and bastes the lean Age, sex and breed of animal red colour returns.
Connective tissue is made up of elastin flavour and succulence. meat. Marbled fat keeps meat from Older animals have darker meat
and collagen in varying proportions becoming dry when cooked to well than young animals. This darker
depending on the muscle. Fat Cover done. meat in older animals does not
Elastin does not soften on cooking. Subcutaneous fat (under the skin) is necessarily mean the meat has a
Collagen does soften on cooking called fat cover or outer fat. It is easily Conversely, lean meat cuts with higher pH.
and above 600C it can be trimmed off to give lean cuts. virtually no marbling and with all outer
transformed into soluble gelatin. fat removed, need less cooking time
Marbling (intramuscular fat) than similar cuts containing more fat.
Looking at various meat cuts you can A fine network of fat sometimes In lean, totally trimmed cuts, juiciness
see different forms of connective visible throughout the meat depends more on retaining moisture
tissue. For example, filmy, thin and is called marbling. Marbled meat during cooking. Very lean meat will
white; thicker, cream-coloured and is usually obtained from become dry if overcooked.
less tender; more elastic and yellowish; carcasses with a large amount
thick and gristly. of subcutaneous fat. Marbling Water
An example of connective tissue develops with the maturity Lean muscle contains 50% to 75%
containing a lot of elastin is the of animals. Beef animals raised water. B vitamins and other natural
paddy wack the yellow strip to provide marbled beef (eg in substances are dissolved in this water.
running along both sides of the feedlots), are fed to mature at a
spine and seen in a cross-section of faster rate, hence produce The water in meat contributes to
lamb/mutton neck chops. marbled beef at a younger stage. juiciness. Water is driven out of meat
An example of connective Marbling primarily contributes to during cooking. As meat is heated,
tissue containing a lot of flavour and juiciness. The more fat proteins coagulate and shrink,
collagen is the line of gristle visible in meat, the less muscle fibre. squeezing out water, especially from
in cross-cut beef blade steak. Cooked fat gives a softer mouth cut surfaces. The longer the cooking,
feel than meat fibre. Thus, the more water is lost.
marbled meat is easier to chew
and may seem more tender than Very lean cuts, if cooked too long, lose
lean meat. However, meat much of their moisture and the result
marbled or otherwise, can be less is dry meat (see Meat Cookery, page
tender if poorly processed. 69).

14 15
 Tenderness & Eating Quality
Tenderness and Eating Quality
Tenderness, juiciness and flavour all Other meat cuts such as lamb shanks However, when animals are stressed or
Factors affecting meat tenderness........................17 contribute to the eating quality of and beef shin have a lot of connective excessively active before slaughter, the
meat. But tenderness is judged the tissue between the muscles and this is muscles start to use up their glycogen
1. Animal age..................................................................................... 17 most important of these three. not easily removed. However this tissue energy stores while the animals are still
2. Pre-slaughter handling................................................................... 17 is the collagen type, which will soften. alive. At death there is less glycogen,
3. Post-slaughter handling................................................................. 17 It is impossible to tell meat tenderness For example, the connective tissue so less lactic acid is produced and
4. Aging............................................................................................... 18 by appearance. The best looking in lamb shanks and beef shins, when the muscles will be less acidic at rigor
5. Meat cut, location on carcass..................................................... 19 piece of meat is not necessarily the cooked slowly with liquid, becomes mortis, resulting in an elevated pH.
6. Cooking........................................................................................... 19 most tender when cooked. Consumers gelatinous, making the meat succulent
and tender. Meat with a slightly elevated pH,
perceive meat tenderness and texture
between 5.8 and around 6.0, will be less
as a combination of mouth feel,
New Zealand Beef & Lamb Quality Mark: juiciness, and the amount of residue Thickness of muscle fibres affects meat
tender. If the animal has been stressed
even more and the pH is even higher,
bringing it all together after chewing. texture: fine, small muscle fibres (eg
the toughness problem disappears but
in a young animal) are usually more
the meat has other quality defects such
Qualifying product................................................................................. 20 Many factors in the progression from acceptable than coarse, large fibres
as dark cutting (ie dark coloured) and
Identification trail................................................................................... 21 paddock to plate affect the final (eg in well-exercised muscles of an reduced shelf life.
tenderness of meat, but processing older animal).
methods have a greater effect on 3. Post-slaughter handling
tenderness than any other. 2. Pre-slaughter handling Correct handling and temperature
Animals must be in good condition, control after slaughter are most
Factors affecting meat tenderness: well rested and handled carefully to important for meat tenderness. The
1. Animal age prevent pre-slaughter stress, which can aim is to avoid cold shortening, which
2. Pre-slaughter handling increase pH levels and affect eating reduces tenderness.
3. Post-slaughter handling quality and shelf life of meat. If animals
4. Aging are stressed before slaughter, chemical After slaughter the muscles gradually
5. The cut and its location on the changes can occur that affect the stiffen as rigor mortis sets in. Cold
carcass structure of the muscle tissue and shortening occurs if muscle is chilled to
6. Cooking hence the final product. low temperatures, or frozen too rapidly
prior to rigor after slaughter. This causes
1. Animal age When muscles are active they burn up the muscle fibre to contract and
As an animal ages, connective tissue their own energy stores of glycogen. A consequently the meat to toughen.
and muscle fibres change, making waste product of this process is lactic
meat less tender. Older animals acid. In the live animal the lactic Cold-shortened meat can be almost
have more connective tissue and acid is carried away by the blood or is inedibly tough and no amount of
the connective tissue is tougher. For further oxidised. aging will make it tender. To avoid cold
shortening, meat must be conditioned
example, meat from older sheep
The muscles continue to be active for (the muscle passed through the stiffness
(mutton) is less tender than that from 18
of rigor mortis, then relaxed). When a
month old hogget, which in turn is less a time after an animal is slaughtered,
carcass has been properly conditioned,
tender than meat from young lamb. and produce lactic acid which
the muscles are already set and
accumulates, lowering the pH of the
will not contract further. The natural
Some meat cuts have clearly visible muscle.
conditioning process is time consuming.
connective tissue covering the outside, Accelerated Conditioning was
eg silverskin on beef fillet, which can be With unstressed, well fed and rested developed to speed up the process.
trimmed off to make the meat tender animals, there is enough muscle
when cooked. glycogen to reduce the final pH to Accelerated Conditioning reduces
about 5.4 to 5.6 at rigor mortis. conditioning times by at least two-
16 thirds. 17
 Why is pH so important? Accelerated Conditioning & Aging The aging rate increases with
temperature, so aging occurs quite
How long should meat 5. Meat cut/location on the carcass
Some parts of the carcass are naturally
6. Cooking
The method of cooking, length
(AC&A)
rapidly in warm carcasses and more be aged? more tender than others. of cooking time, and end-point
pH is a measure of acidity which Accelerated Conditioning and Aging slowly in very cold meat. temperature of cooked meat can have
is the most widely used process to The amount of connective tissue in a marked effect on tenderness.
ranges from 0 (very acid) to 14 The rate of aging depends on
achieve uniform lamb tenderness in Fluctuations in temperature or a cut of meat and the amount of
(very alkaline). Water is neutral, temperature; the lower the
New Zealand. humidity during meat aging can have work the muscle does, are related For optimum tenderness, the
pH 7. temperature, the longer the
detrimental effects on meat quality to the position of the cut on the cooking method must suit the
aging time required for a given
With Accelerated Conditioning, and result in a reduced storage life. carcass. meat cut. If a meat cut
The ultimate pH (pH at rigor) level level of tenderness.
carcasses or sides are stimulated Muscles used more frequently containing large amounts of
of beef and lamb (measured
electrically soon after slaughter. This Controlled aging improves tenderness. develop thicker muscle fibres connective tissue is cooked
once the carcass has reached Beef is considered aged when
speeds up conditioning, which is Two methods of aging are: Carcass and more connective tissue quickly by a dry heat method, it will
rigor mortis), affects everything it has been stored, chilled,
naturally a time-consuming process. Aging and Vacuum-Packed Aging. because they work harder. not be tender. However, cooked
from its colour, tenderness and between 00C and 20C in 88%
Electrical stimulation works by causing Thus, these muscles get the most slowly by a moist heat method,
eating quality, to its storage life. humidity for at least10 days from
the muscles to contract. This uses up (a) Carcass Aging (sometimes called exercise and are the least tender. the same meat cut can
time of slaughter.
muscle energy stores (glycogen) and dry aging) Muscles not used for vigorous become meltingly tender.
The normal pH for beef and lamb
therefore speeds the onset of rigor In this process the fresh/chilled carcass exercise are finer-grained and A meat thermometer is a handy
is 5.4 to 5.6. A side of beef that is not
mortis. The carcasses or sides are held or side (not vacuum-packed) is stored more tender. For example, the tool to monitor internal meat
vacuum-packed, can be aged
at a controlled temperature for a while or hung in the chiller, ideally at - 1.50C tenderloin or fillet (lying along the temperature during cooking,
Within this range the meat is a under controlled conditions for a
after stimulation, so cold shortening to + 20C and at 88% humidity. backbone) performs little physical to assess degree of doneness.
bright, attractive red colour and longer period (maximum about
cannot occur. work and is a tender cut. Beef A thermometer is particularly
has good eating quality. 30 days) and the flavour will
During carcass aging there is some shin (leg) and beef chuck useful for accurately judging
contine to develop.
With appropriate holding/chilling, the weight loss due to evaporation. A (shoulder) muscles are continually cooking end-point when
Lower levels: At a lower pH
meat can be subsequently matured carcass stored for 10 days may lose working and are less tender. roasting large joints of meat.
(below 5.3) meat will be pale Vacuum-packed beef, stored
and soft. (aged) to a higher degree of uniform from 1% to 4% in weight. Lean meat cooked too long will
chilled, is generally aged for five
tenderness. It is important to identify meat cuts dry out and be less tender.
to six weeks, but can be aged for
Surface drying can sometimes mean according to their position on the Even the most naturally tender
Higher levels: An increase in pH up to 10 to 12 weeks, providing
Note: AC&A processing will not extra trimming is required and this carcass, as this determines the end meat cuts (eg fillet), lose moisture if
above about 5.8 may indicate the temperature is kept low.
overcome toughness due to pre- means more weight loss, but carcass use for eating. Understanding meat overcooked, so seem less tender.
an overall decrease in meat
slaughter stress, poor stock quality, or surfaces should not be wet (dry structure helps to determine the
quality. High pH meat (pH more Lamb (not vacuum-packed) is
old age of animals. surfaces prevent microbial growth). method of cooking best suited to the If cooking beef to medium well or well
than 6) is dark with a slightly considered aged when it has
Lower temperatures and higher cut. done, choose meat cuts with a higher
different odour and flavour. been held chilled, ideally at
Meat becomes progressively 4. Aging humidity can lessen weight loss. degree of marbling to ensure juicy,
-1.50C to +20C (maximum up to
less juicy as pH increases. High After rigor mortis is complete, a carcass tender eating.
40C), for at least five to six days
pH meat spoils early due to its (or primal cuts of meat) should be (b) Vacuum-Packed Aging
from time of slaughter.
different biochemical make-up. given time to hang, or be held for This process eliminates the need to
several days or weeks, to allow the hang entire carcasses or quarters in the
Vacuum-packed lamb, held at
Measuring Tenderness
Every carcass needs to be meat to age. This post rigor tenderising cooler and allows aging to take place
-1.50C to + 20C, may be aged for Meat tenderness can be measured
is called aging (sometimes referred to in vacuum bags. A good level of tenderness is indicated
measured for pH using a up to 21 days. If temperature is
as maturing or ripening). by using a mechanical testing device by tenderometer results that average less
specifically designed meter. kept low, the aging process can
Large cuts, usually primals, are and correlating results with sensory than 8 kgF (kilograms shearforce).
The longissimus (striploin/cube last up to six weeks. In vacuum
To age meat means to keep it for a packaged in moisture-proof, evaluation.
roll, see page 27), is the muscle packs, lamb has a slightly shorter
time under controlled temperature. This airtight material and stored chilled. Meat is less tender when it exceeds a
most commonly used for storage life than beef at the
allows the naturally occuring enzymes This vacuum pack protects the meat A meat tenderometer is the device tenderness value of 11 kgF (ie the higher
measurement. same temperature.
within it to slowly break down and from oxidation and evaporation during usually used. This is a mechanical the value, the less tender the meat).
soften the muscle fibres, making the storage. The oxygen-free environment tooth driven by air pressure, which
To be given the Quality Mark,
meat more tender and developing inhibits aerobic bacterial growth and records the force required to shear In recent trials, consumers rated steaks
beef must have a pH value of 5.8
flavour. provides better yields by preventing through samples of meat. of shearforce around 3 or 4 kgF as very
or less at rigor.
18 weight loss from evaporation. acceptable. 19
 New Zealand Beef & Lamb Quality Mark: Bringing it all together
Quality Mark Identification Trail Auditing

The Quality Mark may not be used Product is processed in licensed

The New Zealand Beef and Lamb
on offal. For this purpose, offal is
Farmer Stock from the farmer. Auditing will generally occur:
Quality Mark is a comprehensive ME or AB plants certified as Quality Processing: four times per year
programme for domestic consumers defined as any portion of a carcass Mark approved processors. It must Wholesaling: four times per year
to ensure New Zealand beef and other than whole muscle meat and not be prepared and retailed in Retailing: twice per year
lamb complies with quality standards includes the following from beef, premises that has uninspected
at every stage from entering the lamb and hogget: heart, tripe, meat from any source, including At retail level, the auditor may
processing plant through to retail sale. tongue, brain, sweetbread, tail, wild game meats, present on the Processor Processor assesses suitability for Quality Mark status. purchase samples for tenderness
kidney, cheek and liver. premises at any time. Carcass stamped (stamp provided free to Quality Mark holders by testing during the audit.
Shoppers can look for the Quality Mark Beef + Lamb New Zealand),
sticker to identify product which has Product is derived from animals OR What is Retail Ready?
earned the Mark. Among other things, that have not been treated with A ticketing system used (companys own system, approved by
it shows the meat has been processed Growth Promotants (GPs) and Quality Mark auditors), Retail Ready refers to the date
in a way to ensure tenderness. have not reacted positively to OR both. and time at which meat will have
Tuberculosis testing. Delivery dockets MUST specify Quality Mark - quality meat and reached acceptable tenderness.
To earn the Quality Mark, beef must the Retail Ready date/time (staff need to be aware of this - it is Each processing plant has determined
have a pH value of 5.8 or less at rigor. essential for retail-level auditing). the Retail Ready date and time
appropriate for meat processed
Beef and lamb product that qualifies for Wholesaler Cartoned/boxed meat through their operating system.
the Quality Mark: Package also stamped with similar stamp to carcass stamp (stamp
provided free to Quality Mark holders by Beef + Lamb NZ), Retail Ready times differ from plant to
Product must be derived from OR plant because systems differ.
animals grown in New Zealand. Packaging labelled (companys own system, approved by Quality
Mark auditors), Retail Ready applies to all lamb cuts
All categories of steers, heifers, OR both. but to only five beef cuts:
veal, lamb and hogget may qualify Delivery docket MUST specify Quality Mark - quality meat and the Eye fillet (tenderloin)
for the Quality Mark. Retail Ready date/time. Sirloin
Scotch fillet (cube roll, ribeye)
Mutton, cow and bull are excluded Rump
from the Quality Mark. Retailer Retailer checks Quality Mark status by means of visual carcass/box Thick flank (knuckle)
and delivery docket identification.
The Quality Mark may be used on Retail Ready does not apply to veal.
carcasses, parts of carcasses, cuts, Further processed, as applicable and stored in designated Quality
boneless product, whole muscle Mark qualifying holding areas (chilled or frozen).
table meat and value-added
speciality cuts (eg marinated Quality Mark beef and lamb must not be presented to the consumer
stir-fry, crumbed schnitzel and until at least the Retail Ready date.
seasoned roasts). (Retail Ready does not apply to veal.)

The Quality Mark may not be used

on processed meat, eg sausage,
Consumer For the consumer, the retailer marks Quality Mark meat by:
A Quality Mark sticker (supplied free by Beef + Lamb NZ),
salami, luncheon, patties, rissoles
OR
and meat balls, whether or not
Their own sticker, incorporating the Quality Mark
they are made from pure meat
(viewed/approved by Beef + Lamb NZ),
product.
OR
Using point-of-sale material around the appropriate
20 counter/server to indicate which is Quality Mark meat 21
(supplied free by Beef + Lamb NZ).
 Meat Cuts
Beef Cuts
Skeletal diagram.................................................................................... 24
Carcass diagram showing cuts and tenderness................................ 25
Beef primal cuts and sub-primal cuts.................................................. 26
Beef sub-primals:
Rump................................................................................................ 28
Thick flank......................................................................................... 29
Blade................................................................................................. 30
Other beef cuts...................................................................................... 31

Veal Cuts
Popular catering cuts............................................................................ 35

Lamb Cuts
Skeletal diagram.................................................................................... 36
Carcass diagram showing cuts and tenderness................................ 37
Lamb primal cuts (principally retail).................................................... 38
Lamb primal cuts (retail and foodservice).......................................... 39
Lamb sub-primals................................................................................... 40
Other lamb cuts..................................................................................... 41

Edible Offal/Variety Meats

Preparation and cooking notes on beef and veal offal................... 44
Preparation and cooking notes on lamb offal................................... 47

22 23
 Beef Skeletal Diagram

HOCK

HINDSHANK BONE
(Tibia and Fibula)

KNEE JOINT
(Patella)
AITCH BONE
(Ischium)
TAIL BONES
(Coccygeal Vertebrae) LEG BONE
(Femur)
SACRUM
(Sacral Vertebrae)(5)
HIP BONE
(Ilium)

LUMBAR VERTEBRAE
(6) RIB BONES
13
12
CHINE BONE 11
10
9
FEATHER BONES
(Thoracic Vertebrae) 8

7
6
BLADE BONE CARTILAGE 5
(Scapula Cartilage)
4 BREAST BONE
3 (Sternum)
BLADE BONE
(Scapula) 2
1
NECK BONES
(Cervical Vertebrae) (7) ARM (CLOD) BONE
(Humerus)

FORESHANK BONES
(Ulna and Radius)

24 KNEE JOINT
(Carpus)
Beef Cuts and Tenderness

CUBE ROLL/ STRIPLOIN FILLET/

RIB-EYE ROLL WING RIB PORTERHOUSE TENDERLOIN
TBONE

RIB-EYE

BLADE SIRLOIN TOPSIDE

(Inside leg)
(Outside) PRIME RIBS

SILVERSIDE/
RUMP OUTSIDE ROUND
CHUCK (Outside leg)
SHORT RIBS
(Inside)
THICK
FLANK SHIN
FLANK
BRISKET BRISKET
(Point end) (Navel end)
SHIN

FLANK STEAK

MOST TENDER MEDIUM TENDER LEAST TENDER

New Zealand descriptions For detailed advice on Cooking

are used here. Some cuts Techniques for each cut, see
have alternative names - page 74 onwards.
see following pages.

25
 Beef Primal and Sub-Primal Cuts
A side of beef consists of the forequarter and the hindquarter. The first large cuts made from the carcass are the whole
The separation point is between the eleventh and twelfth muscle cuts, known as primal cuts (such as rump). Sub-primals
rib, leaving 11 ribs on the forequarter and two ribs on the are prepared by subdividing these (eg by seaming, which is
hindquarter. cutting along the muscle seam).

Shank meat

Thick flank cap off

(knuckle) Thick flank (knuckle)

Flank skirt

Brisket navel end

Spare ribs/short ribs

Brisket point end

Blade shoulder
26
 Beef Primal and Sub-Primal Cuts

Topside

Eye of round/silverside
Outside round/silverside

Whole rump/sirloin butt

Blade roll/chuck tender Silverside

Sirloin/striploin

Shortloin

Tenderloin

Prime ribs/
oven-prepared ribs

Ribeye/cube roll/Scotch fillet 27

Chuck
 Beef Sub-Primal Rump Muscle C Muscle D
Eye of rump Rump centre
The primal cuts can be further broken down into smaller
cuts. With connective tissue removed, these offer enhanced
tenderness and variety.

Some examples of sub-primal cuts

Beef rump (under)

Muscle E
Rump cap Eye of rump medallions

A&B Tritip and

underlying muscle

C Eye of rump

D Rump centre
 Rump centre steaks Rump cap schnitzels
E Rump cap

28
Beef Sub-Primal Thick Flank
Muscle A Muscle B
Knuckle undercut Eye of knuckle

Thick flank/knuckle

Muscle C
Knuckle cover/cap Strips and cubes

A Knuckle undercut

B Eye of knuckle

C Knuckle cover/cap

Eye of knuckle Cover minute steaks/

medallions schnitzel

29
 Beef Sub-Primal Blade

Cross-cut (oyster blade)

Cross-cut blade/
oyster blade Bolar blade

Bolar blade

Cross-cut blade steak Bolar blade steak

30
Beef cuts (thick flank/knuckle, ribs, brisket)

Beef knuckle (round Beef knuckle cover minute

cap) cover steak or schnitzel

Beef knuckle (cap Beef eye of knuckle

removed) Beef knuckle undercut Beef eye of knuckle medallion

Beef rib ends Beef short ribs (whole) Beef short ribs (sliced)

Beef brisket

31
 Beef silverside (outside) Beef silverside (flat) Beef eye round silverside
Beef cuts (silverside, rump,
rib roast, chuck)

Beef D-rump Beef D-rump steak

Beef rump whole

Beef eye of rump Beef eye of rump medallions

Beef rump centre Beef rump centre steak Beef rump cap Beef rump cap schnitzel

Beef ribs:
oven-prepared Beef rib steak - bone-in

Beef blade roll

Beef chuck (chuck tender)

32
Beef cuts (flank skirt, tenderloin Beef flank steak (skirt)
ribeye, blade)

Beef butt tenderloin/ Beef tenderloin centre Beef tenderloin

Beef tenderloin (fillet) fillet cut medallion

Beef Spencer roll Beef cube roll steak

(Australian) Beef cube roll (ribeye) (Scotch fillet)

Beef blade Beef bolar blade Beef bolar blade steak

Beef blade cross-cut Beef oyster blade

blade (blade roll) Blade steak

33
 Beef cuts: shin - hindshank, topside, striploin, shin - foreshin

Beef hindshank

Beef topside (inside) Beef topside steak Beef topside schnitzel

Beef striploin steak

Beef striploin (sirloin/porterhouse)

Beef shortloin Beef T-bone steak

Beef foreshin Beef shin bone-in

34
Veal: popular catering cuts
Two types of veal are produced in New Zealand: Bobby veal, White (milk-fed) veal and grain-fed veal are imported
the very pale meat from calves slaughtered at only a few products. For a variety of reasons, including the seasonality of
days old; and Veal, which is defined as the meat from bovine production, veal may not always be readily available to local
animals of either sex under 12 months of age and having a buyers.
carcass weight of no more than 160kg.

Veal rack, Frenched

Cuts from the boneless leg, clockwise from

top left: silverside; topside (cushion); butt
tenderloin; rump; and think flank cap off
(knuckle)

Veal backstrap Veal tenderloin

Veal shank, Frenched

Veal shin shank (jarret de veau) Osso bucco (knuckles or shin) 35
 Lamb Skeletal Diagram
KNUCKLE BONE

HINDSHANK BONE
(Tibia and Fibula)

KNEE JOINT
(Patella)

AITCH BONE
(Ischium)
TAIL BONE
LEG BONE
(Coccygeal Vertebrae)
(Femur)

HIP BONE
(Ilium)
VERTEBRAE

CHINE BONE

RIB BONES
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
BLADE BONE 2
(Scapula)
1

ARM BONE
(Humerus)

FORESHANK BONES
(Ulna and Radius)
36
Lamb Cuts and Tenderness

FOREQUARTER FULL LOIN FULL LEG

RIBLOIN MIDLOIN SHORT CUT LEG

CK
NE RIB-EYE RACK STRIPLOIN CARVERY LEG
(Thick flank
FILLET TOPSIDE removed)
FRENCHED MIDLOIN RUMP
SHOULDER CUTLETS SILVERSIDE
CHOPS
THICK SHANK
SPARE RIBS FLANK

BREAST FLAP
SHANK

MOST TENDER MEDIUM TENDER LEAST TENDER

New Zealand descriptions For detailed advice on Cooking

are used here. Some cuts Techniques for each cut, see
have alternative names - page 74 onwards.
see following pages.

37
 Lamb primal cuts (principally retail)

The first large cuts made from the carcass are the whole
muscle cuts known as primal cuts (such as leg or forequarter).
Sub-primals are prepared by subdividing these (eg by
seaming, which is cutting along the muscle seam).

Full leg

Mid-loin

Flap

Rib-loin

Side

Forequarter (5 rib)

38
Lamb primal cuts (retail and foodservice)

Part-boned
short leg

Leg (short-cut)

Boneless chump

Chump
Flap

Tenderloin
1 rib short loin Boneless loin

Chump on
long loin

Chump off Chined French

long loin 7 rib rack rack (cap off)
Chined Frenched
rack
Side 5 rib forequarter

Oyster shoulder
Boned, rolled, netted 39
(BRN) shoulder
 Lamb sub-primals

The leg of lamb, when boned and seamed out into various cuts
(the same sub-primal cuts we know from the beef hindquarter),
offers many options for quick cooking and tasty dishes to suit
todays cooking styles.

The whole leg of lamb may be divided

into these sub-primals:

2 1. Shank
2. Silverside
3. Thick flank (knuckle)
1 4. Topside
5. Rump

40
Lamb cuts: silverside, topside, thick flank/knuckle, rump, shortloin/tenderloin
Lamb silverside schnitzel Lamb eye of silverside
Lamb silverside (Paillard) (Girello)

Lamb topside (inside

round) Lamb topside steak Lamb topside schnitzel

Lamb thick flank knuckle Lamb thick flank knuckle

(sirloin tip) steak Lamb knuckle schnitzel

Lamb rump

Lamb shortloin (backstrap) Lamb tenderloin - butt off

41
 Lamb cuts: shank, short-cut leg, carvery leg, loin, rack, shoulder
Short-cut lamb leg Lamb carvery leg
chump/rump off (easy carve)

Lamb shortloin (mid-loin)

Lamb shortloin (mid-loin) boned and rolled Lamb loin noisettes Lamb mid-loin chops

Full lamb loin

Lamb rack - Frenched

Lamb rack (chined) Lamb French cutlets

Lamb square cut Lamb square cut Lamb shoulder -

Lamb Forequarter shoulder shoulder chops boneless and rolled

42
Lamb cuts: leg, rump (bone-in), saddle, neck fillet, shoulder rack, foreshank
Lamb leg boned and
Lamb leg - chump on Lamb leg chops rolled

Lamb chump (rump) Lamb chump chops

Lamb short saddle/ Lamb short saddle/

double mid-loin double mid-loin chops

Lamb neck fillet roast Lamb shoulder rack

boned and rolled (Australian)

Lamb foreshank (hindshank also

used), also called knuckles

43
 Edible offal or variety meats
Offal meats (also called variety or fancy meats) are generally rich in minerals and
vitamins, and most are full of flavour. Many chefs find offal dishes are popular items
on their menus.

Preparation and cooking notes on beef and veal offal

Beef/ox and calf liver

The complete liver with gall bladder, large blood vessel and all fat
removed. Young calf liver is slightly paler and more tender, with more
delicate flavour than beef liver.

Cooking notes: Remove outer, thin membrane and tubes. Thinly

sliced liver may be dusted with flour and pan-seared to medium-pink,
or slowly braised until tender.

Beef and veal kidney

The whole kidney with blood vessels, ureter and capsule removed.
Beef kidney is darker in colour with stronger flavour than veal/young
calf kidney.

Cooking notes: Remove any outer thin membranes, cut in half and
remove fat and sinew. Dice and pan-sear veal kidneys until pink. Dark
coloured kidneys should be braised or simmered slowly until tender.

Beef tripe
Comes from the first two stomachs of the beef animal and consists
of the complete paunch or rumen (seamy tripe) and reticulum
(honeycomb tripe).

Cooking notes: Wash tripe well, cut into strips or dice and simmer until
tender. It requires long, slow cooking or pressure-cooking to tenderise.

44
Beef/ox heart
The complete heart with blood vessels cut at their entry point into the
heart. Heart muscle structure is unique with no readily distinguishable
grain, very dense-textured meat.

Cooking notes: Remove tubes and fat, cut into strips and simmer or
braise for two to three hours until tender. Can be pot-roasted.

Beef/ox tongue
Whole tongue with root, and usually hyoid bones, removed. Excess
muscle from underneath the tongue may be removed and fat is
well trimmed. Tongue skin is very tough and must be peeled off
after cooking. The cooked meat is very tender. Tongue is usually
purchased corned (cured).

Cooking notes: Rinse well in cold water, simmer gently for about three
hours (or pressure cook for 45 minutes) until tender. Peel off skin while
still warm. Remove any tiny bones and fat. Chill under weights for
improved shape and easy carving.

Beef tail (oxtail)

Removed from the carcass at the junction between sacral and
coccygeal vertebrae. Normally sold cut into sections between joints.
Oxtail contains a high amount of fat, bone and connective tissue
relative to the lean. Requires moist heat and long slow cooking.

Cooking notes: Trim outside fat, brown (in pan or oven), then slow
simmer for two to three hours until fork tender. Remove surface fat
before thickening.

Veal sweetbread
The thymus gland from young animals. The gland is in two parts: a
long lobular structure lying along the neck (called headbread),and
a triangular part at the base of the heart (called heartbread).
Sweetbreads are sold with all fat removed. Pale, very tender meat.

Cooking notes: Soak in cold water with lemon juice for one to two
hours, changing water frequently. Blanch until white, refresh, remove
membrane and tubes. Press in fridge until cold before cooking.

45
 Beef cheek
The cheek is the muscle, together with the mouth lining, that lines the
upper and lower jaw bones. The thinner part of the cheek (called the
lips) has papillae attached and is sold separately. Purchase cheek
with membrane and fat removed. More often used for stock, but can
be braised.

Cooking notes: Soak in cold water with lemon juice for one to two
hours. Remove any sinews, dice and slow simmer for two to three hours
until fork tender.

Beef bones
Any bones removed from the carcass. Beef marrow bones may be
any round bone from fore or hind leg, but are most commonly cut
from the hind shank. The femur is sawn into short lengths across the
bone, resulting in sections each with a central round of fatty marrow
exposed at the end.

Cooking notes: Use bones in stock making. Poach marrow bones

then extract the marrow. May be used as garnish for beef steaks.

Beef suet
Fat derived from around the kidneys.

Cooking notes: Suet can be grated and used for pastry and steamed
puddings.

46
Preparation and cooking notes on lamb offal

Lamb kidney
Whole kidneys sold with fat cover removed, then usually skinned.
Medium-tender, very lean meat.

Cooking notes: Remove any outer remaining thin membrane, cut in

half and remove fatty, white core. May be briefly cooked by
pan-searing to pink, or simmered slowly until tender.

Lamb liver (lambs fry)

The complete liver with gall bladder and all fat removed. Tender, very
lean meat with a very fine covering of almost invisible membrane/skin
which toughens on cooking.

Cooking notes: Peel away the outer thin membrane before slicing
and remove large tubes. Best briefly cooked by pan-frying to
medium-pink.

Lamb heart
The whole heart with blood vessels removed at their entry point to the
heart. Muscle structure is unique, meat very dense with no obvious
grain.

Cooking notes: Needs long, slow cooking. Remove any outer fat, cut
in half and remove tubes and fat. Braise for two hours until tender.

47
 Lamb tongue
The portion of the tongue remaining after removal of hyoid bones,
excess muscle underneath and fat trimmed. Tough skin removed after
cooking. Tender meat when cooked by moist heat methods.

Cooking notes: Blanch and simmer gently for one to two hours until
fork tender. Peel off skin while warm. Press for neat shape and to
make for easier slicing.

Lamb sweetbread
The thymus gland which lies along the neck of each side of the
trachea (windpipe) and extends to the heart region in young animals.
Pale and lobulated, sold with fat removed, very tender, delicate
meat.

Cooking notes: Soak in cold water for one to two hours, changing
water frequently. Blanch in simmering lemon water until white, refresh,
remove membrane and tubes, then press in refrigerator until cold
before cooking.

Lamb brains
Usually only the cerebral hemisphere (larger part of the brain) with
covering membrane intact. Pale greyish in colour before cooking, but
whitens on cooking, very delicate and tender meat.

Cooking notes: Soak in cold water for one to two hours, changing
water frequently. Blanch in simmering lemon water. Refresh, remove
membrane then press in refrigerator until cold. Brains can then be
quickly pan-fried.

48
Notes for Meat Buyers
(Foodservice)............................... 51

Exact specifications save you money................................................. 50

How much do you need?..................................................................... 50

Maintaining the Quality............................................50

Packaging, storage & handling: fresh/chilled meat......................... 51
Packaging, storage & handling: frozen meat.................................... 53
Thawing................................................................................................... 54
Summary of storage & handling temperatures.................................. 55

49
 Notes for Meat Buyers (Foodservice) How much do you need? Fluctuating temperature is harmful to Fresh chilled meat is packaged in Hints for users of
An average cooked serving of meat meat quality. Damage that occurs pouches made of material of low vacuum-packed meat
Exact specifications save you money Specify the weight range weighs 140-160g. The amount of raw through uncontrolled temperature is oxygen permeability, which are then
Discuss your meat requirements with Irregular portion sizes can mean meat required for that serving size known as temperature abuse. Shelf vacuum sealed and shrunk to a snug The colour
your supplier. Specifying exactly what wastage. Specify a weight or weight depends on how much the meat life reduces by 10% for each degree in fit. The resulting package is airtight and Fresh/chilled vacuum-packed
you want can eliminate waste and range when ordering portion-controlled shrinks during cooking, which in turn temperature above 2C. moisture-proof. meat is a different colour from
improve your profitability. meat cuts. depends on a number of factors, such unpacked fresh meat. Since
Temperatures between 5C and 63C The oxygen-free environment there is essentially no air in the
as the particular cut, its size, fat and
allow harmful bacteria to flourish. inhibits the growth of some spoilage vacuum-sealed package, the
The New Zealand Beef and Lamb State your delivery requirements: bone content, and the degree of bacteria, while still allowing the natural beef or lamb has a purple-red
Quality Mark is your guarantee of Fresh/chilled or frozen, vacuum- doneness. Transport tenderising process of aging to take
quality. colour. Once the packaging is
packed or not. 1. Fresh/chilled meat should always place. However, anaerobic bacteria removed and exposed to air, the
You want fast, refrigerated delivery. Generally however, cooking losses be transported in a refrigerated will be able to grow in the pack. meat pigment absorbs oxygen
Name the cut Order from a reliable supplier who range from a quarter to a third of the vehicle, maintaining the meat at Maintenance of correct temperature is and within a short time the meat
Learn the correct New Zealand names adheres to strict transport raw meat weight. Remember, cooking a constant surface temperature therefore still essential to good shelf life returns to a bright red colour. This
for all the meat cuts and be precise standards. loss in small roasts and portion cuts below 7C. and safety. fresh colour is called bloom.
when you order. You can order beef Verify your order on delivery. tends to be greater than in large cuts. 2. Transport time should be kept to a
and lamb as primals, sub-primals or Check your delivery invoice minimum. Benefits of vacuum packaging The odour
portion cuts. 3. Frozen meat must be kept frozen Vacuum packaging significantly


against your order specifications.
Check overall product appearance
Maintaining the quality: and below - 18C. extends the shelf life of fresh/chilled
You may notice a slightly sour,
milky or nutty odour when you
Primals and the temperature of the packaging, storage & handling 4. Check the temperature of all frozen meat. open the vacuum bag. This
Primals, the first cuts produced when products on delivery. Accept Storage life for chilled vacuum- odour is the result of the natural
product on delivery. From the moment meat is processed, nothing that shows signs of packed beef is up to 12 weeks maturation within the package
the carcass is divided into main Date products and place in the aim of all handling, packaging and thawing. after production. as the meat ages. It will dissipate
sections, may have fat, bones and refrigerator or freeze immediately storage is to keep it microbiologically Storage life for chilled vacuum-
connective tissue still intact. Primals within about 20 minutes.
after checking. safe and minimise contamination that packed lamb is up to eight weeks
are large muscle groups such as whole causes spoilage. Packaging, storage and after production. Drip loss
rump, whole sirloin or topside of beef, or Delivery checklist handling: fresh/chilled meat In addition to protein, vitamins
whole legs and forequarters of lamb. 1. Accept only cartoned product This is important both for food safety Vacuum packaging allows meat to and minerals, meat contains
that is very cold to touch, delivered and to ensure the meat maintains 1. Cling-film overwrap packaging age in a controlled environment, about 70% water. Because
Sub-primals in an insulated, clean, refrigerated quality throughout its shelf life. With this packaging, used for retail minimising weight loss through of this fluid content, cut meat
Sub-primals are divided primals; smaller van. Take sample temperature display, fresh chilled meat is placed evaporation, giving increased profits loses a certain amount of fluid
cuts which are usually boneless, Bacteria are the main cause of meat on a plastic tray, then both tray and through better yields. Vacuum called weep or drip. Fluid
readings. Low-cost devices to
spoilage. Aerobic bacteria need product are wrapped with an oxygen packaging offers hygienic handling, in a vacuum pack of meat is
trimmed of fat and connective tissue. monitor temperatures are readily oxygen to grow and multiply, while permeable cling-film. This prevents the ease of storage and inventory control. not blood but drip, which oozes
They come ready to portion or cook. available. anaerobic bacteria can multiply meat from drying but does not slow from the cut surfaces. Natural
2. Check the delivery invoice against without oxygen (see pages 53 & 18). bacterial growth.
Bone-in or boneless your order specifications. Storage and handling: pigments in the meat give the
Hygienically-produced fresh Avoid temperature fluctuations. fluid a reddish brown colour.
When ordering, if appropriate, specify 3. Check the weight, packed-on date The main protections against spoilage meat that is loosely wrapped in
bone-in or boneless. Maintain a constant temperature,
and use-by date. are: permeable plastic, and stored in ideally between -1.5C and +2C. A normal amount of drip from
4. Meat should be correctly aged a cool room with other produce at vacuum-packed meat aged
Handle meat carefully to
Fat and restaurant-ready on delivery. 1. Maintaining the right temperature. around 2C, has a relatively short avoid puncturing vacuum bags. for three weeks or more is
Specify the degree of trim you require. 5. Watch for wet boxes, which can 2. Strict hygiene in all handling. shelf life of about one day up to around 1-2%. This is far less than
Check regularly to identify broken
be a sign of leaking vacuum about five days, depending on the seals. If seals are broken, the meat fluid loss by evaporation and
Portion cuts bags. Vacuum bags that are The right temperature cut. Meat that is vacuum-packed trimming under ordinary hanging
can spoil quickly (by aerobic
These cuts are prepared, trimmed and punctured on delivery should be Whether meat is fresh or frozen, it has a much longer shelf life. conditions over the same period.
bacteria). Once the seal is
cut to your specifications. Portion cuts, is critical to the quality of the meat The amount of weep or drip
returned to the supplier. broken, use the meat promptly.
to hold it consistently at the right 2. Vacuum packaging Once the vacuum bag is opened, increases with length of storage.
also know as restaurant cuts or chef- 6. Immediately on delivery, stack temperature throughout all stages, Vacuum packaging is a process that Excessive weep means loss of
ready cuts, are ready for immediate chilled, cartoned product on remove the meat and dispose of
from processing to preparation for protects the meat from oxidation and weight so it is important to keep it
cooking. Many chefs purchase vacuum- shelves in the cool room. the bag and juices. Dry meat well
cooking (the cold chain). dehydration during storage. to a minimum. Large amounts of
packed primals, sub-primals, or portion with a clean paper towel and
use as soon as possible. drip indicate temperature abuse. 51
50 cuts for ease of handling, reduced
labour costs and consistent quality.
 3. Controlled Atmosphere Packaging, storage and Packaging The freezing process
Packaging (CAP) Packaging must be moisture-proof
handling: frozen meat so moisture is sealed in.
Meat should be frozen fast, in small
lots. This is important.
This is a packaging technology in Meat should be packaged in Blast freezing is ideal, which lowers
Frozen beef or lamb can be as good
which meat is held in 100% carbon sturdy, freezer-quality, oxygen temperature extremely rapidly.
in eating quality as fresh/chilled meat
dioxide (CO2) in packs made of gas impermeable plastic bags. The air Slow freezing causes large ice
providing it has been correctly handled
impermeable materials such as foil must be extracted and the bags crystals to form. These can rupture
through all processes.
laminate or double metallised films (in tightly sealed. the meat cells and, on thawing,
which the meat cannot be seen). The Vacuum packaging is preferred. cause excessive loss of juices.
Defects in meat handling procedures
CO2 controls bacterial growth and Any air left between the The size and shape of the meat
before freezing can toughen meat.
gives a longer storage life than vacuum meat surface and packaging to be frozen is important: small, flat
The freezing process itself will not
packaging, especially for lamb. CAP encourages deterioration in quality. packages freeze more quickly than
make tender meat tough. However,
is generally used for wholesale or bulk Poor packaging or punctured large joints.
correct procedures must be followed to
storage and transport packs of cuts packaging leads to development Hygienic handling is essential at all
prevent loss of juices and deterioration
and carcasses. of freezer burn (surface drying stages.
in flavour and texture.
Storage life: lamb packaged and discolouration). Free-flow freezing steaks or small
in saturated CAP and held at The meats condition before freezing, cuts should be spread in a single
a constant temperature of - 1.5C Storage temperatures for frozen meat layer on clean, foil-lined trays.
the packaging material, method and
has a storage life up to 16 weeks. Freezer temperature should be Cover with a sheet of foil and
rate of cooling and freezing, and the
The storage life of beef is up to 20 maintained at - 18C. freeze. As soon as they are frozen
temperature during storage are all
weeks. important. So, too, is careful thawing Avoid fluctuation in temperature solid, pack the cuts in freezer-
Meat colour: because there is no and skilful cooking. where possible. quality bags, extract air and seal to
oxygen in the packs, the meat is Frozen packs should be arranged ensure adequate protection from
the same purple colour as that in to ensure good air circulation. drying. Promptly return packs to
vacuum packs. Once the pack is the freezer.
opened the meat blooms to a
bright red colour. Average Expected Life of Chilled Meat Cuts Hints on Freezing
Odour: with CAP there is little or (with good manufacturing practice)
no confinement odour when the
Before freezing, beef or lamb
pack is opened. Meat stored for Packaging System Suitable Application Life to Spoilage Spoilage Bacteria should be sufficiently aged, as
long periods in CAP tends to have
meat does not continue to
a milder odour and flavour than
tenderise when frozen.
fresh or vacuum-packed meat. Storage packaging Meat should be well trimmed
(fat can become rancid on
4. High Oxygen Modified Atmosphere Vacuum Boned out primal cuts 8 to 12 weeks* Slow, anaerobic
long storage).
Packaging (High O2 MAP)
The ends of bones which may
CO2 CAP Cuts and carcasses 14 to 20 weeks* Very slow, anaerobic pierce the wrap should be
This is a multigas aerobic packaging
shielded (eg with foil or plastic)
system. The pack contains oxygen
Display packaging before packaging.
to ensure the meat develops and
Frozen large cuts will keep
maintains a bright red colour and Cling-film overwrap Fresh meat 3 to 5 days** Fast, aerobic better, longer and with less
carbon dioxide to retard the growth of Stored meat 1 to 3 days** flavour change, than frozen
aerobic spoilage bacteria.
small cuts, thin slices or mince.
High O2 MAP Fresh meat 7 to 10 days** Slower, aerobic Again, it is important to ensure
This packaging works well for retail
Stored meat 2 to 6 days** temperatures dont fluctuate
display of chilled/fresh meat allowing
by more than 0.50C. Big
good colour stability and longer
* Stored at -1.50C temperature changes can
storage life than meat over-wrapped
** In retail display cabinets, set at 40C mean a partial thaw, which
with cling-wrap.
damages the structure of the
meat.
52
Chart from MIRINZ Bulletin 21
53
 Thawing Meat which has been thawed using Never refreeze meat that has been Summary of storage and handling
a speed-thaw technique should be thawed and held at room
cooked straight after thawing. temperature. temperatures
If at all possible, plan ahead when you
intend using frozen meat. The best way Do not expect poorly frozen, badly
to maintain quality of frozen meat is The best way to store thawed meat stored and roughly thawed meat to
by slow thawing in the refrigerator or Remove freezer packaging or give top quality eating results.
chiller, in its original wrapping.

vacuum bag and blot meat dry
with clean paper towels if
70C For the transport of fresh/
chilled meat, ideal
Ensure there is no possibility meat drip necessary. Place meat on a tray Your cool room is the key temperature is BELOW this.
during thawing can contaminate other (one with sides to prevent dripping
foods. For example, thaw meat on a The right temperature for
onto other foods). Loosely cover
tray if there is a chance the packaging
may leak. and return to the refrigerator.
Do not store raw meat above food


storing fresh, raw meat is ideally
-1.50C to +20C.
20C Maximum storage
temperature for fresh/chilled
Thawing meat at room temperature is that will not be cooked before it is Keep a visible temperature meat.
not recommended. The meat surfaces eaten (for example, pre-cooked gauge in your cool room.
may reach warm temperatures that meat or salad vegetables). The correct humidity is about
encourage microbial spoilage. The
higher the temperature above freezing,
Do not allow meat to sit in a pool
of meat juices. The juices will go off
85% to 88%, though humidity 00C Ideal maximum storage
is far less important than temperature for fresh/chilled
the faster the microbial growth. faster than the meat itself and can vacuum-packed beef or
Temperatures above 7C are especially temperature.
taint the flavour of the meat. lamb products.
dangerous as they allow the growth of Thinly sliced meat loses more Keep your cool room clean,
pathogens such as Salmonella, if they liquid than large pieces. Slicing sanitised and dry.
are present on the meat.

may introduce micro-organisms
onto meat surfaces, so cut slices


Keep a written record of the
product in your cool room.
-1.50C Ideal minimum storage
Remember for best results, thaw meat temperature for fresh/chilled
slowly in the refrigerator or chiller. or steaks shortly before cooking. Rotate stock on a first-in, vacuum-packed beef or
first-out basis, removing meat lamb products.
Safe ways to speed thawing for cutting only when required.
If you need to hurry thawing, leave
-1.50C
Keep cool room entry and
the meat in its sealed freezer wrap Approximate thawing times in the For Controlled Atmosphere
exit to a minimum. Dont leave
or vacuum-pack for all the following refrigerator Packed product, ideal
speed-thaw methods: the door open unnecessarily.
storage temperature.
Large roast: 4-7 hours per 500g Fluctuations in temperature
1. Place meat on a tray in a relatively Small roast: 3-5 hours per 500g can reduce shelf life.


cool room for one to two hours
before completing thawing in the
Steak, 2.5cm thick: 12-14 hours

Maximise cool room air flow
by keeping the door tightly
-120C Frozen meat, whilst being
refrigerator. displayed for sale, should be
2. Use a microwave oven set on closed when not in use. Stack maintained AT or BELOW this
defrost. product so air flow is not temperature and should not
3. Use a fan-forced oven, with only Avoid refreezing thawed meats at any time have been
blocked.
the fan on (cold oven). Refreezing thawed meat is not refrozen after thawing.
Keep cool room trays clean
4. Place sealed vacuum pack in a recommended. Each time meat is
frozen there is some deterioration and dry. Change regularly so
sink of cold running water. Note:
the pack must be watertight.

of quality: ice crystals can rupture
muscle fibres, breaking down


meat products are not left
soaking in excess moisture.
-180C Frozen meat should be stored
AT or BELOW this temperature.
Never place frozen meat which is not in texture and letting juices escape. Ensure adequate lighting inside
a sealed vacuum pack, in water in an But meat that has been partially the cool room, but turn lights
attempt to speed up thawing. This will thawed in the refrigerator can be off when room is not in use.
cause flavour and colour loss and may refrozen. It will be safe to eat, but Have a scheduled cool room
encourage bacterial growth. not at its best eating quality.
maintenance programme.
54 55
 Food Safety and Meat Hygiene

Bacteria and spoilage..............................................58

Temperatures promoting bacterial growth...........58

Safe temperatures for food.....................................58

Meat Hygiene............................................................59

Personal hygiene checklist......................................59

Food temperature guide.........................................60

Food safety checklist................................................60

Fresh meat storage guide........................................61

56 57
 Food Safety and Meat Hygiene
Spoilage seeing is not always Some potentially hazardous foods are: Dont give bacteria time to grow
believing cooked meats and poultry, casseroles
Meat from healthy animals is sterile
and sauces, seafood dishes, dairy When given the moist, warm food they
Minced meat
before slaughter, but despite the
When bacteria grow to high enough products, cooked rice and other moist like, food poisoning bacteria grow Take extra care with hygiene when
most stringent hygiene during and
numbers and enough time passes, they cereals. very rapidly. With optimum conditions handling and storing mince and finely
after processing, it will be exposed
can cause offensive odours or flavours, bacteria split in half, one becoming sliced or diced meats.
to micro-organisms (microbes). Most
or they can discolour the meat or two in about 10 to 20 minutes.
contamination will be on surfaces; the
produce a layer of slime. There are three simple
deep meat tissue normally remains Remember, the more surface area
sterile. rules for food safety: In this way, in only four hours, a single of meat exposed, the greater the
But sometimes pathogens are growing bacterium in food can become 40,000. possibility of contamination.
on meat, yet the meat may still smell, 1. Keep it clean. Within seven hours, 2 million. Initial
Regular testing shows New Zealand taste and look wholesome. If you are contamination of food usually involves Minced meat and hamburger patties
meat is microbiologically very clean. uncertain whether meat has been
This is a tribute to the care taken by 2. Keep it cool. hundreds or more bacteria, not just should be thoroughly cooked to an
properly handled (for example, left at one, so dangerous numbers can be
everyone from the farmers who present room temperature for a long time), it is internal temperature of 700C. They
their stock in clean condition, to the safer to throw it out as you cannot be
3. Keep it moving. quickly reached. should not be served undercooked,
Keep perishable foods cold and rare or pink.
processing plant workers who follow certain it is safe to eat.
use as soon as possible.
procedures designed to maintain food
Limit the time high risk foods are
safety. You cannot always rely on how meat
Temperatures promoting bacterial kept at temperatures between 50C
looks or smells. This is why it is important Meat hygiene
growth and 630C, or room temperature, to
A meat processing plant is a strictly to keep meat at low temperatures and
handle it hygienically. Bacteria multiply quickly in two hours maximum.
controlled environment with a Food quality is your business Keep uniforms and work clothing
warm food and grow best at
total focus on producing safe and Your reputation and your business clean. Wear a hairnet or cap and
Control harmful bacteria temperatures between 50C and
wholesome food. Unless it is handled depend upon providing your customers cover all hair.
630C.
with care, meat is at much greater risk
Usually two events must occur to lead Bacteria dont like their Pathogens and disease with safe, delicious, high quality food. Before beginning work, wash hands
once it leaves the processing plant. Food poisoning can destroy it all. thoroughly with soap and warm
to food poisoning: environment too hot. Most bacteria The bacteria most often
begin to die at temperatures water and dry hands thoroughly
Bacteria and spoilage responsible for food poisoning Food poisoning is avoidable
1. Contamination of a above 630C. Boiling temperatures with disposable paper towels or a
in New Zealand are Salmonella Food poisoning and other foodborne
potentially hazardous food will destroy bacteria (but may not roller towel or air dryer.
The bacteria which can contaminate and Campylobacter. illnesses are usually a result of incorrect
with food poisoning bacteria. destroy their toxins). Wash hands frequently during the
food are extremely small organisms handling, preparation, storage of day and always after visiting
Bacteria do not grow in very cold E. coli 0157:H7, which has been
and are always present in the food and poor personal hygiene. the toilet, handling raw goods or
2. Growth of bacteria on the environments. However, cold
environment. Proper handling, good linked with some high profile The importance of a strict hygiene
food. does not kill them. When garbage or smoking. Ensure
personal and kitchen hygiene, and cases overseas, has not been programme cannot be overstated. To
refrigerated or frozen, most food you dry your hands after washing.
appropriate cooking protect against Although harmful bacteria cant associated with food poisoning ensure success and the survival of your
poisoning bacteria merely become Never smoke in the kitchen.
food poisoning. be seen, they can be controlled. By derived from New Zealand business:
dormant. Once warm again, they Gloves should be worn and
knowing what conditions they need to meat. Buy your meat from a Quality Mark
can quickly begin to multiply. supplier who adheres to a strict changed regularly when handling
Some bacteria grow on meat and multiply and depriving them of these, foodstuffs. If disposable plastic
produce chemicals or chemical their growth can be prevented. The most publicised human code of meat hygiene.
Safe temperatures for food Institute a strict personal, kitchen gloves are worn they should be
changes we recognise as spoilage. health problem recently
and food safety programme in your disposed of after use.
Bacteria need water, nutrients, associated with meat,
If holding cooked, hot food, its restaurant. Jewellery should not be worn in the
Bacteria harmful to human health are appropriate temperatures, the correct BSE or bovine spongiform
temperature should be above kitchen.
called pathogens. Pathogens on meat pH (acidity/alkalinity) and time to grow. encephalopathy, is caused by
600C. Personal hygiene checklist Do not taste food with fingers. Use
can cause infection in the body, like an organism called a prion,
For food safety, keep fresh/chilled Maintain hygiene standards by a clean tasting spoon every time.
gastroenteritis, or they can produce Bacteria flourish on foods that are not by bacteria. New Zealand
food below 40C. For a good showering daily and keeping As much as possible, use utensils
toxins that, when eaten, make people moist, nutritious and warm. They thrive cattle are completely free from
on high protein foods. High risk foods storage life, keep the storage hair and nails clean. Any cuts rather than hands when preparing
sick by giving them food poisoning. BSE and because they are
are easily recognised because they are temperature as low as is practical. should be covered with and handling food. Be sure utensils
naturally pasture-fed, are at
the ones which require refrigeration to For example, keep your cool room waterproof bandages. are clean.
minimal risk of developing it.
58 stop them from spoiling. between 00C and 20C. 59
 Food Temperature Guide Meat is a perishable food requiring high
standards of hygiene
Fresh meat storage guide

Food safety checklist Remember, when storing fresh/chilled

Before and after handling meat: meat, the lower the temperature the
1000C Boiling point of water Always check food and meat
Wash equipment thoroughly in hot water.
Wash hands with soap and water.
longer the shelf life.
before use to ensure it has not Keep fresh raw meat at the
75-80 C

0
Acceptable reheating and serving


spoiled. If in doubt, throw it out!
Remember however, food poisoning
Working with meat:

lowest practical temperature that
does not cause freezing, and at a
temperature organisms can be present on Keep temperatures of the preparation humidity of around 85 to 88%.
food that looks and smells fresh. area as low as possible (ideally under Keep handling of meat to a
650C Minimum holding temperature for


Monitor use-by dates on foods. Use
a strict rotation programme based


100C) and move meat as quickly as
possible from refrigerated or frozen


minimum. Place fresh, raw meat,
fat side up, in single layers on trays.
bain-maries, hot cupboards storage to preparation area. Loosely cover meat with plastic
on first-in, first-out.
Store raw and cooked foods Keep all work surfaces, utensils and wrap. Change trays regularly to
650C Foods stored hot must be AT or

separately in the refrigerator.
Clean work surfaces, chopping


cutting boards clean.
Always use a clean, sharp knife for


prevent pools of drip.
Keep different raw meats and
ABOVE this temperature preparing cuts. meat cuts separate.
boards and meat slicers frequently
Never store raw and cooked meat
and always after the preparation of
630C Bacteria multiply AT and BELOW raw foods.
Temperature control is crucial to the
maintenance of food safety standards.


together on the same tray.
Avoid any possibility of drip from
this temperature Operate freezers at - 180C raw meat onto cooked meat:
or below and keep them clean. never store raw meat above
50C
Operate refrigerators at 0 to 40C cooked meat.
Many food poisoning bacteria (320F to 390F) or below and clean Minimise dehydration and spoilage
multiply AT and ABOVE this them weekly or as required. by using a strict stock rotation plan:
temperature Freeze foodstuffs once only. first-in, first-out.
Meat, once thawed, should either Ensure all meat is labelled and
20C Ideal storage temperature for


be refrigerated or cooked and
served promptly.


dated.
Restaurant portions can be stored
fresh/chilled meat for approximately three to
Chill cooked meat to below 30C
or less in under two hours. four days under correct storage
-1.5 to 00C Ideal storage temperature for

Avoid cross-contamination with
harmful bacteria: follow a strict


conditions.
Primal and sub-primal cuts may be
vacuum-packed beef or lamb kept for up to 10 days (if packaged
products personal hygiene regime, always
correctly and kept at low
exercise clean working
temperatures).
procedures and clean as you go.
-120C Frozen meat on display for sale Do not use the same utensils or


Remember, actual storage life
depends not only on the
should be maintained AT or BELOW cutting boards to prepare raw meat refrigeration conditions, but also
this temperature and food not to be cooked (eg on how long the meat has been
salad vegetables, cooked meat), stored and under what conditions,
to prevent cross-contamination from at the time you received it.
-180C Frozen meat should be stored AT


the raw to ready-to-eat foods.
Cool stock to be stored quickly and
or BELOW this temperature
chill to below 30C or less in under two
hours.
60 61
Good Nutrition with Beef and Lamb
Natures Power Pack................................................64

Protein........................................................................64

Iron..............................................................................64

Zinc..............................................................................66

Vitamins......................................................................66

Fat...............................................................................66

Omega 3s..................................................................67

Cholesterol.................................................................67

Carbohydrates..........................................................67

Water..........................................................................67

62 63
 Good Nutrition with Beef & Lamb
Iron: Where is it? Food Total Absorbed
Natures Power Pack Iron Who needs most?
More of the iron found in beef and Infants, children and teenagers
Iron is found in a number of foods, Iron (mg) Iron (mg)
including red meat. In general, the
Red meat has been part of the diet lamb is used by the body than the because they are growing rapidly
redder the meat, the higher the iron
for at least 4 to 5 million years, and is iron in vegetables and cereals. Iron is Pregnant women
Girls and women who have periods,
content. But not all iron is the same. 120g cooked lean beef (average all cuts) 4.6 1.2
believed to be one of the main needed for healthy blood, giving us Iron is found in two forms: haem and
factors contributing to our large and energy, and for brain development in due to regular monthly blood loss
non-haem. cup green mussels, marinated 4.6 1.2
well-developed brain. babies. Athletes and very active people
Haem iron foods beef, lamb, liver,
The Paleolithic diet of our hunter- Many women, and a concerning If we dont have enough iron in our
kidney, pork, poultry, seafood.
40g slice lamb liver 4.0 1.0
gatherer ancestors is also recognised number of our babies and young blood, we:
as protective against the diseases of children, go short of iron. Eating red Feel tired cup stewed lean beef mince 3.5 0.9
Non-haem foods vegetables, bread,
today. meat will help them get enough. Have difficulty concentrating
breakfast cereals, beans and lentils,
Find it harder to learn
Feel cold
eggs, nuts, fruit. 120g cooked lean lamb (average all cuts) 3.0 0.8
We still have several physical indicators Why do we need iron?
showing we are designed to eat a Iron is a mineral essential for good Are less able to fight infection
The body absorbs haem iron more 2 roasted chicken thighs (172g) 1.8 0.5
mixed diet of both animal and plant health and wellbeing. It helps carry easily, with about a quarter being used,
foods. oxygen to the brain and muscles, Children in particular may suffer
whereas only about 5% of non-haem
keeping us physically and mentally long-term learning or development 1 grilled lean pork leg steak (82g) 1.6 0.4
iron is absorbed.
One of these is our teeth, made up strong. problems if they are iron deficient.
of canine teeth for eating meat, and 120g baked tarakihi fillet 0.6 0.2
molars for grinding plants.
cup baked beans 2.0 0.16
New Zealand beef and lamb are
more than just wholesome, versatile 1 cup cornflakes 2.0 0.16
ingredients. They are rich sources of
protein, iron, zinc and vitamins, such as
vitamin B12 and vitamin D. cup walnuts 1.9 0.15

Being naturally nutrient-rich, beef and cup cooked red lentils 1.8 0.14
lamb contain a unique package of
essential nutrients providing a lot in a 90g can tuna in brine 0.5 0.13
little, making them an important part of
a healthy, balanced diet. 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 1.5 0.12

Protein 1 boiled egg (50g) 1.1 0.09

The protein in red meat is the best
quality, containing a complete range 1 cup boiled brown rice 1.0 0.08
of amino acids the building blocks for
growth and repair.
1 Tbsp pinenuts 0.9 0.07
A 100g serving of cooked beef or
lamb provides 25-30g of protein. New cup boiled spinach 0.6 0.05
Zealanders obtain the greatest amount
of protein from beef and lamb. 1 slice wholemeal bread 0.5 0.04

64 Reference: Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables, 8th Edition, 2009
65
 Red meat can help to increase Vitamin D What happens if we eat too much? Fat content of Protein Foods grams fat per grams fat Cholesterol
absorption, boosting the use of Vitamin D is involved with calcium in Fat gives us twice as many 100g cooked per
non-haem iron by up to four times. the body to give us strong bones. We kilojoules/calories as protein weight (serving) Cholesterol is a type of fat found in
Vitamin C also has a similar effect. make most of the vitamin D we need and carbohydrate, so eating large many animal products but not in plants.
Eating a combination of foods high through the action of sunlight on our quantities of fat can easily give The body also makes cholesterol and
in both haem and non-haem iron will skin, but with increased awareness of us more energy than we need. Baked snapper (1 fillet) 3.4 (3.6) a certain amount circulating in the
ensure an iron-rich diet. the dangers of over-exposure to the For example, just a tablespoon blood is necessary for good health. It is
sun, foods containing this vitamin are of butter gives the same amount of an important component in cell walls,
energy as two slices of bread.
Lean roast beef topside (2 slices) 5.3 (4.4)
Lean beef provides approximately: becoming more important. bile and hormones. An abnormally
2-3 times as much iron as chicken. We store excess energy as fat, and high level of cholesterol in the blood
3 times as much as pork. Food sources include dairy products gain weight. Lean grilled rump steak (150g steak) 5.5 (8.3) is not good for health. The cholesterol
7-8 times as much as white fish. and oily fish, but red meat is now known Being overweight can lead to is deposited on the artery walls,
to contain a more potent type of a number of health problems Lean stewed mince (1 cup) 6.0 (10.2) increasing the risk of heart disease.
Lean lamb provides approximately: vitamin D, also making it an effective such as heart disease, diabetes,
Twice as much iron as chicken. source. high blood pressure, reduced Grilled chicken drumstick no skin (2 drumsticks) 6.8 (6.0) High blood cholesterol can be caused
Twice as much as pork. mobility and breathing difficulties. by a genetic (inherited) condition.
5 times as much as white fish. A 100g lamb leg steak provides up to Lean grilled lamb leg (1 steak) 7.8 (4.5)
Trimmed beef and lamb are low in fat. Foods high in cholesterol include liver,
half the amount of vitamin D needed
The fat content of lean beef and lamb kidneys, brains, sweetbreads, egg yolks,
Zinc each day (2.6g/100g); 100g lean beef
is comparable to other protein sources Boiled egg (1) 9.5 (1.0) fish roe, prawns and shrimps. Moderate
Zinc is needed to fight infection and to steak about a quarter (1.2g/100g).
such as chicken and pork, and in some amounts of cholesterol are found in
heal wounds, as well as numerous other cases is significantly lower. Roasted chicken thigh with skin (1 thigh) 19.8 (23.5) meat, poultry, some fish, whole milk and
body functions. Like iron, the zinc in red Fat cheese.
meat is used more easily by the body Lean red meat contains about a fifth Can fat be good?
than the zinc in other foods. Beef and of the fat in foods such as cheddar As with everything to do with food
Canned corned beef (2 slices) 28.4 (16.0)
Cholesterol in food, however, does
lamb are the most commonly eaten cheese. Less than 10% of the fat in our and nutrition, the answer is yes and
Cheddar cheese ( cup, grated) 36.6 (21.6) not normally cause raised levels of
sources of zinc in New Zealand. national diet comes from lean beef and no! There are several different types of cholesterol in our blood.
lamb, which is also true of saturated fat, some of which are more beneficial
Vitamins fat the type from which we make to health than others. The main types Peanuts ( cup, raw) 49.0 (38.2) Nutritionists agree an excess of
cholesterol. are saturated, monounsaturated and
There are several B group vitamins saturated fat in the diet is the main
polyunsaturated. Saturated fat has
in beef and lamb, all with different Reference: Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables, 8th Edition, 2009 cause of high blood cholesterol, not
In fact, one tablespoon of the given all fat a bad name, as it has been
functions. Some help release energy cholesterol in foods.
much-acclaimed olive oil contains linked with raising cholesterol levels and
from foods, some help to maintain
more saturated fat than two slices of heart disease. Only half the fat in beef Omega 3s
good vision and healthy skin, while Lean beef and lamb can be included
roast beef. Because lean beef and and lamb is saturated, and within that New Zealand beef and lamb contain
others are needed for the manufacture in a diet designed to lower blood
lamb is low in fat, a significant amount saturated fat, the majority is a type now the healthy omega 3s found in some
of red blood cells. cholesterol.
qualifies for the Heart Foundations Tick. known not to affect cholesterol levels. fish and fish oil supplements, providing
Beef and lamb contain vitamin B1 Remember to trim the fat though the a good alternative for those who
(thiamin), vitamin B2 (riboflavin), vitamin good nutrition is found in the lean part. Mediterranean influence dont eat oily fish, such as canned Carbohydrates
The other half of the fat is mainly salmon or sardines. Omega 3s are
B3 (niacin), vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and monounsaturated fat, as in olive
Why do we need to eat fat? needed by those with heart problems, Beef and lamb do not supply
biotin, but are richest in vitamin B12. oil. Olive oil has become the most carbohydrates except for a very small
A small amount of fat in our food and are important for eye and brain
2
is essential as fat is found in all body recognised source of monounsaturated development in babies. Levels of amount as glycogen in liver. Some
Vitamin B12 fat, made popular by the low levels variety meats have a small amount as
cells. Fat helps us make hormone- these important oils are higher in New
Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in of heart disease seen in Southern added cereal, eg sausages.
like substances and carries the fat- Zealand beef and lamb, produced
animal foods, with beef and lamb the European countries, where use of
soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K). from grass-fed animals, compared to
most common sources eaten by New
It provides a rich source of energy olive oil is frequent and plentiful. In meat from grain-fed animals overseas.
Water
Zealanders. Vitamin B12 is important New Zealand we derive more of our
(kJ/kcals).
to every cell in the body because it It can make food tastier compare monounsaturated fat from beef and Lean meat muscle contains 50-75%
66 contributes to our genetic material, a dry piece of toast to one with lamb than from olive oil. water. 67
DNA. butter or margarine.
 Meat Cookery
How meat changes during cooking................................................... 70
Tenderising meat before cooking........................................................ 70

Dry and moist heat cooking methods....................71

Dry heat methods.................................................................................. 72
Moist heat methods............................................................................... 72
Methods combining moist and dry heat............................................ 72

68 69
 Meat Cookery
3. Connective tissue softens Tenderising meat before The tenderising effect acts mainly at the
surface, so a marinade or powder works
Dry and Moist Heat Methods of Cooking Beef and Lamb
During long, slow cooking, some of the
The aims in cooking meat are to:
connective tissue (the collagen type,
cooking better on small, thin cuts of meat.
which becomes soluble above 60C) There are two key types of meat cookery: Moist heat methods include:
1. Develop or improve flavour, colour softens and gelatinises. It goes without saying, the best way to If left too long on raw meat, marinades Dry heat methods Braising (includes casserole
and aroma. ensure the meat you cook is tender is to containing these tenderising enzymes Moist heat methods cooking), pot-roasting and
2. Make it delicious/appetising to eat. 4. Fat melts, browning occurs and choose a cut you know to be tender, spoil the texture of meat, causing it to stewing
3. Make it more tender. flavour develops from a reliable source (for example, become mushy on the surface. Dry heat methods do not use liquid, but Poaching, simmering
4. Make it easier to digest. Heat causes fat to melt. Slightly Quality Mark meat). can use fat or oil. Dry heat suits tender or Steaming, pressure cooking
5. Make it safe to eat - kill any harmful browning fat develops flavour and the Note: Not all marinades have a medium-tender meat cuts.
bacteria it may have picked up more you brown it, the more flavour is It is also true that meat toughened tenderising effect. Many marinades The method of cookery - moist versus
during handling. developed. during processing can never be made have no acid or enzyme ingredients Dry heat methods include: dry heat, or slow versus fast cooking -
edibly tender. and are used simply to add flavour and Roasting can have a dramatic impact on the
Many changes occur in the process of 5. Searing develops flavour colour to the meat. Grilling (includes fan-grilling, ultimate taste and tenderness.
cooking, affecting the appearance, Searing - browning the outer, lean However, less tender cuts can be pan-grilling and barbecuing)
taste and texture of meat. surface of meat, usually at a fairly high made more tender by chemical or Blade or mechanical tenderising Shallow frying (pan-frying, sauting Since different cuts of beef and lamb
temperature, develops flavour and mechanical means. and stir-frying) vary in composition (eg some having
colour through caramelisation. It is Deep-frying much more connective tissue than
How meat changes during 1. Mincing: Meat is put through a
an important step in several cooking Chemical tenderising others), it is important to choose the
chopper, mincer or grinding machine
cooking methods, producing tasty meat. There are two types of chemical to break up connective tissue and Moist heat methods use liquid and are cooking method which is most suited
tenderisers: muscle into small pieces. suitable for less tender meat cuts. to the cut, to give the best results in
1. Muscle proteins shrink and moisture the final dish.
is lost 1. Acids: Marinades containing a mild
As meat is heated, muscle proteins
The myth about searing acid ingredient such as lemon juice,
2. Batting out or hammering: Meat
is pounded with a meat mallet (the
coagulate and shrink, squeezing out wine or wine vinegar help to tenderise mallet may have a rough, toothed Selecting the correct cooking method for the cut
water. The longer you cook meat, the Searing meat does not seal in the juices. meat. surface) to break down muscle and
more water is forced out. connective tissue.
A browned surface will not stop the Meat may be soaked in marinade for The cooking method you use depends Elastin is very tough tissue, which will
The loss of juices through drip, loss of juices from meat as it cooks. As several hours or days in the chiller. The on: not become tender with cooking.
This method is used for individual
evaporation and cook-out (along with meat is heated, bundles of muscle use of a tenderising marinade is more The natural tenderness of the cut Heat makes it shrink and harden. It is
portioned cuts, steaks or schnitzels, not
its marbled fat content) determines fibres contract and force out moisture, effective on thinner cuts of meat. The amount and type of important to remove tough elastin tissue
whole joints.
the meats juiciness, the amount of especially from cut surfaces. connective tissue before cooking to help reduce the level
shrinkage and thus the final cooked 2. Enzymes: Some raw fruits contain The leanness of the meat of toughness in some cuts.
3. Cutting or needling by machine:
weight or portion yield. The sizzle you hear when meat hits the protein-splitting enzymes (proteases) Size and thickness of the cut of
Steaks can be tenderised using a
hot pan is water turning into steam. which act on raw meat to tenderise it. meat Cuts with large amounts of collagen
revolving machine with tiny blades
Prolonged cooking or overcooking Of course, melting fat can sizzle too. and elastin
which make very fine cuts in the meat,
results in meat that has lost so much Lean meat, totally trimmed of all visible Examples include paw paw (contains Connective tissue Shank, shin and shoulder cuts of beef
breaking up tough tissue. This may be
moisture it becomes dry and tough to fat, sizzles and spatters as its juices papain), kiwifruit (actinidin), pineapple Meat cuts with a lot of connective and lamb contain collagen and elastin.
used on boneless beef steaks such as
eat. evaporate. The longer it cooks, the (bromelin) and figs (ficin). tissue are the less tender cuts which They should have visible connective
topside, silverside, thick flank or blade.
more water it loses. need moist heat and longer, slower tissue cut out and be cooked by slow,
2. Colour changes The enzymes break down and soften cooking to make them tender. moist heat to gelatinise the collagen.
Heat affects the pigments and changes When cooking meat, sear it to a good muscle tissue. Some commercial meat But not all connective tissue will
the colour of meat. The red colour of brown colour to improve appearance tenderisers are marinades or powders become tender. Two main components Cuts with less collagen
uncooked beef changes to light pink and flavour and keep in mind that containing papain to act in this way. of connective tissue are collagen Meat cuts such as fillet and striploin
and finally to a brown/grey shade as overcooked lean meat will be dry (white) and elastin (yellow). contain little connective tissue so
the degree of doneness increases. and therefore not as good to eat as The mashed raw fruit, liquid or powder suit dry heat cooking methods such
properly cooked lean meat, which is may be spread over the meat, or mixed Collagen will become soft, tender and as grilling, searing or short, high
succulent and juicy. with other marinade ingredients to coat gelatinised, so long as a slow, moist temperature roasting.
cooking process is used.
70 the meat, some time before cooking. 71
 Dry Heat Methods Sauting: Saut literally means, Poaching: Food is cooked very
to jump. Small pieces of food are gently in liquid below simmering
Roasting: Meat is cooked tossed (either by shaking the pan or point. Liquid is hot but should not
uncovered, in hot air, in an oven. using a spatula or similar utensil) in a exceed a mere tremble, ie less
Meat may also be roasted little hot oil or fat in a saut pan movement than simmering.
revolving on a spit over a fire. (like a frypan but slightly deeper).
A suitable method for thinly Pressure Cooking: Cooking in liquid
Grilling (Broiling): Quick cooking by sliced, small pieces of tender and steam under pressure, which
direct heat from a gas flame or an meat. A saut may be finished with increases temperature and reduces
electric element. Meat may be a sauce cooked in the pan. cooking time to about one third of
placed under or over the heat normal time. A suitable method for
source. Deep-frying: Food cooked by being less tender meat cuts which
immersed in hot oil or fat. normally need long, moist heat
Barbecuing: Meat is cooked on a cooking, eg ox tongue and beef
grid or spit over glowing coals or shin.
gas flame. Moist Heat Methods
Fan-grilling: Cooking in a multi- Braising: Meat is first browned in a Methods Combining Moist
minimum of fat or oil, then cooked
function oven using radiant heat
gently with vegetables and a and Dry Heat
from the grill (upper) element and
heated air circulated by a fan. small amount of liquid in a tightly
covered pot or casserole on the Microwave Cookery: Microwave
A thermostat controls the cookery is electro-magnetic. It is
temperature and the oven door is stove top or in the oven. Used for
serving-sized pieces of meat as well neither a dry nor moist technique,
kept closed. Suitable for tender but the microwave oven can be
grilling cuts and some roasts. as for larger cuts.
used to roast, simmer, braise and
Pot-Roasting: The term used for casserole meats. However, it gives
Pan-grilling: Meat is cooked on different results from conventional
a pre-heated heavy, dry frypan larger cuts or joints of meat cooked
as for braising, but without any (or cooking methods and does not
or ridged iron grill pan (griddle pan), always save time. Generally,
or metal hot plate. This is not with barely any) liquid. A good
method for less tender roasting cuts meat cooks better and more
frying. The cooking surface may evenly, at a lower power setting.
be lightly greased, or the meat such as fresh beef silverside, topside
and chuck roasts. The size and shape of the meat cut
brushed with oil before cooking, affects evenness of cooking and
but no further fat is added. Any fat the time required.
drippings should be poured off as Stewing or Casseroling: Meat cut
they accumulate. The meat is into small pieces or cubes is cooked
at a low temperature or gentle Covered Roasting: This is not true
cooked uncovered. roasting, as the meat is enclosed,
simmer in liquid, usually with
vegetables, in a covered pan on either in a ovenbag or covered
Pan-frying (shallow frying): Meat roasting pan, thus trapping in
is cooked in a small amount of hot the stove top or in the oven. The
meat may be browned first. some steam, and then cooked in
fat or oil (usually about 3-12mm the oven.
depth), in an uncovered pan.
A suitable method for thin cuts of Simmering: Gentle cooking in liquid
just below boiling point so the A variation is frypan roasting,
tender meat. eg small lamb leg cuts are first
surface barely ripples. Meats for
simmering may be cut either in browned in a hot frypan. Heat
Stir-frying: Finely cut food is rapidly is then reduced, the lid put on and
stirred and tossed as it is fast- small, or large pieces, eg corned
beef silverside. cooking is completed.
cooked in a little hot oil, usually in
72 a wok, over high heat. 73
Cooking Techniques Roasting Combination oven roasting
This method uses a combination of dry
Roasting Tips for Top Results
Roasting techniques heat plus moist heat, eg meat joints
cooked in covered roasting pans or If possible, take meat from the
Roasting is a dry heat method that may
Roasting.....................................................................75 use a small amount of fat or oil as a oven bags. refrigerator about 30 minutes
Roasting temperature/time guide....................................................... 75 before cooking, to bring it to
baste. The meat is cooked in an oven
Combination oven with microwave room temperature.
or on a rotating spit over a fire, gas
flame or electric grill bars. Dry heat cooking plus microwave
Grilling and barbecuing...........................................85 power gives reduced cooking times. Trim excess fat and silverskin if
Different roasting methods necessary.
Outdoor spit roasting
Steak: Degree of Doneness....................................92 Some meat cuts suit high temperature
Electronically-operated spit turns slowly Very lean cuts: sear or brown lean
roasting while others are better roasted
at low temperatures. over charcoal embers, electric or cuts first. Searing a roasting cut in
Pan-grilling.................................................................93 gas grill bars. Meat must be basted a hot pan improves colour and
Beef and lamb cuts with plenty of constantly. flavour, particularly when using
outer fat cover, fat seams or marbling small, lean beef or lamb cuts that
Pan-frying...................................................................93 are best roasted at low to moderate Oven spit roasting need only short cooking.
temperatures. This results in less Electronically-operated spit in
shrinkage and better serving yields. convection oven or in front of radiant- Roast on a rack: when practical,
Pan-sear then oven-finish.........................................93 heated spits. place meat on a rack to roast. This
Very lean or totally trimmed cuts allows even heat circulation and
Note: Pot-roasting is a moist heat
Braising.......................................................................94 are better rare-roasted at a higher
method (see page 100).
browning. You can use a root
temperature, or first seared then vegetable mirepoix, trimmed bones
roasted. or metal trivet as a base for the
Pot-roasting..............................................................100 meat.
Slow roast: low temperature Roasting cooking times in
Stewing.....................................................................100
100 to 160C. oven preheated to 160-1700C Self basting: place roast beef or
Moderate roast: lamb with fat side uppermost to
170 to 180C. Firstly, note the weight of the meat to allow natural basting.
Poaching and simmering (boiling).......................101 Fast roast: high temperature calculate cooking time:
200C or over. Netting and trussing: collagen film,
Sear then roast: brush lean surfaces A large piece of meat requires fewer caul fat, netting or twine may be
Steaming..................................................................102 with oil. Brown meat all over in a minutes per 500g than a smaller cut. used to hold plain or filled roast cuts
hot, dry pan then transfer to a The thickness of the meat cut affects in an even shape for cooking,
moderate oven, 180C, to the cooking time. Thick, chunky pieces portioning and carving.
Microwave cooking................................................103 complete cooking. take longer than thin cuts of the same
weight. Resting after roasting: after cooking,
Low to moderate temperature or slow
Making the most of meat......................................103 roasting in a convection oven (with or
Roasts with bone-in cook more quickly before carving or serving beef
than boned and rolled roasts. or lamb, allow meat to rest,
without fan-forced function)
approximately five minutes for
Hot air circulates at high speed
Minutes Internal temp. of every 500g of meat, for example,
with slow, gentle, even cooking
per 500g cooked meat 15 minutes for a 1.5kg beef roast.
temperatures between 70 to 160C.

Moderate to high temperature roasting Rare 20-25 600C (1400F) Resting enables temperature
in a convection oven to even out and the meat fibres
Hot air circulates at high speed, giving Medium 25-30 700C (1600F) to relax and re-absorb some of the
fast, even cooking temperatures juices. The relaxed meat becomes
between 160 to 300C. Well done 30-35 800C (1750F) more tender and easier to carve,
74 with less loss of juices. 75
 Beef Cuts to Roast
Fillet, ribeye, standing rib, rolled rib, wing rib, sirloin and rump. All of these cuts can be Ribeye (Scotch fillet, cube roll). Tender, fine grain (more open-grained
either fast-roasted at high temperature (2000C), or slow-roasted (1600C). Rolled rib, than sirloin), with some marbling and a small strip of fat running
topside, bolar and chuck are less tender cuts, more suitable for slow roasting or pot- lengthwise with the lean, but very little outer fat cover. Boneless log
roasting. shape (around 2.5-3 kg), well-flavoured roasting cut which carves into
neat slices.

Fillet (eye fillet, tenderloin, the undercut of the sirloin, taken from under Cooking Point: Slow or high temperature roast.
sirloin and part of the rump). Most tender, fine-grained, juicy cut.
Whole fillet weights around 2-2.5kg. Long, log shape, tapering from
thick end to thin, tail end. A strip of slightly coarser textured meat (the
chain) joined to the main muscle by a strip of connective tissue, runs
from the tail end, about three-quarters of the way along one side.
Standing rib. Tender, fine grain. A large, impressive cut of meat on the
Whole fillet Cooking Point: The chain is often removed before cooking to improve rib - maximum six, but may be cut to four. Chined, Frenched and tied
presentation of the roasted meat. Beef fillet may be roasted whole, or for easy carving.
cut into shorter lengths.
Cooking Point: Slow or high temperature roast.
The whole beef fillet may be divided across into three sections:
1. The thick (a) butt end, or head (tte de filet).
2. The centre portion, middle fillet of heart (coeur de filet). Tournedos
are cut from this.
3. The tail, thin end (filet mignon). This end is too thin to roast on its
own.

Cooking Point: Before roasting, the tail end may be cut off, or Rolled rib. Tender and medium tender meat, from boned ribs, rolled
folded under on itself and tied in place to give more even thickness and tied. Prime rolled rib must include the ribeye. (Some rolled rib
throughout. roasts have the ribeye replaced by less tender chuck or blade.) Has
(a) Butt end
some exterior fat.
A roasting cut taken from the beef fillet is the (b) Chteaubriand
(Chteaubriand may also be used as a grilling cut, see page 85). This Cooking Point: Slow roast.
is usually taken from the thick end of the fillet (about 800g) and will
serve two to three people. It can also be cut into pieces about 400g
each and flattened slightly before cooking.

Chteaubriand can also be cut from the centre of the fillet, a large
double fillet steak weighing from 400g to 800g. This is grilled whole,
then carved. The beef fillets shape, with its lengthwise grain, makes it
an easy roast to carve into neat slices. Wing rib. Tender, fine grain. Triangular cut from the rib end of the
sirloin roasting joint. Includes a maximum of three rib bones.
Cooking Point: Fast, high temperature roast, or pan-sear then oven
roast. Best rare or medium rare. Cooking Point: Slow or high temperature roast.
(b) Chteaubriand

76 77
 Sirloin. Tender, fine grain (closer texture than ribeye), lean, may have
Topside, cornercut or eye. Medium-tender, boneless, lean, rather
some marbling, with outer fat cover. Sirloin-on-bone consists of the
coarse grain. Can be dry if cooked to well done. Best medium-rare.
upper cut of sirloin on one side of the T-shaped backbone and smaller
Slow roast or, if well trimmed, sear then roast.
undercut (flllet) on the other. Striploin, the boned-out sirloin, has the
fillet removed. A flattish piece (around 4.5kg) which may be tied
Cooking Point: May be pot-roasted.
before roasting.

Cooking Point: Slow or high temperature roast.

Cornercut

Rump. Medium-tender, medium-fine grain, boneless.

Lean, with exterior fat cover on one side. Sometimes
slow roasted as the whole primal (around 4-6kg), or
halved. Difficult to carve neatly and produces very
large slices.

Smaller, seamed-out cuts - rump eye, centre rump and

rump cap - are easier to carve across the grain into neat
Topside eye
slices.

(b) (a) Rump eye. A short, lean, log-shaped piece

(c) (resembles the middle cut of the beef fillet), grain
running lengthwise. No fat cover, silverskin removed. Bolar. Medium-tender, boneless, large piece, lean with a central line
The most tender of the rump cuts, this is excellent roasted of gristle and some exterior fat.
whole.
Cooking Point: Slow roast or pot-roast.
Cooking Point: Sear then fast roast, best served rare.

(b) Centre rump. A compact, chunky piece (about

1.4kg) and thicker than rump eye. It may have fat cover
on or off.

Cooking Point: With fat on, slow or fast roast. If totally

trimmed, sear then roast.
Chuck, rolled and tied. A less tender, cheaper cut, lean with some fat.
(c) Rump cap. A flat, almost triangular piece, thinner
at one end (ranging from 2-4cm thick), coarser grain Cooking Point: Slow roast or pot-roast.
and less tender than rump eye or centre rump. With fat
(a) cover and underlying gristle removed, weighs about
800g.

Cooking Point: May be seared, then fast roasted to rare.

Carves into narrow strips.
78 79
 Lamb, Hogget or Mutton Cuts to Roast
Frenched rack, striploin or backstrap, rump, thick flank, topside, silverside and ribeye. Rump. Tender and lean, but some fat and connective tissue
These small, tender, well trimmed cuts suit high temperature, fast roasting. throughout, exterior fat cover easily removed. Boned weight
225-250g, a mini-roast for one or two. May be tied to compact
Leg cuts, rack (traditional), mid-loin, shoulder roast and shanks. These traditional cuts can shape for fast roasting. May be further seamed out to give the
be slow-roasted at an oven temperature of 1600C. smaller, heart of rump with less connective tissue.

Cooking Point: Brief high temperature roast.

Lamb Cuts to Fast Roast
Either:

1. High temperature roast at 200-2300C; or

Thick flank. Medium-tender, lean, fine grain. A plump, boneless
piece, around 325-350g. No outer fat cover.
2. Sear then roast. Cuts with no exterior fat are best seared or browned first in a pan,
then transferred to the oven at a moderate temperature of 170-1800C, or hot
Cooking Point: Sear then roast.
at 2000C.
Topside. The largest of the seamed-out lamb leg cuts, 350-500g.
Medium-tender. A lean, chunky boneless piece, which makes a good
mini-roast for three or four.
Frenched rack, modern. Full rack, six or eight ribs, well trimmed,
backbone removed (chined). May be cut to three or four ribs. Most
tender, lean meat, trimmed of exterior fat.

Cooking Point: Needs brief oven roast, best served medium-rare. Silverside. Medium-tender, rather thin, flattish piece, lean with exterior
fat easily trimmed. Two distinct muscles with fine grain in one (the eye
of the silverside) and coarser grain in the other.

Cooking Point: Sear then short roast. Carve in two sections, across the
different grains.

Striploin (backstrap, boneless eye of the long loin). Most tender, Ribeye. Medium-tender, well marbled, no exterior fat. A small,
lean, fine-textured piece from the eye of the loin. A flat, log shape, boneless roll shape, about 270g.
grain running lengthwise. Boneless, no exterior fat. Eye of shortloin is
boneless, lean meat from the lamb mid-loin only, by removal of the Cooking Point: Sear then roast.
rack, cutting down between the 12th and 13th rib. This is about half
the length of the full backstrap.

Cooking Point: Best seared then roasted and cooked to medium-rare.

80 81
 Traditional Lamb Cuts to Slow Roast

Rack. Rib end of loin, consisting of six to eight rib cutlets together,
chined (backbone removed) for easy carving between ribs. Most
tender. Traditional lamb rack has exterior fat cover, whilst modern
rack has all fat removed. Frenched rack (as pictured) has rib bones
(a) trimmed and cleaned of meat down close to the meaty eye of the
Leg, whole. Tender rump end, medium-tender middle leg, to less loin.
tender shank. Includes the aitch bone (hip bone), femur and shank
bone. Lean with some small pockets of intermuscular fat and exterior
fat easily trimmed.

A fully-boned leg may be (a) tunnel-boned, which keeps the shape

of the leg intact and the boned cavity is ideal for stuffing, or (b)
butterflied. Mid-loin, bone-in (as pictured). Includes the lean striploin (backstrap)
and fillet with backbone. Most tender. Exterior fat easily trimmed, but
Butterflied Leg. All bones are removed and the meat opened out flat. lean interspersed with fat on the flap.
Being thinner, it cooks more quickly than bone-in leg.
Mid-loin, boned. Fillet is usually removed and the loin rolled and tied.

(b)

Short-cut leg. Has rump removed, bone-in. Lean, medium-tender. Shoulder roast. Lean and fat interspersed. Bones make carving
Exterior fat easily trimmed. difficult. Medium-tender. Shoulder may have rib bones removed for
semi-boned shoulder. It may be tunnel-boned, or boned, rolled and
tied for boneless shoulder roast (as pictured).

Cooking Point: Slow roast, covered roast, or pot-roast. May also be

simmered.

Carvery leg. A semi-boned leg, usually with rump and thick flank Shanks (knuckles). Least tender. High proportion of connective tissue
removed. Consists of topside, silverside and shank, including shank and bone to lean, but tasty, juicy meat.
bone with the end sawn off. Tied in shape, this is a meaty, easy-carve
roast. Cooking Point: Best covered and roasted slowly. May also be
simmered.

82 83
 Roasting Temperature/Time Guide
When is the roast ready? Grilling & Barbecuing
The degree of doneness of both large and small meat cuts is always measured at the very centre of Grilling is a fast, dry method of cooking
the cut. tender cuts with radiant heat directed
Standard term Internal core Internal description Approximate oven Touch test description from below or above the meat. Char-
for degree of temperature (ICT) roasting times @ for grills & Ways to check a roast for readiness. grilling, barbecuing and fan-grilling are
doneness (+ or- 20C) 160-1800C (320-3560F) pan-seared cuts variations of this method (see also Dry
(+ or- 40F) for primals 1. Use a meat thermometer. You can place the thermometer in a large cut of meat before Heat Methods, page 72).
roasting. Insert it into the thickest part, away from fat or bone. For example, with a
medium-rare beef eye of striploin, you can be sure its done when the internal core Beef and lamb cuts which are best
Very rare 40 - 45 C 0
Internal deep red 18-20 minutes per 500g Very soft temperature (ICT) has reached approximately 600C (1400F). for grilling are suitable for char-grilling,
(104 - 1130F) colour, very moist (1.1lb), plus 10-15 to touch barbecue cookery and pan-grilling;
with warm, red-coloured minutes resting 2. Press meat with tongs. Lightly press the outside centre or thickest part of the meat: most are suitable for pan-frying. Some
juices cuts need to be cut into smaller pieces
Rare meat gives under pressure, is soft and springy. for sauting and stir-frying.
Medium is slightly firmer.
Rare 45 - 500C Internal very red 20-25 minutes per 500g Soft to touch Well done is firm. Grilling Techniques
(113 - 1220F) colour, very moist (1.1lb) plus 10-15
with warmer juices, minutes resting You will learn to judge doneness by experience. When calculating temperature/timing Over-heat grilling: food is placed on a
quite red in colour ratios, remember to take thickness of the meat into consideration. Teach yourself to rack or grill bars over a gas, charcoal
judge doneness by sight, smell and feel. grill or barbecue. The grill rack must
be pre-heated and the meat lightly
Medium Rare 55 - 600C Internal lighter red 25-30 minutes per 500g Soft and springy 3. A final test. Meat juices are an indication of doneness. If you are still unsure, as a last resort, brushed with oil before cooking.
(131 - 1400F) colour, moist with (1.1lb), plus 10-15 to touch test for colour of meat juices. Pierce meat in the thickest part using a fine metal skewer.
pink, warm juices minutes resting Remove skewer and gently press the meat to expel juices. Under-heat grilling: food is placed
under a gas or electric salamander or
Underdone or rare meat - juices red. heated element. The salamander must
Medium 60 - 650C Internal pink red 30-35 minutes per 500g Firm and spongy Medium-rare - juices pink. be pre-heated for fast searing.
(140 - 1490F) colour, moist with (1.1lb) plus 10-15 Medium - juices clear.
clear pink juices minutes resting Well done or overcooked - no juices visible. Between-heat grilling: this method
uses radiant heat, convection heat or
Remember, the internal temperature will continue to rise after the meat is removed from the oven or a combination of both. The meat is
Well Done 70 - 75 C 0
Internal light grey 30-40 minutes per 500g Firm to touch pan, and for a time during resting. This transference of heat can change the internal temperature of placed between heated grill bars in a
(158 - 1670F) colour, a little moist (1.1lb) plus 10-15 a small joint by 2-40C after 5 to 10 minutes. In larger joints, the internal core temperature can rise by vertical toaster/grill, a convection or
with clear or no minutes resting 4-100C after 15 to 20 minutes. conveyor oven.
pink juices
Therefore, allowing for this carry-over cooking, roast meat can be cooked to slightly below the Grilling Tips
desired degree of doneness.
Very Well Done 75 - 800C Internal stone grey 40-45 minutes per 500g Very firm to Trim meat if necessary by removing
(167 - 1760F) colour, dry with clear (1.1lb) plus 10-15 touch silverskin, connective tissue or fat.
or no sign of juices minutes resting
If seasoning with salt or salt/spice
What Can Go Wrong? mixtures, do this immediately before
cooking.
Overcooking lean, tender grilling or roasting cuts of beef and lamb can make them
Use as a guide only. Cooking times are approximate and depend on the type of cut, thickness and dry and less tender. Extended exposure to high dry heat reduces moisture in the
temperature of the meat and the type of equipment used. Follow oven manufacturers instructions. Dry meat browns better than wet meat.
meat and results in poor portion yields. Overcooking less tender cuts (those with a Pat wet meat or marinated meat dry
high amount of connective tissue), can cause the meat to break up and fall apart. before grilling. Brush meat with oil or
84 rub with infused oil. This adds flavour 85
and prevents meat from sticking.
 Beef Steaks to Grill, Pan-Grill, Char-Grill or Barbecue
Season at the last minute: if adding For best results with thinner beef or Cooking times: knowing correct
salt or salt/spice mixtures, do this lamb steaks, sear them fast to develop cooking times to achieve the correct The tender, fine-grained cuts of fillet, ribeye, sirloin, T-bone, rump and
immediately before cooking. If salt is colour and flavour, then let them rest in degree of doneness comes with seamed rump are suitable for grilling, as is the less tender flank skirt
left on the meat surface it draws out the a warm place for a few minutes before experience. steak. These cuts are also good for pan-frying (see page 93).
juices. Be careful not to burn spices. serving.
Factors determining cooking time
With dry herb/spice rubs used to impart Thick steaks or cuts can be seared include the temperature of the raw
flavour, brush off excess before grilling. quickly, then heat reduced to medium meat before cooking, grill heat, type of
An option is to brush over the surface or low to complete cooking at a more equipment, and the type of meat cut - Fillet steak (eye fillet, tenderloin). The most tender beef cut. Fine
with oil before cooking to prevent gentle heat. its size, thickness and amount of fat and grain, juicy with very little exterior fat but some silverskin (removed
burning dry rub ingredients. bone. before cutting into steaks). Whole fillet (a long, log shape), tapers
Trellising: beef or lamb steaks can be from a thin tail end to a thick butt (rump) end. Steaks vary in
Marinating and basting: before cooking marked in a lattice pattern (sometimes Resting times: before serving, allow beef diameter from small, rather flat (filet mignon) to larger, plump rounds
beef or lamb, steaks may be marinated called quadrilage) by searing each or lamb to rest in a warm place for a called tournedos, which are cut from the middle of the fillet. The
in mixtures of oil with vinegar, wine or side twice (turn it at right angles) on a short time, depending on size. Larger Chteaubriand is a large piece, usually for two servings, cut from the
citrus juice, herbs and spices to help ridged griddle pan or barbecue grid. cuts can rest longer than smaller, thinner thickest part of the fillet.
tenderise and add flavour. ones. For example, a 200g steak should
Use tongs when turning the meat and rest for two to three minutes. Resting Cooking Point: Best rare or medium-rare.
Drain meat of marinade and blot dry grill the presentation side first as it gives allows the muscle fibres to relax and
before pan-grilling. a better appearance. more juices are retained in the meat.

Searing and browning: always pre-heat

your grill so the meat browns quickly. Ribeye steak (cube roll or Scotch fillet). Tender, succulent steaks cut
Because the heat is intense, care across the whole boneless ribeye. Round or oval shape, larger than
should be taken to avoid overcooking fillet with fine, slightly open grain and some marbling. A strip of fat
lean meats that can dry out. within the lean runs through the length of the ribeye, tapering slightly
towards the chuck end.

Cooking Point: Many chefs consider ribeye the best grilling steak, but
due to the internal fat seam, it is usually cooked to medium-rare or
medium.

Sirloin steak (striploin or porterhouse). Cut from the boned loin.

Tender, fine, close-grained meat with exterior fat along one side. A
line of gristle lies under the fat. The butcher trims the end part of fat
and gristle. Not quite as succulent as ribeye, but an excellent grilling
steak.

Cooking Point: If narrow fat border is left on, this adds to flavour and
succulence of sirloin, but grill to medium-rare and ensure fat is cooked.

86 87
 Lamb Steaks, Chops and Cuts to Grill, Pan-Grill or Barbecue
T-bone steak. Cut from the bone-in loin, consists of tender striploin A lamb steak is a boneless cut, whereas a chop has bone-in. Cutlets,
on one side of a T-shaped bone, plus very tender fillet on the other. shortloin and mid-loin chops, eye of shortloin, lamb fillet, rump chops
Exterior fat along one side, easily trimmed. When ordering, specify tail and steaks, thick flank and topside steaks, lamb schnitzel and lamb
length, fat depth and steak thickness. topside or silverside steaks, are all good to grill. These cuts are also
good to pan-fry (see page 93).
Cooking Point: Because of prominent bone, not an ideal cut to
pan-grill as the meat may not sit evenly flat on pan-grill (griddle pan),
resulting in uneven searing lines. More even cooking can be achieved
by radiant heat grilling.
Cutlet, Frenched cutlet, rack cutlet. Cut from Frenched lamb rack,
backbone cleanly removed (ie chined). Frenched means rib bones
scraped bare of flesh almost to the eye of meat. Meat is well trimmed
of fat, leaving just enough to hold it on the rib bone during cooking.
Rump steak. Medium-tender, medium-fine, dense grain. The Chefs sometimes cut double cutlets (two ribs with meat) from the rack
traditional slice of rump steak cut across the whole primal is a very and remove one of the rib bones before cooking.
large steak with a fat border along the curved side. Too big for one
portion, it consists of sections of several muscles with grain running Cooking Point: Very tender, lean meat needing only brief cooking.
slightly different ways, so there is some variation in tenderness within Best rare or medium-rare.
the steak.

Cooking Point: Rump should be well aged and a marinade with acid
and/or enzyme content can help to improve tenderness.

Shortloin or mid-loin chop. Cut from shortloin (mid-loin) portion of

the loin from 13th rib to point of hip bone, ie between rack and rump
Seamed rump steaks. The whole rump may be divided along (top end of leg). A shortloin chop consists of a central T-shaped bone
natural seams of connective tissue into individual muscles. The three with a small lean fillet on one side, and on the other, the lean eye of
main ones are (a) centre rump; (b) rump eye; and (c) cap. Once loin, with its outer fat cover (easily trimmed). The chop has the thin,
connective tissue is removed, these sub-primals can be sliced across boneless tail (fat and lean interspersed) but it may be removed.
the grain to produce smaller, neater, more evenly tender steaks.
Cooking Point: The chop tail is not nearly as tender as the meat
(a) Centre rump steak: generous-sized, lean steak, medium tender.
around the T-bone and, due to fat content, needs longer cooking.
(b) Rump eye steak: most tender and smallest of the rump steaks,
similar in shape to fillet steak, though firmer in texture.

Cooking Point: Both cuts best cooked to medium-rare and well rested.
(a)
(c) Rump cap: this sub-primal is easily removed from the top/outer
Eye of shortloin. Boneless, lean meat from lamb mid-loin (shortloin)
(b) side of the rump primal. A flat, almost triangular piece (about 3-4cm
thick, weighing 800g or more), with grain running horizontally. Not only. The shortloin is about half the length of full loin or backstrap
quite as tender as rump eye. Fat cover and underlying connective (boneless eye of the long loin). Eye of shortloin is a flat, log-shaped
tissue on one side usually removed. strip of tender meat (grain running lengthwise) without any fat cover.
Usually sold with silverskin on.
Cooking Point: Due to thin shape and lengthwise grain, this is a good
cut to barbecue then carve into thin slices across the grain after Cooking Point: Remove silverskin before cooking. This cut is often
cooking. Produces neat slices for beef salads. Before cooking, the cooked whole then carved. Alternatively, cut across the grain into
cap can be halved horizontally so it takes less cooking time. Cook to small medallions or nuts of meat to fast-fry, or butterfly across the
(c) rare and rest well before slicing. grain to give bigger medallions.
88 89
 Lamb fillet (tenderloin). Whole fillet (the equivalent of the beef Lamb topside steak. The whole lamb topside, the largest of the
fillet), boned from under the saddle of lamb, ie from under loin and seamed leg cuts, when trimmed of fat, weighs around 350-525g. Meat
extending into rump. Lamb tenderloin is a small lean strip, 2-3cm is medium-tender, slightly coarser in grain than rump or thick flank. It
thick, grain running lengthwise. The whole tenderloin, including butt cuts into good-sized steaks. The topside cap can be removed first to
end from rump, is about 20cm long. However, it is usually cut just from give tidier steaks.
the loin, and measures about 20cm. Allow at least two per portion.
Remove small covering of silverskin before cooking. Cooking Point: A whole lamb topside makes a good mini-roast,
seared, roasted, rested then carved.
Cooking Point: The most tender lamb cut, this needs only brief cooking.
Baste with oil, sear in hot pan until rare, then rest before slicing.

Rump (chump) chop. From the leg, cut across rump with bone-in. Has
a fat cover curving along one side (easily trimmed), a small piece of
bone on the other. Tender meat, good barbecued or grilled, though Lamb schnitzel from thick flank or topside. Thin slices cut across grain
not as popular today as boneless rump steak. of well trimmed, boned topside or thick flank, make neat, portion-sized
lamb schnitzels. When cutting schnitzels, work from the broad end
of the thick flank, as nearer the knee joint (narrow end) there is more
connective tissue and slices become too small. Use trim for curries or
simmered dishes. For larger lamb schnitzels, use butterfly cut (see below).

Cooking Point: Pound with a mallet to even the meat. Make small
incisions into connective tissue around edges to prevent thick flank meat
curling during cooking. Best lightly coated before pan-frying.
Lamb rump steak. Thick slice cut across boned rump. Usually has outer
fat cover left on. For smaller steaks with less connective tissue, the
rump cap with fat cover is removed, leaving heart of rump, a compact
piece which slices into neat medallions. Popular with chefs.
Lamb topside/silverside steak. A boneless leg steak cut from topside
Cooking Point: Degree of trim determines cooking method and time. and silverside together. The leg is first seam-boned (rump, thick flank and
A lean medallion from well trimmed rump is best cooked rare. femur removed, then topside and silverside taken off the shank). These
steaks are a generous size and a neat shape, better than steaks cut from
tunnel-boned leg (with central hole in the meat).

Lamb thick flank (knuckle or round) steak. The whole thick flank,
trimmed of fat, weighs about 350-400g, a neat shape to cut across the
grain into steaks. Best steaks are from the broad end. Near the knee
joint they have more connective tissue. Finer-grained meat than lamb
topside but both are medium-tender.
To butterfly cut
Cooking Point: A lamb thick flank makes an excellent small roast to
serve two. Sliced thinly, it makes neat schnitzels. When slicing a small boneless piece of meat, take the knife almost through the meat to the cutting board on every
second cut. This produces hinged slices (like butterfly wings) that can be opened out flat like a book, thus giving
double-sized pieces. A butterflied leg is a boned leg, opened out flat (see page 82).
90 91
 Steak: What is the correct degree of doneness? Pan-Grilling Lamb cuts suitable for frying: Drain before serving: to keep food crisp
cutlets, shortloin and mid-loin chops, after frying, drain it well on absorbent
Pan-grilling is another fast, dry heat eye of shortloin, lamb fillet, rump chops paper. If holding food after frying, use
Research conducted for the Meat Research Rare method suitable for tender cuts, but the and steaks, thick flank and topside dry heat and keep holding time to a
Corporation (Australia) has shown customers meat is cooked directly on the heated steaks, lamb schnitzel and lamb topside minimum.
are often dissatisfied with the degree to Description: Internal very red surface - usually a heavy cast-iron pan or silverside steaks are all good
which steaks are cooked in restaurants. colour, very moist, or ridged griddle pan, or on a metal to pan-fry.
Pan-Sear then Oven-
warmer juices. hot-plate. The cooking surface may be
One Australian study surveyed more than Touch test: Soft to touch. lightly greased, but minimal fat or oil is Pan-frying tips Finish
3,500 restaurant patrons; more than 30% used. This is not frying.
of those surveyed believed the steaks they Even thickness: for even cooking, Instead of completely cooking in the
received were not cooked to the degree of Pan-grill then oven-finish: thick steaks ensure meat is of even thickness. Some frying pan, steaks can be cooked by
doneness they had ordered. can be seared on a ridged grill-pan cuts (eg lamb cutlets or schnitzels) can a two-step method. Initial browning
then finished in the oven pre-heated be batted out or lightly pounded with a (searing) is done in a pan, then cooking
The study showed over-cooking caused to 180C to 190C. The seared steaks, meat mallet to flatten slightly. First cover completed in the oven.
greater dissatisfaction amongst patrons than Medium Rare placed on a tray in the oven, must meat with plastic sheet to prevent
under-cooking. However, only 5% of patrons be turned half-way through the mallet sticking to it. The pan: use a frying pan, eg well
ordered their steaks rare, with medium Description: Internal lighter red oven-cooking. seasoned cast-iron, an oiled hot-plate
or well done being the most common colour, pink warm Dry meat surfaces: pat meat dry before or heavy-based non-stick pan for
preference. juices. This method is practical when preparing frying. Wet meat will not brown well. searing. Pre-heat the pan well.
Touch test: Soft and springy to a set menu for large numbers. It ensures Drain marinated meat well before frying Lightly oil the pan, or brush the meat
The study noted that the ability of the touch. all the meat is cooked to the same then blot dry with paper towels. When with oil; season it if you wish. Ensure
restaurant to provide patrons with steaks degree and achieves more consistency pan-frying thin slices or strips of beef or there is sufficient heat in the pan to
they believed to be cooked to the degree in cooking. lamb, a protective coating keeps meat obtain a good brown, seared surface.
of doneness they ordered, had a large moist and aids browning. Coat with
effect on the consumers perception of flour or flour/spice mixture immediately Brown the meat: sear steaks well on
tenderness, taste, overall satisfaction, value Pan-Frying before cooking. both sides, to achieve attractive
Medium
for money and intent to repurchase. colour. Transfer to an oven tray. Place
Pan-frying (shallow frying) is a fast Some other coatings are: cornflour, pea in oven preheated to 180C to 190C
Description: Internal pink-red cooking method for small, tender cuts
Degree of doneness is an imprecise concept flour, beaten egg or egg whites and to complete cooking. Turn half-way
colour, moist, clear in a pan containing a small quantity of breadcrumbs. through oven-finishing time. Time in
pink juices. hot fat, oil, butter or clarified butter.
As there is no exact definition for the terms Touch test: Firm and springy the oven depends on the meat cut, its
rare, medium and well done, it is a matter Pan size: use a suitably wide pan so thickness and how much time you take
to touch. This may be done in a frying pan, saut
open to personal interpretation. Often the meat is not crowded during cooking. to sear it. For example, a 200g beef
chef, waiter and patron can each have a pan, bratt pan or wok. The pan is not Too much meat added to a small steak, 1.5-2cm thick, after pan-searing
different understanding of the terms. covered during frying. Sauting and stir- pan reduces temperature and slows takes about 5-6 minutes to oven-finish.
frying are variations on this method. cooking.
It is helpful if serving staff, when taking orders Undercook then rest: as a rule, cook
for steak, ask patrons for some detail about Well Done Pan-fry then oven-finish: see Pan-sear Temperature control: for frying, use steaks to a point below the desired
their expectations. then oven-finish column on the right. clean, fresh fat or oil. Heat oil/fat to degree, then rest the meat, allowing
Description: Internal light grey (Also see dry heat methods, page 72). the correct temperature before putting residual heat to carry cooking to the
The photographic guide on the right colour, a little moist, meat in. It should haze or shimmer, correct degree of doneness.
shows the degrees of doneness which are clear or no pink juices. Beef cuts suitable for frying: the tender not smoke. If oil is too cool, food can
accepted practice in the catering industry. Touch test: Firm to touch. fine-grained beef cuts of fillet, ribeye, absorb it, and meat will not brown Resting time: before serving, allow
sirloin, T-bone, rump and seamed rump quickly enough. During frying, adjust steaks to rest in a warm place for
are suitable for pan-frying. temperature to keep heat moderate- approximately one minute per 100g (eg
to-high, so food sears quickly without rest a 200g beef steak for two to three
burning. minutes), allowing fibres to relax and
92 juices to settle.
93
 Beef Steaks and Cuts to Braise
Braising
Shin steak, chuck steak, blade steak, thick skirt steak, flank skirt steak,
Braising is a moist heat cooking Temperature control: after initial Cooking time: overcooking can make topside silverside, thick flank steak and oxtail are all less tender but
method recommended for less tender browning at low temperature, braised meat dry and stringy. Cook tasty beef cuts suitable for braising.
cuts of meat. Braising is an excellent maintaining a sub-simmer is important. a braise just until tender. Check for
method for cuts with high amounts While prolonged simmering, or cooking readiness at intervals. If the meat is
of connective tissue, making them close to the boil is necessary to soften ready but the cooking liquid has not
succulent and tender. For braising, connective tissue and make tough reduced enough to give a good sauce
meat is usually cut into serving size meat tender, it also dries meat out. As consistency, remove the meat (keep it
Shin steak. Slice cut across the leg, bone-in or boned. Coarse-grained,
portions, rather than just cubes (as in a meat is heated, muscles coagulate covered so the surface does not dry)
tasty meat with high proportion of gelatinous connective tissue,
stew). and proteins shrink, squeezing out while you complete the sauce. Then which softens to succulence with slow, moist heat. Size of bone varies
water. Cooking meat in liquid does not return the meat to the hot sauce. depending on age of animal (eg smaller in veal as used in osso bucco),
Brown braising: the meat is browned stop this water loss. For braising, oven and position on the leg. Some shin steaks are meaty and compact with
(it may first be dusted with seasoned temperature may be between 130C to relatively small round/oval central bone; some are very large with a high
flour) in a small amount of oil, fat or 160C, seldom higher. proportion of bone.
butter in a heavy pan or casserole dish.
The browned meat is placed on top Cooking Point: Remove large bone and thick cover of connective tissue
of vegetables, or with them, and a before cooking. Shin, like chuck and blade, makes flavourful, succulent
relatively small amount of liquid is stews.
added. The meat is covered and
cooked slowly at low temperature on
the top of the stove or in the oven.
At the end of cooking, the braising Chuck steak. Boneless cut taken from the first three ribs of the
vegetables are removed and a sauce forequarter. A less tender, open-grained meat with minimal fat, easily
is made from the cooking liquid. trimmed.
Sometimes the vegetables are used in
the sauce. Cooking Point: A good, tasty cut to cube for stews and curries.

Tips on braising

Use the appropriate meat cut: meat

cuts with a certain amount of marbling
and gelatinous connective tissue retain
juiciness better than very lean cuts,
when cooked long and slowly.

Browning meat: although browning is

not essential, it is desirable as it not only Cross-cut blade steak. Boneless cut from the shoulder blade area of the
improves colour, but develops flavour. forequarter. A succulent cut, medium-tender to least tender, with medium
grain. The distinctive line of gristle through the meat softens to gelatine on
Tightly cover: a tight-fitting lid holds in slow, moist cooking. Though cross-cut blade is not a prime grilling cut, meat
the steam, which helps to soften the retailers sometimes tenderise it mechanically, marinate and sell it as a cheaper
connective tissue, making the meat barbecue cut. Australians call this cut oyster blade. In New Zealand, oyster
more tender. A sheet of buttered blade is blade roll. Another cut from the blade primal is bolar, usually sold as a
baking paper placed over the meat, large piece for roasting or pot-roasting (see page 100).
under the lid, helps to prevent the
surface from drying. To make a loose Cooking Point: Slides of blade steak are excellent braised, retaining their
lid more tight-fitting, put a sheet of foil succulence.
94 over the pan then cover it with the lid.
95
 Thick skirt steak. Coarse-grained, least tender meat with rich flavour. This Silverside steak (fresh). Medium-tender, lean meat. The whole silverside is
must be cooked long and slowly by moist methods. Not to be confused made up of two main muscles with distinctively different grain. Silverside
with flank skirt steak. eye is the smaller, log-shaped piece with fine grain. It can be cut into small,
neat oval steaks. Silverside, rump-end and centre-cut are coarser-grained.
Cooking Point: Gives rich, dark stock or gravy.
Cooking Point: Silverside eye is sometimes thinly sliced and sold as
sandwich or minute steaks, but is not considered a tender grilling steak.
Fresh silverside steaks may be braised, although are not as succulent as the
more gelatinous cuts (blade, chuck, oxtail). A larger cut (a piece around
1.5kg) makes a good pot-roast (see page 100).

Flank skirt steak (sometimes called teardrop steak). A lean, thin, flat leaf- Thick flank steak (Australian name round steak). From the hindquarter,
shaped steak around 20cm long, medium-tender meat, having distinctive this primal is most often sold thinly sliced as beef schnitzel. Medium-tender
coarse, lengthwise grain. Well flavoured meat for stewing. Sometimes thinly with finer grain than topside. A good braising steak, more tender than most
sliced across the grain for stir-frying but tends to be chewy rather than really stewing steaks.
tender.
Cooking Point: If using thick flank for braised beef olives, slices should be
Cooking Point: Flank skirt can also be used as a pan-grilling steak if it is well thin, but not wafer-thin.
aged and tenderised or marinated, then cooked rare. Slice across the
grain.

Topside steak. Lean, medium-tender meat with rather coarse grain. May Oxtail. Sold joined into short pieces. Medium-grained, least tender cut but
be braised or casseroled but is not as succulent as shin, chuck or blade. very gelatinous, so braising or slow moist heat produces great succulence.
Makes good quality mince. A high proportion of bone and fat to lean, but much of the fat can be
trimmed and the remainder removed after cooking. Very flavoursome and
Cooking Point: Makes good casseroles, but topside tends to dry so take an excellent braising cut.
care not to overcook.
Cooking Point: After braising oxtail, strain sauce into a jug so fat can be
removed from the top. Alternatively, refrigerate the braised oxtail in its
sauce overnight then remove solidified fat from the surface.

Offal
Kidneys, liver, heart and tripe are also suitable for braising (see Offal, page 44).

96 97
 Lamb Steaks and Cuts to Braise
Medium-tender and least tender lamb, hogget and mutton cuts, Leg chops. Medium-tender, lean, with small round central bone. Leg steaks
such as boned and cubed forequarter, round neck, shoulder and cut from boned leg.
forequarter chops, leg chops and shank or knuckle, suit moist heat
cooking such as braising.

Forequarter. Boned, cubed. Medium-tender to least tender, depending on

age of animal (eg young lamb or older mutton). Exterior and intermuscular
fat. Needs trimming, but juicy meat for stews and curries.

Shank or knuckle. Least tender, with high proportion of bone and gelatinous
connective tissue which, when braised, becomes juicy and tender.

Round neck chops. Least tender, with high proportion of bone and fat to
lean.

Cooking Point: Needs long, slow cooking to tenderise.

Forequarter chops, shoulder chops. Least tender, although young lamb

shoulder can be tender enough to barbecue. Some bone and fat within
the lean. Good braising chops.

98 99
 Pot-Roasting Stewing White Stews Poaching & Simmering Simmering can be done in a deep pan,
Known as blanquettes or fricasses, stock pot on the stove, kettle, bratt pan
white stews are made with lamb or (Boiling) or in a combination oven.
Pot-roasting is the term applied to cooking larger joints or In stewing, meat cut into smaller pieces
or cubes is cooked gently in liquid to veal that is blanched, or lightly seared
cuts (eg beef topside or fresh silverside in a 1.5-2kg piece) in Poaching and simmering are very similar
completely cover it. The vegetables are without colouring, and cooked in stock. Simmering is best for cuts with higher
a similar way to braising. However, it is carried out in a deep, methods.
included. A stew can be simmered in To blanch: cover meat with cold water amounts of connective tissue which
covered pot without any, or with barely any liquid. The meat is
a pot on the stove top or cooked in a and bring to the boil, drain and refresh need long, slow cooking to tenderise
seared or browned first in a little butter or oil, then placed on a Poaching
covered casserole in the oven. under cold running water. The sauce is them. However, this method can also
bed of browned root vegetables, or bones and vegetables. Poaching is a very gentle, moist heat
then made with the liquid and finished be used for more tender cuts, eg beef
method of cooking using a minimum
The pot is tightly covered and the meat cooked gently. A Stewing is suitable for the least tender with a liaison of egg yolks and cream. rump, cooked to a medium degree of
amount of reduced liquid or stock
pot-roast may be cooked in a pot or pressure cooker, in a cuts of meat which become tender doneness.
kept at just below simmering point,
bratt kettle, or in the oven. The small amount of liquid and the and juicy with the slow moist heat Brown Stews
approximately 90C to 94C.
vegetables produce sufficient steam to make this a moist heat method. Cuts having a certain amount Brown stews are made with pieces
method ideal for the medium-tender roasting cuts. of marbling and gelatinous connective of red meat which are first seared or
Poaching liquid should show very
browned. A browned mirepoix (and
tissue give moist, juicy stews.
sometimes browned flour), plus liquids
little movement - a mere murmur or Tips for poaching and
shimmer at the surface, with no sign of simmering
When stewing, lean meat, even though such as stock and wine are added, and
Beef cuts to pot-roast: topside bubbles bursting.
it is surrounded by liquid, can become the dish simmered gently until tender.
corner, fresh silverside, rump, Cook gently for most tender
chuck (rolled), blade, fresh dry in texture if cooked at too high a Poaching methods
temperature for too long. Thickening Stews results.
brisket (rolled) and thick flank. Poaching can be done in a pan, on
The cooking liquid may be drained
the stove, in a bratt pan or in a covered Arrange beef or lamb cuts in a
While prolonged simmering, or cooking from the cooked meat at the end of
dish in the oven at 160C to 180C. single layer in the poaching
close to the boil is necessary to soften cooking and thickened by reduction,
Fresh silverside connective tissue and make meat but stews are more often thickened in pan to ensure even cooking.
Poaching temperatures are lower
more tender, it also dries lean meat out. one of the following ways:
than those used for simmering, and Use a rich stock when
(a) Coating pieces of meat with flour
poaching times are shorter. poaching for a short time, as
As the meat is heated the muscles before searing. This contributes to
Lamb cuts to pot-roast: thickening of liquid as the stew brief cooking does not allow
coagulate, proteins shrink and water is Tender cuts with lower amounts
hogget, mutton or lamb; cooks. rich, strong flavours to develop
squeezed out. Cooking meat in liquid of connective tissue are best for
leg or shoulder, boned and (b) A starch such as cornflour mixed in the pan.
rolled. does not stop this water loss. poaching.
with cold water may be stirred
After initial browning, a low into the hot liquid towards the end A well flavoured poaching or
Simmering (boiling) simmering liquid can be used in
temperature or sub-simmer gives best of cooking.
Simmering is a slow, gentle, moist sauces to accompany the
results. Do not overcook lean meat (c) A roux is used, or beurre manie
method of cooking in liquid or stock, meat.
Boned leg stews. (uncooked flour and butter paste)
usually in a deeper pan than that used
added.
for poaching. Pre-soaking and blanching:
The meat for a stew is usually browned
before the liquid is added. This Beef cuts for stewing: chuck steak, some salted beef and lamb
Liquid is heated to just below boiling products may be soaked
develops colour and flavour. Some blade steak, topside steak, silverside
point, approximately 95C-99C in cold water to extract some
meat stews are made without initial steak, shin steak, flank skirt steak, thick
(203F- 210F) - higher than that used for salt prior to cooking. To blanch
browning, relying on added ingredients skirt steak, ox kidneys, oxtail, gravy beef,
poaching, with slightly more movement salted or pickled meat, start off
for depth of colour. tripe, minced beef, ox heart and ox
in the cooking liquid, tiny bubbles in cold water, then bring to the
liver.
rising slowly to the surface and only boil, simmer and refresh under
In some stews only the vegetables get occasionally bursting. This is much less
an initial browning, and then meat Lamb cuts for stewing: forequarter cold running water. After
movement than when boiling. refreshing, simmer blanched
and liquids are added. For example, a (boned, diced), round neck chops,
meat curry is often made this way. shoulder chops, leg chops, shank meat in stock or liquid until
Boned shoulder (knuckle), minced lamb, kidneys, liver cooked.
100 and heart. 101
 Microwave Cooking
Beef cuts (and offal) suitable Lamb cuts (and offal) suitable Beef cuts (and offal) suitable Lamb cuts (and offal) suitable
for simmering (boiling): shin, for simmering (boiling): lamb for poaching: tenderloin, for poaching: eye of shortloin, Microwave cooking is a method of Shrinkage during cooking is inevitable Note the cooking load
topside, thick flank, silverside leg cuts, breast and flap, rump eye, rump cap, veal fillet, leg cuts, brains and cooking using electromagnetic waves and it occurs with every cooking Remember, the cooking load affects
(fresh or corned), flank steak, shoulder, neck chops, shank, brains and sweetbreads. sweetbreads. of high frequency that penetrate food. method. It can be as low as 10% and cooking time. Three roasts placed
brisket, chuck, blade, cubes lamb tongue, brains, heart, Heat is generated by molecular friction as high as 50%, but average shrinkage together in a conventional oven will
and mince, veal brains and tripe and sweetbreads. within the food. Food and liquids loss is between 15% and 30%. take longer to cook than one roast
sweetbreads, tongue, beef absorb this energy and cook quickly. because heat is dissipated into the
heart and tripe. This method can be used for cooking Remember the following when cooking: greater mass of meat.
meat or reheating it.
Keep cooking temperatures low Calculate according to the situation
Microwave ovens come in various If three roasts are being cooked in an
Some cooking loss is unavoidable, but
sizes with different levels of power and
using low cooking temperatures keeps oven at the same time, even though
choice of functions, eg defrosting,
them to a minimum. There is less meat the minutes per kilogram increase with
browning and reheating. Combination
Beef fresh silverside shrinkage at low temperatures. Tests the greater load, the cooking time
Beef tongue Beef tripe convection and microwave ovens
combine dry heat or steam with the show that even when two beef roasts should not be calculated on the total
addition of microwave energy. are cooked to the same degree of weight of the meat.
doneness, roasting losses are usually less
Steaming Microwave cooking is quick, at a lower, constant temperature for a Instead, cooking time should be
convenient, safe and economical. longer period of time, than at a higher calculated on the minutes per kilogram
Steaming is a moist heat cooking Perforated trays or vessels can be 6. Steam and Smoke Oven The microwave is useful for quickly temperature at a shorter time. for the smallest roast, with adjustments
process. The meat does not come used but this method requires pans Allows cold and hot smoking defrosting meat and for reheating made for cooking time of the larger
into contact with the cooking liquid or containers with tight-fitting lids to of cured meats and small goods prepared meat dishes. Simmer, dont boil roasts.
but instead is cooked by surrounding contain steam. in a steam cooking cycle. The unit Gentle simmering cooks meat evenly
steam, sometimes under pressure. 2. High pressure steaming

operates with fan-forced sawdust
smoke, by gas or electric burner.
Making the Most of Meat and simmered meats have less cooking Carve it right to cut losses
This method requires purpose-built loss than boiled meats. Teach carving techniques to minimise
Steaming results in tender, well steamers generating high pressure Meat may often be the most expensive meat losses during slicing. Kitchen
flavoured, juicy meat with minimum steam for ultra quick cooking. Tips on Steaming ingredient on the centre of the plate, so Grill, dont burn personnel training should include
weight loss or shrinkage. Steaming Mainly used for vegetables and it makes sense to cook it in a way that Grilling requires high temperatures. If carving directions on the correct
under pressure is fast and easy, saves processed meat products. Use a tight-fitting lid or have steamer maximises the yield of each portion and amount to serve by weight and the
the temperature is too high it will burn
on energy and provides accurate door securely closed to retain heat and minimises cooking losses.
3. Combination and steam oven the outside of the meat, dry, shrink and importance of uniform thickness. Carve
meat portioning and cost control. moisture.
High capacity steamer ovens can cook it unevenly. meat across the grain for optimum
cook by steam, using moist or dry There are two kinds of cooking losses. tenderness.
The more tender beef and lamb loin If food is cooked in basins or moulds, Yields may be reduced by cooking/
and leg cuts are also suitable for heat, or a combination of both. Do not cook meat longer than
4. Vacuum-cooking by steam grease these well and firmly cover shrinkage losses and by wastage in Profits from trimmings
steaming and combination steaming. necessary
Known as sous-vide, this is a with greaseproof kitchen paper, cloth carving and serving. But ensure internal temperature is high Useable trimmings not only save on
method of cooking food in or foil to prevent sticking, or moisture
Various Steaming Methods enough to kill bacteria. The longer a waste but can mean added profits.
penetrating food. Steaming is practical The cooking or shrinkage loss is the
vacuum-sealed plastic pouches, roast is in the oven, the more it shrinks so
for thawing and quickly reheating actual weight difference between the
1. Atmosphere steaming by combination of steam and do not overcook. Some Trimming Uses:
prepared foods. uncooked cut and the cooked meat
Meat may be cooked directly or convection oven, between 70C to Fat (dripping) render. Use for
100C (158F to 212F). before it is carved. Slicing and serving
indirectly in contact with steam in Beef cuts (and offal) suitable for The larger the cut, the longer the cooking.
5. Low to moderate temperature losses are due to fat trim, poor carving,
the following ways: steaming: tongues, veal brains, kidneys, or smaller portions not suitable for cooking time needed, but keep in Bones and sinews. Use in stock
Directly in a steamer. Steam steaming mind that a thin, flat roast might take making, for sauces, soups etc.
heart, beef cheek (papillae off), tripe serving.
is fed into chambers from a This method steam cooks meat half the cooking time of a thicker roast Large trimmings. Dice or cut into
and beef forequarter cuts.
separate boiler. slow or fast, between temperatures of the same weight. Always take into strips for casseroles, kebabs and
of 70C to 100C, ideal for Shrinkage occurs when water
Indirectly or in a covered pan. Lamb cuts (and offal) suitable for evaporates from the surface of the account the shape as well as the stir-fries.
Sealed food containers are placed blanching, preserving, steam
steaming: tongues, brains, kidneys, meat and when fat, water and juices cut and weight of the meat when Small trimmings. Mince for use
over or in a deep pan of boiling cooking, cooking in vacuum (sous-
sweetbreads, heart, tripe and drip from the meat. Shrinkage is calculating cooking time. in pies, patties, meat loaves.
water. vide), thawing, reconstituting and
102 reheating.
forequarter cuts. affected by cooking method, duration, 103
temperature and degree of doneness.
 Glossary
Glossary of Meat, Butchery, Cookery and
Menu Terms
This glossary lists the common and less common terms related to
butchery and meat cookery, including those which may feature in
menus and cookbooks of various nationalities.

104 105
 A
Anglaise: English-style. Applied to many typically English Baeckeoffe: A traditional oven-baked mixed meat stew Blanch: To simmer bones or meat to whiten; to boil,
la carte: Menu with each item separately priced, dishes. (Alsace). Beef, mutton and pork first marinated steam or simmer vegetables to retain their
giving the customer freedom to pick and in wine, cooked with potatoes and onions. colour or soften to remove skin, eg tomatoes. To
choose (as opposed to fixed price meal or Animelles: Testicles, also known as rognons blanc. make food limp, or to cook without colour, eg
buffet). Ballotine: Boned and stuffed, usually poultry but can be leg chip potatoes.
Ante mortem: Before death. of lamb.
la minute: Prepared or cooked to order. Blanquette: Classical white stew cooked in stock from which
Arni-lemonato: A Greek-style roast leg of lamb cooked with Barnsley chop: A double loin or saddle chop. the sauce is made, eg a blanquette of veal.
point: French term for steak, medium-done or just lemon juice, oregano and garlic.
right for eating. Baron of lamb: Double striploin, rump and leg area of a full Bleu: French for blue. Of steak, degree of cooking,
Arni-pisto: A Cypriot-style dish of lamb cooked with carcass. Also know as saddle of lamb. very rare.
Abats: Offal, eg heart, liver, kidneys. potatoes, lemon juice, wine, tomatoes,
garlic and herbs. Bavette: Skirt of beef. Bloom: Surface colour on raw meat. Process of meat
Abattoir: The processing place where animals are changing colour from a dark purple, such as
slaughtered for human consumption. In Arni-souvlaki: Lamb kebabs marinated in white wine, lemon, Beef la mode: Large cut, eg topside, braised in wine with when vacuum-packaged meat is opened, to a
New Zealand, most commonly used for plants oregano and garlic, from Greece. vegetables and herbs, served hot or cold. bright cherry-red on exposure to air.
processing for the local market only.
Arroser: To season, baste or brush with oil or butter when Beef Anglaise: Classical dish of corned beef silverside, simmered Bobotee: South African meatloaf dish of boiled beef
Accelerated Process using electricity to speed up the rigor roasting to prevent drying out. with a mirepoix of vegetables. Served with flour tongue, brisket, chicken, salted pork, black
Conditioning: mortis cycle and enhance tenderness. dumplings and mustard. pudding and other sausages.
au bleu: French term for degree of doneness of steak:
Aerobic bacteria: Microbes which require oxygen from the air to very rare and underdone. Beef Steak Diane: Classical dish of a seared tenderloin, medallion or Boeuf: Beef (French).
live. Anaerobic bacteria can grow without the minute steak with a creamy mushroom sauce,
presence of oxygen. B onion, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and Bollito misto: Italian mixed meat dish of boiled beef tongue,
brandy. brisket, chicken, salt pork, black pudding and
Aging: The tenderising process in which naturally Barbecue: To cook with dry radiant heat over hot coals or other sausages.
occurring enzymes break down the muscle gas flame. Beef tea: A beef drink/stock made by simmering lean
fibres in meat. minced beef in water. Bookmaker Char-grilled, rare minute steak served between
Bard, barder: Cover lean meat with slices of fat or bacon Sandwich: two slices of toasted bread.
Agneau: French for lamb. Agneau de lait: milk-fed before roasting to prevent drying out during Beef Wellington: Classical dish of a seared beef tenderloin
lamb. Agneau pascal: spring lamb. Agneau cooking. Barding fat is removed before serving. coated in mushroom duxelle, wrapped in puff Bouchre ( la): Butchers style.
de pr-sal: lamb from salt meadows, pastry and baked.
particularly on the French Atlantic coast. Baron dagneau French lamb cut, top end of leg for roasting. Boucherie: Butchers shop.
Bien cuit: French term meaning well done, of steak,
Agnelet: Another name for milk-fed lamb. Baron of beef: Large joint comprising the double loin and rump degree of cooking. Bouillon: A reduced, unclarified beef bone stock, or
area of a full carcass. Sometimes used for large broth, especially in pot-au-feu.
Aiguillette: A French cut, from top of beef rump. See buffet carveries. Best end (of neck): Rack of lamb. Six or seven ribs of lamb from
pice de boeuf. Also thin strips cut from breast between the middle neck and loin, for roasting. Boudin blanc: White pudding (French). Type of sausage made
of poultry or game. Basting: Brushing food with oil, marinade or pan juices of white meat with no blood.
before or during cooking to keep the food moist Biftek: French for a beef steak on a menu.
Aitch bone: Ischium, rump bone. or add flavour. Boudin noir: Black pudding (French). Type of dark sausage
Biltong: South African name for a style of dried strips of containing blood.
Aloyau de boeuf: A French cut, a large joint from sirloin of beef. Bat out: To flatten slices of raw meat with a cutlet bat. beef, also called jerky.
This is sometimes done with meat between Bourguignon: Prepared in the style of Burgundy, a famous
plastic cling film to prevent the meat from cooking region in France. Refers to meat
breaking up. Batting improves tenderness. cooked in red wine, usually garnished with
glazed button mushrooms, little onions and
lardons.
106 107
 C
Bovine: Of cattle or oxen. Caul: Fine lacy network of fat, from stomach Cold boning: Traditional method of boning beef sides after
Calorie: Unit of energy released when food is burned for membrane, usually pork or mutton. Often rigor mortis and cooling.
Brasciole: A selection of small thin escalopes of lamb or fuel within the body. A measure of the quantity wrapped around lean meat or meat
beef filled with a forcemeat, rolled and of energy a food can provide. A kilocalorie is the mixtures (eg minced meat for patties) before Cold chain: All the areas and processes where temperature
skewered, finished in a hot saut pan. amount of heat needed to raise the temperature cooking. The caul adds moisture and holds control must be maintained below ambience.
of 1 gram of water by 1C (1.8F). Now often shape but eventually melts.
Bratt kettle/pan: Commercial cooking pan, electrically heated, expressed as kilojoules (kJ). There are 4.2 Cold cuts: Cold sliced meats or processed meats such as
with lid, works on the same principle as a large kilojoules in 1 kilocalorie. Cervelle(s): Brains (French). salami.
electric frypan. May be pivoted and have a
pouring lip. Canon of lamb: Boneless, filled and rolled loin of lamb. Channel fat: Fat in the pelvic cavity of the carcass. Cold shortening: Toughening of meat as a result of rapid chilling or
freezing too soon after slaughter.
Bredie: A traditional South African meat and vegetable Carbonnade(s): Literally glowing coals. Implies braising. Chteaubriand: The thick end of the beef tenderloin. Also
stew using the breast of lamb. Carbonnade of beef flamande is a Belgian-style known as the butt tenderloin or butt fillet. Coagulate: Change from liquid to a more solid state. Clot,
dish of beef with onions, herbs and beer. curdle, set, as when milk changes to junket or
Bresaola: A style of Italian air-dried beef cured with salt Chasseur: A classical beef dish with sauted mushrooms, curds in cheese-making.
and herbs. Sometimes pre-soaked in red wine. Carotene: Pigment found in grass, plants, fruits and shallots and white wine.
Served in thin slices. vegetables associated with vitamin A. Carotene Collagen: A structural protein in connective tissue found
is partly responsible for the yellow colouration in Chili con carne: Mexican dish of minced beef with chillies and in meat. When heated in water, collagen
Brine: A salt solution or meat preserving solution of the fat of grass-fed animals. red kidney beans. forms gelatin. Moist, slow cooking makes meat
water, salt, nitrate and flavouring agents, eg for containing collagen soften and become more
corned silverside, brisket and tongue. Carpaccio: Traditional Italian dish of thin slices of raw Chilled meat: Meat held at a storage temperature range of tender.
beef tenderloin with an olive oil dressing, minus 1.5C to 0C.
Brochette: A skewer. En brochette: food grilled or fried on a mushrooms and shaved Parmesan. Collagen film: Connective tissue that has been processed (by
skewer. Chine bone: Backbone: to chine is to remove the bone, eg extraction and refinement), then extruded into
Carpetbag steak: Beef tenderloin steak pocketed and filled with on lamb loin. plastic-like material. Used for sausage skins, this
Broil: A common American and Australian term oysters, then char-grilled. gives a finer textile than a natural casing.
meaning to cook by grilling. Chipolata: Small thin sausage used in garnishes and for
Carr: French cut of lamb, rack or best end. finger food. Collet: French lamb cut: scrag end of lamb neck. A
Broth: A flavourful, aromatic liquid made by simmering stewing cut.
water or stock with meat, vegetables, spices and Carte du jour: Menu of the day. Choesels: Beef pancreas or sweetbreads, also a ragout
herbs. containing tripe and pancreas (Belgian cookery). Collops: Small, thickish slices of boneless raw meat.
Carve or carving: Cutting cooked meat into slices. Mutton collops are mutton chops. Also a
Brunoise: A mixture, usually of vegetables, finely chopped Chorizo: Highly spiced sausage of Spanish origin. Scottish dish of minced beef with baked scone
or diced. For stuffings, garnishes and soups, Casing: Skin of sausage, may be natural (washed and topping.
especially consomm. treated intestine from animal), collagen film, or Chump: Rump.
synthetic. Confit: Preserved meat, especially goose, duck or pork,
BSE: Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy. A disease Clarify: To make foods clear, eg stocks, jelly or fat. salted, cooked and preserved in its own fat.
in cattle, found only in nervous tissue, brain or Casserole: Covered earthenware dish used for cooking
spinal cord, but not in muscle or milk. New in the oven and then serving at the table. Clearmeat: Mixture of minced beef, egg whites, aromatics Connective tissue: The silvery-white or filmy substance between
Zealand is free of the disease. Also refers to the food cooked and served in the and vegetables used to clarify consomms. muscles which helps bind muscles together and
dish. attaches muscle to bone for support.
Buttock steak: Topside or round steak. Clod: English term for cut from neck of beef.
Cassoulet: French regional casserole-style stew, essentially
of dried haricot beans and various different Coeur: Heart (French). Coeur de filet: best cut of fillet of
meats, eg pork, goose, sausage, mutton, duck, beef.
and garlic and herbs.

108 109
 E
Consomm: Classical basic clear soup. Quality stock is Crpinette: Small, flat sausage, or patty wrapped in Donar (doner) Turkish style spit-roasted meat, usually lamb,
clarified using a mixture of ground meat, egg caul. kebab: cooked in the form of tightly stacked slices on a Elastin: In meat, tough connective tissue which will not
whites, vegetables and other ingredients to trap vertical skewer rotating in front of an electric soften during cooking.
impurities. Crotons: Small cubes of bread, shallow fried for use element. Carved to order and served in pita bread
as a garnish with soups, or cut larger to with salad and spicy sauces. minc: A thin slice or sliver (French). mincr: to mince or
Contre-filet: French roasting beef cut, part of the beef garnish stews and vegetable dishes. slice food very thinly, or shred it.
sirloin or striploin. Also called faux filet. Dress: To arrange the finished food item onto the plate or
Crown roast: Two frenched racks of lamb joined in a circle, serving platter prior to service. Empanada: Popular Mexican savoury yeast dough turnover
Cook-chill: A technique for preparing meals ready to heat fat side in and ribs uppermost, to resemble a filled with minced beef and spices or spinach.
and eat. A strictly hygienic system where food is crown. Usually roasted with a stuffing in the Dress: When used of a carcass: to prepare a carcass by
prepared, cooked and chilled rapidly. Portions central cavity. skinning, eviscerating and trimming. En papillote: Cooking small cuts of meat or fish in a foil pouch
are stored and transported at below 3C (37F) or greased paper parcel. Or may be in bark or
Cuissot: Large leg or haunch of veal, venison or wild boar
for use within three to five days. Dressed weight: Of carcass, skinned, eviscerated, trimmed and clay.
(French).
then weighed.
Cook-freeze: A system of strict hygienic meal production in Engadine beef: Air-dried striploin of beef from Switzerland and
Cumberland pie: Lamb or beef mince pie flavoured with
which food is prepared, cooked or raw and blast Drip: Natural release of juice or moisture from raw or other central European countries. Cut and served
carrots, leeks, onions, topped with mashed
frozen. It requires only baking or heating prior to cooked meats. wafer thin as an hors doeuvre.
potatoes and gratinated.
service.
Dripping: Fat which has separated from meat during Entrecte: Literally between the ribs (French). Steak cut from
Cordon bleu: Escalope or thin slice of meat folded to enclose
D
cooking. Fat and juices from roasting a the boned beef sirloin. Another name for sirloin
sliced Swiss cheese and ham, then crumbed and joint, or rendered clean beef fat used for frying. steak.
Dark cutting meat: Dark, dull coloured meat with a high pH. This may
fried.
indicate poor eating quality.
Dry aged: Fresh carcass, meat cuts or small goods stored Enzyme: An organic catalyst formed by living cells but
Corned beef: Beef, usually silverside or brisket, pickled with brine without vacuum packaging for various periods not dependent on their presence for its action. A
Daube: Meat braised slowly with stock, generally red wine
containing nitrite which gives it a red colour when of time under controlled temperatures, humidity natural substance which speeds up a chemical
based, well flavoured with herbs, in a covered
cooked. and air flow to develop tenderness and flavour, or reaction in the body. Examples: actinidin or
pan. Often beef, but may be other meats
to reduce spoilage. papain, found in fruits.
cooked in the same manner.
Cornish pastie: Traditional pie made with a round of short pastry
filled with beef or lamb, root vegetables and Dry cure: A combination of salts and spices used in paule: Shoulder (French). A lamb roasting joint. paule
Deglaze: To swirl a liquid or stock with sediment left in a
sometimes kidney. The pastry is folded to a processing meats and small goods. dagneau is a half shoulder, boned, rolled and
roasting pan or frying pan. Heated and stirred
crescent shape and crimped along the central tied.
with liquid to loosen the food particles.
join. Dry curing: Preserving process in which salts and spices are
rubbed into raw meat, usually before smoking. Escalope: A thin slice of meat, eg escalope of veal.
Dgraisser: To skim and remove surface fat.
Correcting: Adjusting the meat or sauce seasoning, Commonly used for pastrami and small goods.
consistency and colour. Escalopine: A small, thin slice of meat.
Delmonico steak: American beef cut, also called Spencer steak.
Dry rub: A blend of crushed herbs, spices and sometimes
The eye of beef rib with bone, fat and coarser
Cte: French for rib. Ctes couverts are beef ribs on salt that is rubbed onto the surface of steaks and stouffade: Basic brown beef stock or a beef stew. Or meat,
meat removed. Cut 2.5 to 5cm thick, treated as
the bone, a roasting joint. roasts prior to cooking to add flavour. usually in one piece, stewed in a sealed pot with
beef fillet.
wine, herbs and vegetables.
Ctelette: Cutlet (French). Ctelettes premier are the four Duxelle: Mixture of chopped mushrooms and shallots
Demi-glaze: Half glaze. Classical rich brown sauce based
cutlets from nearest the loin on a lamb rack. cooked in butter. tuv: Stewed, braised, steamed. Meat or vegetables
(demi glace) on meat stock, and made by reducing equal
sweated or cooked in their own juices.
quantities of basic brown sauce (espagnole) and
Cottage pie: Traditional pie made with minced cooked beef
brown stock reduced by half, or reduced until
bound with brown sauce, onions, herbs and Eviscerate: Disembowel.
almost thick enough for glazing.
topped with creamed potatoes.
Dodine: Boned and stuffed meat (eg shoulder of lamb)
or poultry which is braised in the oven. More often
110 applies to poultry or duck. 111
 F
Fricandeau: Veal topside. Also a veal dish, larded with Grain-fed: Animals fed on a concentrate diet, eg sorghum Hogget: Young sheep in age between lamb and mutton.
Fancy meats: Offal, edible carcass organs, eg kidneys, heart bacon and braised. wheat, barley or maize, for a set period. The meat is not as tender as lamb but has more
and liver. flavour.
Fricasse: A light, white stew, often veal or poultry, first Grass-fed: Free range animals fed on grass pasture, maybe
Fajita: Literally sash, a term used in southern states of sauted (which distinguishes it from blanquette), with added silage or hay. Holstein: Crumbed schnitzel of veal or beef topped with a
America for beef flank skirt steak (or other made with white stock and cream sauce. fried egg, anchovy fillets and capers. Also a breed
meats) cut into little strips, spiced, cooked and Grenadin: French veal cut, a small thick steak from the leg. of cattle.
served wrapped in flour tortilla parcels, with crisp- Frikkadels: Dutch-style meatballs or skinless sausages.
cooked onion, capsicum, chilli salsa etc. Grill: Method of cooking by radiant heat either from Hot boning: Boning carried out soon after slaughter and before
Fum: Smoked or of a smoky flavour. above, at sides or below. Heat may be gas, rigor mortis.
Fallette: Dish of a breast of mutton stuffed with electricity, charcoal or wood.
vegetables and bacon or braised breast of Fumet: Liquid used to give body and flavour to stocks Hot weight: Weight of the dressed carcass within two hours of
veal stuffed with pt. and sauces. Often refers to good fish stock. Guard of honour: Two Frenched lamb racks joined together, facing slaughter.
A fumet is not an extract or concentrate. each other, having fat sides out, rib bones up and
Farce: Savoury forcemeat or stuffing. interlocked. Roasted. I
G
Feedlotting: Intensive method of raising animals which are H Irish Stew: Lamb stew with potatoes, onions, celery, leeks and
kept within an area and fed, during part or all Galantine: A cold, jellied dish made traditionally of boned parsley.
of their growing period, on a grain-based diet. poultry, but may be of meat, stuffed with HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points.
forcemeat, pressed into a symmetrical shape A systematic way of analysing potential hazards ISO 9002: An international quality assurance standard.
Ficelle-style beef: Ficelle means string. Beef poached on a string in and cooked in stock. The forcemeat may in a food operation, identifying the points in the
a rich broth. include ingredients to form a pattern when operation where the hazards may occur, and
sliced, eg pistachios, tongue or truffle. deciding which are critical to consumer safety. A
J
Filet: Fillet. Also French term for loin of lamb. tool for testing food safety.
Gelatin: A soluble protein substance found in animal Jarret: Knuckle or shin of veal or beef.
Foie: Liver (French). hides, bones and connective tissue. When Hach: To finely chop or mince.
dissolved in hot liquid and then cooled, it sets Jerk: Jamaican-style marinade or spice mix for meat.
Fonds: A strong stock for making meat sauces. and is used for jellies, aspics, cold desserts and Haggis: Traditional Scottish dish: sheeps paunch filled with
can be used as a thickener and stabiliser. finely minced offal, oatmeal and seasoning, sewn Jerky: Dried strips of beef for chewing.
Forbar Bridie: Puff pastry, minced steak, onion and fresh herb up and boiled.
turnover (semi-circular pie). Georgian steak: A striploin steak spread with anchovy butter, Jus: Juice. Unthickened roast pan juices or reduced
wrapped in puff pastry and baked. Halal meat: Meat prepared according to the ritual slaughter stock.
Forcemeat: A stuffing made of raw meat. Used for making required by Islamic consumers.
sausages, pts, mousselines or quenelles. Gigot: Top end of hind leg of lamb or mutton (French). Jus de viande: Gravy.
Hamburg or Traditional hamburger with brown sauce, fried
Freezer burn: Discolouration on meat surface due to loss of Gigot dagneau: Shank end of the leg for roasting (French). Vienna Steak: onions and an egg. Jus-lie: Lightly thickened roast pan juices or reduced
moisture, exposure to air and oxidation during stock.
freezer storage. Girello: Lamb eye of silverside (Australian). Hang: To suspend raw meat (usually full carcasses or
side) on hooks in controlled temperature and
Frenching: Removal of meat from the ribs leaving the bone Glace de viande: Meat glace used for enhancing stocks and humidity to allow aging.
ends exposed. sauces.
Htelet: Small skewer for grilling meat.
Fricadelle: A round, flat cake or meatball made of finely Glycogen: A carbohydrate energy store in liver and muscle
chopped meat and breadcrumbs or mashed of animals (and humans).
potato, fried.
Goulash: Hungarian-style stew usually made from less
tender cuts of beef, eg chuck, including paprika
and onions.
112 113
 K
Kreatopita: Cyprus-style lamb pie cooked with ricotta and Massaman nuea: Thai-style dish of beef cooked with massaman Murag: Iraqi-style stew of beef with spices and tomatoes.
Kambing soup: Indian-style lamb soup with shallots, ginger, feta cheeses. curry paste, chilli peppers and coconut milk.
cinnamon, coriander and coconut milk. Murtabak: Indian or Malaysian-style pancakes filled with
L Meat yield: The amount of saleable raw meat obtained after minced beef, garlic and spices.
Kari: Curry. deboning and trimming, or the amount of meat
Lactic acid: A natural food acid found in sour milk. Also for serving after cooking. Musette: Literally bag. Shoulder of lamb or mutton boned
Kari-Kari: Philippine-style beef stew of oxtail, shin of beef, produced by muscle when it burns up its energy and rolled into an even ball shape for braising.
peanuts, eggplant, spring onion and green stores of glycogen. Medallion: French medallion. A thin, round or oval slice of
beans. meat, also know as mignonette, or a noisette of
N
Lancashire An oven-baked dish using layers of sliced lamb or a slice of beef fillet.
Kebab: Kabab. Arabic term for meat cooked on a hotpot: lamb shoulder, onions, potatoes and stock, Nam pla: Thai fish sauce made from fermented small fish or
skewer with vegetables. Also known as topped with neatly arranged potato slices. Mignon: Tail end of a beef tenderloin (fillet). A small steak, shrimp. Used like soy sauce.
shishkebab or shaslik. sometimes called filet mignon. Also applies to
Langue: Tongue (French). lamb. Napper: To coat meat with sauce or jelly.
Kefta: Lebanese-style skewered lamb or beef made
with minced meat, onion, cumin and parsley. Lard (Larder): To insert strips of bacon or fat into the meat to Mirepoix: A mixture of diced vegetables, usually onions, Navarin: Brown mutton or lamb stew with potatoes and
prevent drying out during cooking. celery, carrots and herbs, sauted in oil or butter onions.
Keftedakia: Greek-style savoury meatball of beef, parsley, to form a base for many sauces, soups and stews.
onion, garlic, oregano and cinnamon. Lardons: Batons of bacon, or diced bacon. Also strips of Navarin printanier: With spring vegetables.
larding fat threaded into meat. Miroton of beef: Dish of cooked, sliced beef reheated with
Keftedes: Greek-style veal or beef meatballs highly browned onions, mustard and demi glace or New England Traditional dish of simmered corned beef brisket,
flavoured with herbs and deep fried. Lobscouse: A fritter made with mashed potatoes, minced broth. dinner: served with beetroot, cabbage, carrots,
lamb, ham and onions. Served with mustard. potatoes, swedes, haricot beans, horseradish
Keema pilau: Indian-style minced lamb stew with fresh herbs, Mixed grill: Selection of grilled lamb cutlets, kidneys, and mustard.
peas and rice. London broil steak: Flank steak or rump steak that has been chipolata sausages, bacon, mushrooms,
char-grilled and thinly sliced before service. tomatoes, served with straw potatoes. Noisette: (French) hazelnut, or nut-shaped. Of meat, a
Kibbeh: Middle Eastern raw meat dish made from minced small steak like a medallion, or a slanted cut
veal or lamb, pine nuts, onions, burghal wheat, M Mock duck: Partly boned shoulder of lamb with the shank left across the boned, trimmed eye of lamb loin.
allspice and salt. on and tied in the shape of a duck. Noisette is often confused with rosette.
Marbling: Intramuscluar fat or flecks of fat within the lean
Kobe beef: Japanese, very highly marbled, extremely meat. Mountain oyster: Testicles of veal, beef, lamb (not to be confused Noix: (French) nut. Topside of veal. Used whole or
tender beef. Japanese rate marbling of beef on with prairie oyster which is raw egg in vinegar, sliced into escalopes.
a scale of 1 to 12, and Kobe beef is between 10 Marinade: A flavouring or tenderising mixture which may considered a pick-me-up). Testicles of sheep are
and 12 (see Wagyu). contain vinegar, wine, oils, herbs and spices. also called animelles. O
Used to soak meat cuts before cooking.
Kofta: Indian-style meat balls in sauce with yoghurt, Mouses ear: A butchery term for the small mouse end muscle Offal: Variety meats. Internal organs of animals,
garam masala and fresh coriander. Marmite: A traditional tall stew pot/stock pot used (flexor digitorum superficialis) removed from the including heart, kidneys, liver, brains, tripe, tongue
especially for pot-au-feu. Also the name for the heel muscle of beef silverside. and sweetbreads.
Korma: Indian-style meat stew or simmered meat dish food cooked in a marmite.
(often lamb), with onions, garlic, spices, yoghurt, Moussaka: A layered Greek-style casserole of eggplant, Osso Bucco: Dish of veal knuckles cut into 3cm slices across
almonds and fresh ginger. Marrow bone: Beef or veal hind leg shin bone which contains savoury lamb mince and cheese sauce. the bone. Braised with onion, garlic, tomato
rich, soft fatty bone marrow. This can be pure, white wine and veal stock. Garnished with
Kormeski Russian-style savoury meat croquette made scooped from the roasted bones and used as a Mouth feel: Perception of physical properties of food in the gremolata (mixture of chopped parsley, lemon
from cold meat, flour panada, reformed and spread or poached and served in slices as a mouth; feel of food as distinct from taste. rind, garlic and anchovy fillets).
crumbed. garnish on meat dishes.
Mouton: Sheep, mutton (French).
Kosher: Food prepared according to strict Jewish
religious and dietary laws.
114 115
 P
Pepperpot: A Caribbean meat stew, highly spiced, including Protein: A vital part of every cell in the body. One of the Rennet: Animal rennet is an enzyme derived from
Paddy wack: Strip of very tough yellow gristle running along the hot peppers, maybe okra, other vegetables and basic nutrients needed by the body to maintain stomachs of calves, which coagulates milk.
backbone. dumplings. life, supply energy, build and repair tissues, form Vegetable rennet is obtained from some plants,
enzymes and hormones and perform other eg thistle. Rennet is used to coagulate milk into
Paillarde: Grilled escalope of veal, beef or lamb. Thicker Petite marmite: Small earthenware pot in which soup of the same essential functions. Protein can be obtained from junket, or into curds and whey in cheese-making.
than traditional escalope for schnitzel. name is made and served. animal and vegetable sources.
Rest (meat): Let meat sit for a time after cooking, before
Paisti: Scandinavian-style meat stew made with beef, Permeable: Having properties that allow substances to pass Puchero: A Spanish meat stew/soup also called cocido, like carving or serving.
lamb, bacon, onions and allspice. through, penetrate or diffuse. a hotpot or pot-au-feu.
Rigor mortis: Latin for stiffness of death. The stiffening of muscle
Paleron: French beef shoulder cut, from between chuck pH level: A scale indicating acidity or alkalinity, ranging Q during biochemical changes after death, when
and neck. from 1 (extremely acid) to 7 (neutral), to 14 muscle turns into meat.
(extremely alkaline). Significant in meat quality. Quasi: French term for veal rump or escalope cut from
Papillae: Fine, finger-like protuberances, closely packed lean rump. Ris: Sweetbread (French). Thymus gland of calf or
on the surface of the intestinal wall and inner Pice de boeuf: French beef cut, top of rump. Also known as sheep obtained from the neck or near the heart.
beef cheek. Papillae increase surface area for aiguillette and pointe de culotte. Queue: Tail (French).
excretion of digestive enzymes and for Rogan josh: Muslim-style Indian lamb curry, rich dark red
absorption of food. Plat-de-ctes: Flank of beef or pork. French beef cut taken from R colour, made with a fresh spice paste, tomatoes
between ribs and brisket, equivalent to American and yoghurt.
Papillotte, (en): Food or meat enclosed in a buttered paper or short ribs. Braising, pot-roasting cut. Ragout: Light stew, white or brown which may be of meat,
foil parcel and baked in the oven. Paper bag poultry or fish, with or without vegetables. Rognon: Kidney.
method of cooking. Pluck: The heart, liver and lungs (lights) of lamb or
mutton, used in haggis. Ragu Bolognese: Italian-style meat sauce made from minced beef, Rondeau: A round shallow pan (usually copper) used for
Pastitso: Greek-style dish of layered beef mince pie with wine, tomato paste, vegetables, herbs and meat braising or stewing meat.
macaroni and cream sauce. Other ingredients Pole: Literally stove. Pole: pot-roasted on a bed of stock.
include red wine, parmesan cheese, nutmeg vegetables. A method of cooking. Rosbif: Roast beef (French).
and tomato paste. Raifort: Horseradish (French). Raifort Sauce: creamy
Polon: Round casserole with lid, for pot-roasting. horseradish sauce. Rosette: Small rounds cut from the boned lamb loin (some
Pastrami: Highly seasoned, smoked beef traditionally made fat on), with tail, rolled and tied. Because rosettes
with eye of silverside. Most often eaten cold, Point, (): Medium-cooked, referring to degree of doneness Rchauff: Reheated. Dish prepared from leftover meat. include tender eye meat wrapped in the
thinly sliced, eg on rye. of steak. less tender, fattier part, they need to be well
Reduce: To concentrate a liquid or stock by boiling. cooked. Not to be confused with noisette.
Pt maison: Rich mixture of ground meats, liver, game etc. Portion control: Items which have been cut, sliced or formed to
Well seasoned and baked in a terrine, or specified individual portion weights. Reform sauce: Rich sauce made from a piquant demi glace with Rossini: Meat garnish of goose liver pt and madeira
steamed. May be coarse, like a meatloaf, redcurrant jelly and julienne of beetroot, egg brown sauce.
or fine and smooth in texture, as a spreading Pot-au-feu: Literally pot on fire. Boiled beef with broth, white, gherkin, mushroom, truffle and tongue.
paste. Usually eaten cold. May include fat, pork, cooked together by simmering in a large stock Rouelle: Round slice. A French veal cut, thick lean part of
spices, brandy and garlic. Maison: meaning pot. Sometimes also with various other meats, Render: To melt solid fat down to dripping. A heat leaf between rump and knuckle.
house, thus pt of the house, or according to eg chicken, salt pork, mutton and sausage. treatment to release fat (tallow) from bones and
the chefs own recipe. Full bodied soup and meal of various meats trimmings. Rouelle de veau: Boned fillet of veal.
simmered together with root vegetables.
Pathogens: Microbes which are harmful to human health. Roulade: Made into the shape of a roll.
Some examples are: Campylobacter, Pot-pourri: Term for a stew of various kinds of meats and
Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, E.coli spices. Also a mixture of items. Rumen: Part of the first stomach of a ruminant.
(Escherichia coli), Clostridium perfringens and
Yersinia entercolitica. Primal cuts: The first muscle cuts derived from breaking down Ruminant: Animal that chews cud, eg cattle, sheep, deer,
the carcass, eg whole rump. goats.
Paupiette: Thin slices of meat or fish, stuffed, rolled and
116 poached or braised, eg beef or veal olive. 117
 S
Shaslik: Grilled pieces of meat and vegetables on a Stock: Liquid obtained by simmering down various Table dhte: Literally hosts table. A meal of several set
Saignant: (French) literally bleeding. Rare or underdone skewer, also know as shishkebab and kebab. nutritious foods, eg meat, meaty bones, fish, courses at a fixed price. A menu.
degree of doneness of steak. French is brochette. vegetables, extracting their flavours.
Tagine: Popular Middle Eastern lamb stew (also the dish in
Salamander: Type of grilling equipment having heat source Shell steak: Striploin steak trimmed of all fat and sinew. Strip steak: American beef cut, boneless striploin. Other which it is cooked).
at the top. Used for grilling, toasting and American sirloin steaks include pinbone, flatbone
gratinating. Shepherds pie: Pie made of cooked meat, usually minced lamb, and wedgebone. Tallow: Rendered beef or lamb fat.
baked in a pie dish with a topping of mashed
Salisbury steak: Mixture of minced beef, onion, breadcrumbs potatoes. Stroganoff: Dish of beef fillet strips sauted with onions, Terrine: Earthenware dish, fairly deep, with a lid, in which
and tomato pure, moulded into oval galettes mushrooms, black pepper, cream, lemon juice, a meat or liver pt is cooked. Also the food
and pan-seared. Shishkebab: Pieces of meat and vegetables threaded on a parsley and nutmeg. cooked in it.
skewer and grilled.
Saltpetre: Potassium nitrate. Inhibits growth of bacteria. Subcutaneous fat: Fat under the skin. Toad in the hole: Traditional dish of sausages baked with a
Used with salt for pickling and preserving. It gives Silverskin: Tough, silvery white connective tissue that Yorkshire pudding batter.
a characteristic pink colour to cured meat. surrounds certain muscles, eg on lamb and beef Sub-primal cuts: The muscle cuts derived from breaking down
silverside. the primal cuts into their natural seamed muscles, Tokana: Hungarian stew of lamb with green peppers,
Satay: Indonesian and Malaysian skewer of small cubes eg eye of rump. potatoes and tomato, thyme and red wine
of meat, grilled, usually over charcoal. May be Singe: To brown or colour. sauce.
marinated, eg in turmeric, onion, coconut milk, Suet: Fat around kidneys of beef and lamb. Grated
coriander and served with a spicy peanut sauce Smoke-roasting: Method for roasting foods in which items are and used in pastry. Tolstoi: A braised lamb or beef dish with paprika, onion,
and cucumber. placed on a rack in a pan containing tomato concasse and garnished with gherkins.
smouldering wood chips emitting smoke, when Sukiyaki: Japanese-style stir-fry of beef and vegetables
Sauerbraten: Swiss beef dish. A piece of silverside, marinated the pan is placed on the range top or in the including bamboo shoots, mushrooms and bean Tournedos: The middle part, or steaks cut from the middle of
in beer or vinegar, water, brown sugar, pickling oven. curd. Traditionally eaten with raw egg. a beef tenderloin (fillet).
spices and garlic then simmered in the pickle
and served with a sour cream sauce. Sofia boiled beef: Dish of slices of boiled beef finished in the oven Supreme: A quality cut of meat with no bone or fat, eg fillet Tranche: Slice, rasher, steak, chop of meat. Tranche
with brown sauce. The sauce is finished with of veal. Also applies to a cut from game bird or grasse: thick flank of beef.
Saumure: Brine containing salt, juniper berries, peppercorns beaten eggs and yoghurt and the dish is poultry: the breast and wing fillet removed in one
and sugar, used for pickling meat. Also food gratinated with cheese. piece. Tripe: The lining of the first part of the stomach in
salted or pickled in brine. ruminants. The inside of the first stomach of cattle
Souvlakia (arni): Greek-style skewered lamb flavoured with garlic, Sweat: To cook food (usually vegetables) slowly with a is honeycombed, the second smoother. Tripe is
Saut: Literally jumped or tossed. To toss food quickly marjoram, onion and bay leaves. little butter or oil under a lid without colouring, scraped, bleached and pre-cooked before sale,
in a frying pan to brown it. Also means a quick until the food exudes juice. A preliminary step for but still requires quite lengthy cooking.
kind of stew using good quality strips of meat. Steak and kidney Mixture of diced beef, ox kidney, onions, parsley, soup-making and stewing, not to be confused
pudding: mixed herbs and liquid steamed in suet pastry with frying which is not done with a lid. Tronon: (French) thick cut, steak or chunk of meat or fish.
Seal or sear: To brown or colour, or to set the surface of meat. until tender.
Usually a preliminary step, using high heat and Swiss steak: Traditional dish made from beef thick flank or Trumeau: (French) leg, shin of beef.
brief cooking in a hot pan or oven. Steak tartare: Classical dish of raw minced beef tenderloin, topside steaks braised in brown sauce.
seasoned and topped with a raw egg,
Season: Add salt, pepper or other seasonings to enhance accompanied by small bowls of chopped onions
the flavour of the food. and capers. Sometimes made with raw beef
bound with fresh egg white, with capers and
Seasoned flour: Flour seasoned with salt and pepper. onions.

Set: To sear (over high heat) the outside surface of Stifatho: Greek-style beef stew with onion, red wine,
meat. tomato, garlic and herbs.

Shashlik: Lamb, grilled on a skewer, sometimes served as a

118 flaming sword (Russian). 119
 U
Ultimate pH: The pH achieved when the rigor process in Index
muscles has been completed.
V
Vacuum-aging: Aging meat in vacuum packaging. Also referred
to as wet aging.

Valentine of Lamb: A butterflied cut from a well trimmed boneless

lamb loin.

Value-added: The processing or adding of something, eg a

filling seasoning, starch or carbohydrate to
a product so the selling price is higher than of
the products raw material.

Veau: Veal (French).

Viande: Meat. In French, this term refers to all meats.

Viscera: Body cavity contents including intestines, lungs

etc.

Vitello tonnato: Italian-style poached veal dish with a tuna

mayonnaise, anchovies and new potatoes.
W
Wagyu: Japanese native cattle breed having a high
degree of marbling (fat interspersed with lean).
The breed which produces Kobe beef. New
Zealand Wagyu cattle have been bred from the
Japanese Wagyu, but the meat is not nearly as
highly marbled as Kobe beef. New Zealand
Wagyu cattle are grass-fed and the certified
Wagyu beef, Marblebeef, is graded 3 or over
on the Japanese marbling scale (See Kobe
beef).

Wiener Schnitzel: (Austrian) thin slice of veal, dipped in beaten

egg, coated in breadcrumbs and fried in butter.
Traditionally garnished with lemon and stoned
olives, wrapped with anchovy fillet.
Z
Zrazy: (Polish/Austrian) traditional braised dish of beef
rump steak, red wine, onions and lardons.
Served with thyme and parsley stuffing.

120 121
 Index chuck, beef cooking, meat, 69-103 (and see under cuts, of meat, 4, 25-43 (and see cuts listed pan-frying, 93
boiling, 101-102, ( and see simmering),
abattoir (AB) licence, 4 bolar, beef (see blade, bolar) cut, 25, 27, 32 individual methods) individually) poaching, 101
acidity regulators, 12 bones (beef), prep & cooking, 46, 103 pot-roasting, 100 aims, 70 beef, 25-34 tenderloin, grilling, 90
acids, as tenderisers, 70 boning, beef, 11 roasting, 79 boiling, 101, 102 chef-ready, 50 flank, beef
actin, 13 cold boning, 11 simmering, 102 braising, 94 lamb, 37-43 cut, diagram, 25
actomyosin, 13 hot boning, 11 steak, braising, 95 browning, 94 portions, 52 steak, simmering, 102
age, of animal, and tenderness, 17 bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), 59 stewing, 101 changes during cooking, 70 primal, 4, 26-27, 38-39, 50 flank skirt, beef
aged frozen beef, definition of, 11 brains (lamb), prep & cooking, 48, 102 tender, 27, 32 dry heat methods, 71-72, 75-93 restaurant, 50 cut, 26, 33
aging, of meat, 18 brains (veal), simmering, 102, steaming, 102 chump, lamb and fat content, 14 seaming, 4 steak, braising, 96; stewing, 100-101
carcass-aging, 18 braising, 71, 72, 94 boneless, 39 grilling (barbecue, char-grill, sub-primal, 4, 26-27, 40, 50 flap, lamb, cut, 37-39
length of, 19 beef, 95-97 chops, cut, 43 fan-grill, pan-grill), 85-93 variety meats (offal), 44-48 flavour and eating quality, 17
and temperature, 19 brown braising, 94 cut, 37, 43 losses, 103 veal, 35 flavouring, 12
vacuum-packed aging, 18 lamb, 98-99 off long loin, 39 methods, 71-72 food poisoning, 58-59
aitch bone (ischium), diagrams, 24, 36 temperature, 94 on long loin, 39 microwave, 103 food safety, 58-61
Alpha lamb, 9 times, 94 rump, 43 moist heat methods, 71-72, 94-102 dark cutting, 15, 17 bacteria, 58-59
amino acids, 64 tips, 94 classification, pan-frying, 93 deep-frying, 71-72 check list, 60
Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, 4 breast bone (sternum), diagram, 24 of beef, 8 pan-grilling, 93 delivery, meat, checklist, 50 fresh meat, 61
transport code of practice, 4 breast, lamb, diagram, 37 domestic/export, 8, 9 poaching, 101 doneness of steak, 92 high risk foods, 58
arm (clod) bone (humerus), diagrams, 24, 36 simmering, 102 by fat, 8, 9 pot-roasting, 100 dry-aging (see carcass-aging) hygiene, personal, 59
ascorbic acid, 12 breeds, beef & sheep in New Zealand, 2 by gender and maturity, 8, 9 roasting, 75-84 drying meat, 12 minced meat, 59
brisket, beef muscling, 8, 9 searing, 70, 75, 93 programmes, 59
cut, 25, 26, 31 national standards, 8 simmering, 101-102 rules, 58
backstrap, veal, 35 navel end, 25, 26 of sheep, 8, 9 steaming, 102 eating quality, 17-21 (and see tenderness) spoilage, 58
bacteria, aerobic and anaerobic, 50, 53 point end, 25, 26 cling-film overwrap, 51 stewing, 100-101 elastin, 14, 71 temperatures, 58, 60
and spoilage, 58 pot-roasting, 100 Clostridium botulinum, 12 tenderising, 80 enzymes, as tenderisers, 70 forequarter, beef, 26, 102
barbecuing, 71, 87-91 simmering, 102 cold boning, 11 vacuum-cooking, 102 protein-splitting (proteases), 70 forequarter, lamb
basting, 86 broiling, 72 cold shortening, 4, 17 cool room, 54, 58 Escherichia coli, 59 braising, 98
batting out, 71 browning, 94, 100 collagen, 14, 17, 71 co-products, 4 ewe, 8-9 cut, 38, 42
beef, cattle breeds in New Zealand, 8 bull, definition of, 8 and tenderness, 17 cornercut, beef, roasting, 79 five rib, 38-39
cooking, 75-79, 84-88, 92-97, 100-103 butterfly cut, 91 colour, of meat, 15 covered roasting, 72 stewing, 100-101
cuts, 24-34 (and see cuts or cooking buyers (foodservice), information for, 49-55 and age, breed and sex, 15 cow, definition of, 8 fan-grilling, 71-72 foreshank bones (ulna and radius),
methods listed individually) B vitamins, 14, 66 and cooking, 70 cube roll, beef fat, 14, 66-67, 103 diagrams, 24, 36
grain-fed/pasture-fed, 2 by-products, 4 and oxygen, 15 cut, 25, 27, 33 colour, 14 foreshank, lamb, cut, 43
nutrition, 62-68 and packaging, 15, 51 grilling, 87 in cooking, 14 foreshin, beef, cut, 34
tenderness, 25 and pH, 15, 18 steak (Scotch fillet), 33 cover, 14 four-tooth mutton, definition of, 9
beef jerky, 12 calf, definition of, 8 and tenderness, 15 curing, of meat, 12 marbling (intramuscular fat), 14 freezing
Beef + Lamb New Zealand, 3, 21 calories, 66 composition of meat, 13-15 cutlets, lamb in nutrition, 66-67 freezer burn, 53
blade, beef Campylobacter, 59 and colour, 15 Frenched, cut, 37; grilling, 89 feather bones (thoracic vertebrae), hints, 53
bolar blade, 30, 33 carbohydrates, 67 connective tissue, 13, 14 pan-frying, 93 diagram, 24 process, 53
bolar blade steak, 30, 33 carcass-aging, 18 fat, 14 rack, grilling, 89 fillet, beef refreezing, 54
bolar, roasting, 79 carotene (pro-vitamin A), 14 and grain, 13 cuts, beef, 24-34 (and see cuts listed butt end, roasting, 976 safety, 60
cross-cut blade, 30, 33; braising, 95 casseroling, 71, 72 and marbling, 14 individually) centre, roasting, 76 and thawing, 54
cut, 25, 30, 33 chteaubriand, roasting, 76 muscle, 13 cuts diagram, 25 chteaubriand, roasting, 76 French cutlets, lamb, cut, 42
oyster blade, 30, 33 cheek (beef), prep & cooking, 46 proteins, 13 primal cuts, 26-27, 50 coeur de filet, roasting, 76 fresh meat, storage guide, 61
pot-roasting, 100 steaming, 102 water, 14 skeletal diagram, 24 eye, grilling, 87 frozen lamb, definition of, 11
simmering, 102 chilled beef, definition of, 11 conditioning, 4, 5, 17 sub-primal cuts, 26-30, 50 filet mignon, grilling, 87; roasting, frozen meat
steak, 30, 33 chilled lamb, definition of, 11 accelerated, 5, 18 cuts, lamb, 36-43 (and see cuts listed 76 freezing process, 53
stewing, 101 chilled meat, 11 and aging, 4, 18 individually) grilling, 87 packaging, 53
blade bone (scapula), diagrams, 24, 36 expected life, 53 connective tissue, 13, 14 cuts diagram, 37 pan-frying, 93 storage temperature, 53, 55, 60
blade bone cartilage (scapula cartilage), packaging, 11, 50-53 and cooking, 70 primal cuts, 38-39 roasting, 75 and thawing, 54
diagram, 24 product descriptions, 11 and tenderness, 14, 17, 19 skeletal diagram, 36 tte de filet, roasting, 76 fry, lamb (see liver, lamb)
blade shoulder, 26 storage temperature, 60 Controlled Atmosphere Packaging (CAP), sub-primal cuts, 40-43 whole, 76; grilling, 87 frying (see pan-frying)
bobby calf, 8 chine bone, diagrams, 24, 36 11, 15, 52, 53 fillet, lamb
bobby veal, definition of, 8 cholesterol, 67 cut, 37
122 grilling, 89 123


grain, of meat, 13 ISO 9002, 4 Meat Export (ME) licence number, 4 offal, edible (lamb), prep & cooking, frozen product, definitions, 11 rump, beef
grain-fed beef, 2 isoascorbic acid (erythorbate), 12 Meat Classification Authority, 5. 8 47-48, 100-102 Hazard Analysis Critical Control cut, diagram, 25, 28, 32
gravy beef, stewing, 100-101 micro-organisms, 58 Omega 3s, 67 Points (HACCP), 4 cap, 28, 32; grilling, 88; roasting, 78;
grilling, 71, 85-93 microwave cooking, 72, 103 osso bucco, veal, 35, 95 hygiene standards, 4 schnitzels, 28, 32;
barbecuing, 85 juiciness, of meat, mid-loin chops, lamb outside round (silverside), beef cut, 27 innovation, 4 centre, 28, 32; grilling, 88; roasting, 98;
and basting, 86 and cooking, 70 cut, diagrams, 37, 42 oxtail, 45, 97 inspection, 5 steaks, 28, 32
beef, 87-88 and cuts, 94 grilling, 89 ISO 9002, 4 D-rump, 32; steak, 32
and browning, 86 and eating quality, 17 pan-frying, 93 packaging meat post-slaughter procedure, 4-5 eye, 28, 32; grilling, 88; medallions, 28,
char-grilling, 85 and water content, 14 roasting, 83 chilled/fresh, 51-52 pre-slaughter care, 4 32; roasting, 78
cuts suited, 85 minced meat cling-film overwrap, 51, 53 quality assurance, 4 grilling, 88
fan-grilling, 85 and safety, 59 Controlled Atmosphere Packaging, slaughter process, 4 pan-frying, 93
lamb, 89-91 kidney, (beef/veal/ox), prep & cooking, 44, simmering, 102 52-53 protein, 64 pot-roasting, 100
and marinating, 86 101-102 stewing, 101 frozen, 53 pro-vitamin A (carotene), 14 whole, 32
pan-grill & oven-finish, 93 kidney (lamb), prep & cooking, 47, 101-102 mincing, 71 High Oxygen Modified Atmosphere rump, lamb
pan-grilling, 93 knee joint (carpus and patella), diagrams, muscle, of meat, 13 Packaging, 52-53 chop, grilling, 90; pan-frying, 93
pan-sear & oven-finish, 93 24, 36 structure, 13 vacuum-packaged, 51. 53 quality assurance, 2-3 cut, diagram, 37, 40-41
and searing, 86 knuckle, beef, (see thick flank/knuckle) and tenderness, 17, 19 paddy wack, 14 Quality Mark (see New Zealand Beef and grilling, 90
seasoning, 86 knuckle bone, diagram, 36 mutton, definition of, 8-9 pan-frying (shallow frying), 71, 93 Lamb Quality Mark) roasting, 81
techniques, 85 kosher meat, 5 myosin, 13 cuts suited, 93 quality production, 2 steak, grilling, 90; pan-frying, 93
times, 86 coatings, 93 rump, veal, cut, 35
tips, 85 pan size, 93
trellising (quadrilage), 86 lactic acid, 17 neck bones (cervical vertebrae), diagram, 24 temperature, 83 rack, lamb
GR measure, of fat, 9 lamb, cooking, 75, 80-83, 89-91, 98-103 neck, lamb tips, 83 chined, French, 39, 42 sacrum (sacral vertebrae), diagram, 24
cuts, 37-43 (and see cuts or cooking cut, diagram, 37 pan-grilling, 71, 93 cut, diagram, 37, 42 safety (see food safety, 58-60)
methods listed individually) fillet roast, 43 pan-grill & oven finish, 93 Frenched, roasting, 80, 83 salinometer, 12
Halal meat, 5 definition of, 8-9 round chops, braising, 98; pasture-fed beef, 2 seven rib, 39 Salmonella, 54, 59
hammering, 71 nutrition, 64-67 simmering, 102; stewing, 101 pathogens, 58-59 ram, definition of, 9 sauting, 71-72
handling meat tenderness, diagram, 37 New Zealand Beef and Lamb Quality Mark, pH of meat, 4-5, 17-18 Recommended Plant Pre-slaughter Scotch fillet, beef
chilled/fresh, 50-51 leg bone (femur), diagrams, 24, 36 3, 18, 20-21, 50, 59 and colour, 15, 18 Standards, 4 cut, diagram, 25, 27
frozen, 53 leg, lamb auditing of, 3, 21 and quality, 18 retail ready meat, 21 grilling, 87
Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points boned, rolled, 43 and hygiene, 59 and stress, 17-18 rib bones, diagrams, 24, 36 roasting, 77
(HACCP), 4 carvery leg, 42 identification trail, 21 and tenderness, 17-18 rib ends, beef, cut, 31 seaming, 4, 26, 38
heart (beef/ox), prep & cooking, 45, 101-102 chops, 43; braising, 98-99; stewing, 101 and pH value, 18, 20 phosphates, 12 ribeye, beef searing, 70, 75, 83
heart (lamb), prep & cooking, 47, 101-102 chump on, 43 process, 21 poaching, 71, 101-102 cube roll, 33 seasoning, 85
heifer, definition of, 8 cut, 38-39, 43 qualifying product, 20 beef cuts, 102 cut, diagram, 25, 27 serving temperature, 60
High Oxygen Modified Atmosphere poaching, 101 and retail ready, 21 lamb cuts, 102 grilling, 108 Selected Young Beef, 8
Packaging, 52-53 pot-roasting, 100 and tenderness, 20 methods, 101 pan-frying, 115 shallow frying (see pan-frying)
hindquarter, beef, 26 roasting, 82 New Zealand Food Safety Authority, 4-5 process, 101 roasting, 97 shank, beef, cut, 26
hindshank, beef, cut, 34 short-cut, 39, 42 inspection regimes, 5 and steaming, 102 ribeye, lamb shank, lamb
hindshank bone, diagram, 24 simmering, 101 slaughter regulations, 5 tips, 102 cut, diagram, 37 braising, 99
hip bone (ilium), diagrams, 24, 36 liver (beef/calf/ox), prep & cooking, 44, 101 nitrite use, in curing, 12 polyphosphate, 12 roasting, 81 cut, diagram, 37, 40
hock, diagram, 24 liver (lamb), prep & cooking, 47, 101 nitrosamines, 12 porterhouse, beef cut, diagram, 25,34 ribs, beef foreshank, 43
hogget (two-tooth), definition of, 11 loin, lamb nutrition, 64-67 pot-roasting, 71-72, 100 oven-prepared, 32 roasting, 83
hot boning, 11 boneless, 39 carbohydrates, 67 beef/lamb/hogget/mutton cuts, roasting, 77 simmering, 102
hygiene, meat, 57-61 cut, 39 cholesterol, 67 100 steak, bone-in, 32 stewing, 101
personal, 59 full loin, 42 fat, 66-67 pressure cooking, 70-72, 102 roasting, 71, 75-85 shin, veal
in processing, 4 noisettes, 42 iron, 64-66 prime ribs, beef, cut, diagram, 25, 27 beef, 76-79 shank, 35
short, 39 omega 3s, 67 processing, 4-9, 11-12 covered, 72 shortloin, beef, cut, 27, 34
lumbar vertebrae, diagram, 24 protein, 64 boning beef, 11 lamb/hogget/mutton, 80-83 shortloin, lamb
intramuscular fat (see marbling) vitamins, 64, 66 chilled and frozen meat, 11 methods, 75 backstrap, 41
iron, 64-66 water, 67 classification, 8-9 readiness, 85 eye, poaching, 102
absorption, 65 marbling, 14 zinc, 64, 66 cultural procedures, 5 techniques, 75-85 grilling, 89
deficiency, 64 marinating, 86 offal, definition of, 20 curing meat, 12 temperatures, 75, 84 mid-loin, 42; boned & rolled, 42
types (haem and non-haem), 65 marrow, beef, preparation, 46 offal, edible (beef/ox/veal), prep & cooking, flow chart, beef, 6 times, 75, 84 short ribs, beef, cut, 31
124 44-46, 100-102 flow chart, sheep and lamb, 7 tips, 75 short saddle, lamb 125
double mid-loin, 43; chops, 43

 shoulder, lamb stock, beef, from bones, 46 tenderising, chemical & mechanical, 70-71 grilling, 90
boned, rolled, netted, 39, 42 food safety, 60 tenderloin, beef knuckle schnitzel, 41
chops, braising, 98; stewing, 101 storage, meat butt, 33 pan-frying, 93
cut, diagram, 37 chilled/fresh, 51-52, 61 centre, 33 roasting, 81
rack (Australian), 43 cool room, 54 grilling, 87 steak, 41
pot-roasting, 100 frozen, 53 fillet, 27, 33 thick flank/knuckle, veal, cut, 35
roasting, 83 temperatures, 51-55 medallion, 33 tongue (beef/ox), prep & cooking, 45, 102
square cut, lamb shoulder, 42; chops, 42 thawed meat, 54 tenderloin, lamb tongue (lamb), prep & cooking, 48, 102
side, of lamb, cut, 39 stress, in animals butt off, 41 topside, beef
silverside, beef quality, 4, 17 cut, 39, 41 cut, diagram, 25, 27, 34
eye of round, 27, 32 reducing, 4 grilling, 90 inside, 34
flat, 27, 32 striploin, beef tenderloin, veal pot-roasting, 100
outside, 27, 432 cut, diagram, 25, 27, 34 butt, 35 roasting, 79
pot-roasting, 100 grilling, 87 cut, 35 schnitzel, 34
simmering, 102 steak (sirloin), 34 tenderness, of meat, 17-21 simmering, 102
steak, braising, 97; stewing, 101 striploin, lamb and acids, 70 steak, 34; braising, 96; stewing, 102
silverside, lamb cut, diagram, 37 and animal age, 17 topside, lamb
cut, diagram, 37, 40, 41 roasting, 80 and aging, 18 cut, diagram, 37, 40, 41
eye of (girello), 41 structure, of meat, 13-14 and aging length, 19 grilling, 91
roasting, 81 and colour, 15 and carcass-aging, 18 inside round, 41
schnitzel (paillard), 41 connective tissue, 14 and colour, 15 roasting, 81
steak, grilling, 81; pan-frying, 93 fat, 14 and connective tissue, 14 schnitzel, 41; grilling, 191
silverside, veal, cut, 35 and grain, 13 and cooking, 19 steak, 41; grilling, 91; pan-frying, 93
simmering, 71-72, 101-102 and marbling, 14 and enzymes, 70 topside, veal, cut, 35
beef & lamb cuts, 102 muscle, 13 factors affecting, 17 toxins, bacteria, 58-59
process, 101 and proteins, 13 and grain, 13 transport of meat, 51
tips, 101 water, 14 and marbling, 14 trimmings, 103
sirloin, beef suet (beef), prep and cooking, 46 measuring, 19 tripe (beef), prep & cooking, 44, 101, 102
cut, diagram, 25, 27, 34 sweetbread (lamb), prep & cooking, 48, 102 and meat cut, 19, diagrams, 25, 37 tripe (lamb), prep & cooking, 101, 102
grilling, 87 sweetbread (veal), prep & cooking, 45, 102 and post-slaughter handling, 17 two-tooth (see hogget)
pan-frying, 93 sweeteners, 12 and pre-slaughter handling, 17
porterhouse, grilling, 87 and vacuum-packed aging, 18
roasting, 78 tenderometer, 19 vacuum-cooking, 102
striploin, grilling, 87 vacuum-packaging, 51, 53
T-bone, beef tenderising, 70-71
sirloin butt, beef, cut, 27 and aging, 18
cut, diagram, 25, 34 thawing meat, 54
skirt steak, beef, braising, 96
grilling, 88 process, 54 variety meats, 44-48 (and see offal, edible)
smoked beef, 12
pan-frying, 93 and refreezing, 54 veal, 18,35
smoked meats, 12
tail (beef/oxtail), prep & cooking, 45 in refrigerator, 54 bobby, 35
sodium citrate, 12
braising, 97 speed-thaw methods, 54 catering cuts, 35
spare ribs/short ribs, beef, cut, diagram,
stewing, 101 storage of thawed meat, 654 definition of, 8
25-26
tail bones (coccygeal vertebrae), diagrams, thermometer, meat, 19, 85 grain-fed, 35
spare ribs, lamb, cut, diagram, 37
24, 36 thick flank/knuckle, beef white (milk-fed), 35
Spencer roll, beef, cut, 33
temperature, 50-55, 103 cut, diagram, 25, 26, 29, 31 vertebrae, beef, diagram, 24
spices, 12
abuse, 51 eye of knuckle, 29, 31; medallions, vertebrae, lamb, diagram, 36
steak, degree of doneness, 92
and aging rate, 19 29, 31 vitamins, 14, 64, 66
steaming, 71, 102
and bacteria, 58-59 knuckle cover, 29, 21 B vitamins, 66
beef & lamb cuts, 102
cooking, 103 minute steaks/ schnitzels, 29, 31 vitamin B12, 64, 66
methods, 102
cool room, 54, 60 knuckle (round cap) cover, 31 vitamin D, 64, 66
tips, 102
frozen meats, 53 knuckle undercut, 29, 31
steer, definition of, 8
guide, 60 pot-roasting, 100 water, in meat, 14, 67
stewing, 71-72, 100-101
and handling, 55, 61 simmering, 102 wether, 9
beef & lamb cuts, 101
pan-frying, 93 steak, braising, 97 white veal, definition of, 8
brown, 101
safe, 58-60 thick flank, 29, 31 whole rump, diagram, beef, cut, 27
thickening, 101
and shelf life, 50 thick flank/knuckle, lamb
126 white, 101
and storage, 55 cut, diagram, 37, 40, 41 zinc, 64, 66 127
stir-fry, 71-72
transport, 51

 For more information, please contact Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc.
Ground Floor, Air New Zealand Building, Smales Farm Park, cnr Taharoto and
Northcote Rds, Takapuna, Auckland 0622
PO Box 33648, Takapuna, Auckland 0740
Phone: 09 489 7119 Fax: 09 489 7164 Freephone: 0800 733 466
Email: enquiries@beeflambnz.co.nz website: www.beeflambnz.co.nz