Jaime  Mesnier

Meat is an important food in the diet and is the foremost food of the people in the world. In nearly every home the daily menu is built around meat as the central dish. This extensive use of meat is due to its palatability and high nutritive value. Technically, the term meat is used to designate only those portions of the various animals used for food like muscle, fatty tissues and some glands such as the liver, heart, and spleen. Commercially, the term meat includes all portions of the dressed carcass as muscle tissues, connective tissues, fat, lym phatic glands, edible organs, and the bone.

Zoological classes of animals from which meat is obtained are:

1. Mammalia — Examples are: cattle, carabaos, sheep, swine or pigs, and other similar four-footed animals.

2. Aces — fowls and birds.

3. Pisces — fi shes.

4. Reptilia — turtles.

5. Amphibia — frogs.

6. Mollusca — oysters and clams.

7. Crustacea — lobsters and crabs.

Grading of Meat

After the meat has been inspected by an authorized vete rinarian and declared wholesome, hygienic and fi t for human consumption, then it is graded. The basis for grading is quality, conformation, and fi nish of its carcass.

1. Quality includes tenderness, juiciness and palatabi lity.

2. Conformation refers to the shape, form or general outline of the side or the whole carcass. This indicates the relative propor-tion of lean to bone ratio, as well as the relative percentage of each of the different wholesale cuts. Good conformation means a high meat to bone ratio and high percentage of the tender cuts.

3. Finish refers to the amount, quality, and color of the fat within and around the muscle.

The Bureau of Standards (Philippines) standardized and prepared in 1970 the meat grading as Excellent, Superior, Good, and Unclassifi ed.

But grading is an expensive opera tion, hence it is not widely practiced in the Philippines. Imported meat cuts that fi nd their way to the modern super market may have grades according to the grading system of their country of origin.

Structure of Meat

A piece of meat usually consists of lean tissues, fatty tissues, connec-tive tissues, and bone. The lean tissues or the lean meat consist mainly of muscular tissues and lesser amounts of connective tissues. The muscle fi ber size has much to do with the grain or texture of the meat. Fine grain, smooth texture, and a smooth and soft surface indicate tender meat. Young animals have fi ner-grained fl esh than mature animals.

The type and quantity of connective tissue in meat also affect ten-derness. There are two kinds of connective tissue: white (collagen) and yellow (elastin). Collagen is changed into gelatin and water by moist heat. Elastin cannot be changed by cooking. To make it tender, it is bro-ken up by mechanical treatment such as grinding, pounding, or cubing.

Fats in meat occur mainly in the adipose tissues as visible fat. It is present in intermediate amounts in between the mus cle as intramuscular fat and in minor quantities inside the muscle cell as intracellular fat. In-tramuscular fat when pres ent in suffi cient quantity and visible, is called marbling. Fats in meat are important because they contribute to tender-ness, juiciness and fl avor.

The bone is an essential part of the gross structure of the meat.

The conditioning of the bone is an indication of the age of the animal.

In young animals, the backbone is soft and has reddish tinge. In fully mature animals, the bones are fl inty and white. A high proportion of bone to meat increases the cost of meat; therefore the carcass with a high proportion of meat to bone is more desirable. The shape of the bone is an excel lent guide for identifying the various cuts of meat.

Nutritive Value of Meat

Meat is a very valuable food. It is rich source of high quality protein needed for building and repairing worn-out body tissues. It contains rich supply of phosphorous, copper, iron and Vitamin B, thiamin, ribofl avin, and niacin. It is relatively low in calories without the fat. The fat in meat

gives the body energy and warmth. The variety meat or the internal organs that include the brain, sweet breads, liver, spleen, and intestines are equally as nutritious as the lean meat. Liver is a good source of iron which is needed to make the blood red.

Table 3. Proximate Composition of Lean Meat From Pork, Beef and Carabeef, 100 gms.

The Philippine Food Composition Table, 1997-FNRI PORK BEEF CARABEEF

Protein (gm) 17.3 22.9 20.6

Moisture (%) 58.6 71.8 77.3

Fat (gm) 23.2 4.2 0.8

Calcium (mg) 29 96 22

Phosphorus (mg) 142 194 161

Iron (mg) 1.3 3.2 2.6

Vitamin A (Retinol) 35 180 85 Thiamine (mg) .45 .10 114 Ribofl avin (mg) .27 .20 .26

Niacin (mg) 4.5 6.4 4.3

Classes of Meat

Beef carcasses are classifi ed on the basis of age and sex. The specifi c classes are:

stear — a male cow, castrated when young;

heifer — a young female which has not borne a calf;

cow — a female that has not borne a calf;

stag — a male castrated after maturity; and bull — a mature male not castrated.

Cara beef is carabao meat. Although widely eaten by Filipinos, it is still sold and passed as beef.

Veal is meat from immature animals of the bovine species. The best veal carcasses are usually from animals 4 to 8 weeks of age of either sex.

Pork is the meat of swine. Good quality pork comes from young animals usually 7 to 12 months of age. In young animals there is no distinction in quality or grade of meat due to sex. However, in older animals sex differences are pronounced.

Lamb and mutton are sheep carcasses so classifi ed accord ing to the age of animals. Lamb meat is taken from young animals of one year or less of age. Mutton is derived from those that have passed the lamb stage. Carcasses of yearlings are heavier and their fl esh darker than those of lamb. It is the best of the mutton class. The fl esh of all carcasses in the mutton class is darker in color, less tender, and stronger-smelling than lamb.

Goat’s meat is quite popular in some parts of the Philip pines particu-larly in the Ilocos Region. It is taken mainly as “pulutan” with basi or tuba by men who drink during their leisure hours or after work in the farm.

Rabbit’s meat comes from rabbits that should be 3 to 4 months old before they are slaughtered for food. At this age, a large breed of rabbit weighs about 1/2 to 2 kg. Older stocks are heavier and make good ma-terials for roasted meat. Domesti cated rabbits are meatier but gourmet relishes the wild rabbit’s meat. Rabbits are known in the Philippines as pets and cer tainly not for eating.

Market Forms of Meat

Meat is available in the market as fresh, chilled, frozen, cured, canned, or dried.

Fresh Meat has not undergone chilling, freezing, or any processing treatment. Most market meat in the Philippines is in this form.

Chilled Meat has been cooled to a temperature range of 1 to 3°C (34°

to 36°F) within 24 hours after slaughter.

Chilled Meat has been chilled and then frozen. Most meat in su-permarkets are pre-packaged frozen meat for self-service. Frozen meat should have an expiry date stamped on the package.

Cured Meat is preserved meat acted upon by curing agents such as salt, sodium nitrate (salitre), sugar, and some times spices and vinegar without refrigeration. Sausage, hotdog, langoniza, tocino, ham, bacon, corned beef and tapa are examples of cured meat.

Canned Meat is cooked and requires only to be reheated. Corned beef, adobo, liver spread and other meat recipes are examples of this form.

Dried Meat is also known as dehydrated meat. There is a limited amount of dried meat available. Tapa is an example of dried meat that is also cured.