Standard Meat Selection Criteria in Hotels

BEEF

• Fresh meat must be hung to allow it to become tender. The colour darkens after it has been hung.

• Lean meat should be bright red, with small flecks or fat interspersed in the muscle (marbled)

• Fat should be firm, brittle in texture, creamy white in colour and odourless.

VEAL

• Flesh should be pale, pink, firm, not soft or flabby.

• Cut surfaces should be moist.

• Bones in young animals are pinkish, white, porous and with an exceedingly small amount of blood in their structure.

LAMB

• Carcass should be compact and evenly fleshed, having an even coat of fat.

• Lean flesh is firm and of a pleasing, dull red colour and of a fine texture of grain.

• Fat should be evenly distributed, hard, brittle, flaky and clean white in colour.

• Bones are porous in young animals, as age progresses, they are smooth, white and brittle.

PORK

• Lean flesh should be pale pink changing to rose as the animal matures.

• Fat is white, firm, smooth and not excessive.

• Bones must be small, slender and pinkish.

• Fat ought to be white, smooth and not excessive in proportion to the bacon.

• Lean meat should be deep pink in colour and firm.

OFFALS

• Liver should be fresh and not dry.

• Should be smooth in texture and not contain tubers in the flesh.

• There should be a pleasant odour.

Selection of Other Meat/Organ Parts

1. Kidney

• Should be fresh.

• Certain amount of fat should be attached to the kidney as it keeps them moist.

• The fat should be crisp and not sticky.

2. Tongue

• Lamb or Ox Tongue should be fresh.

• There must not be an excessive amount of waste at the root end.

3. Sweetbreads

• They should be creamy white in colour.

• They should have a pleasant smell.

• They should be fleshly and large.

4. Oxtail

• They should be of good size and lean.

• There should be no sign of stickiness.

5. Head

• Pig’s & Calf’s head should not be sticky.

• They should be well fleshed and odourless.