Standard Meat Selection Criteria in Hotels
BEEF
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Fresh meat must be hung to allow it to become tender. The colour darkens after it has been hung.
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Lean meat should be bright red, with small flecks or fat interspersed in the muscle (marbled)
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Fat should be firm, brittle in texture, creamy white in colour and odourless.
VEAL
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Flesh should be pale, pink, firm, not soft or flabby.
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Cut surfaces should be moist.
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Bones in young animals are pinkish, white, porous and with an exceedingly small amount of blood in their structure.
LAMB
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Carcass should be compact and evenly fleshed, having an even coat of fat.
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Lean flesh is firm and of a pleasing, dull red colour and of a fine texture of grain.
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Fat should be evenly distributed, hard, brittle, flaky and clean white in colour.
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Bones are porous in young animals, as age progresses, they are smooth, white and brittle.
PORK
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Lean flesh should be pale pink changing to rose as the animal matures.
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Fat is white, firm, smooth and not excessive.
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Bones must be small, slender and pinkish.
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Fat ought to be white, smooth and not excessive in proportion to the bacon.
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Lean meat should be deep pink in colour and firm.
OFFALS
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Liver should be fresh and not dry.
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Should be smooth in texture and not contain tubers in the flesh.
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There should be a pleasant odour.
Selection of Other Meat/Organ Parts
1. Kidney
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Should be fresh.
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Certain amount of fat should be attached to the kidney as it keeps them moist.
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The fat should be crisp and not sticky.
2. Tongue
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Lamb or Ox Tongue should be fresh.
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There must not be an excessive amount of waste at the root end.
3. Sweetbreads
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They should be creamy white in colour.
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They should have a pleasant smell.
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They should be fleshly and large.
4. Oxtail
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They should be of good size and lean.
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There should be no sign of stickiness.
5. Head
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Pig’s & Calf’s head should not be sticky.
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They should be well fleshed and odourless.