How to understand what meat is. How to choose the right fresh and distinguish contaminated meat (we choose according to the advice of experts)

30.06.2020

It's no secret that we all love to eat well. Historically, there are more meat eaters in Russia than supporters of vegetarian cuisine. Meat is the one food product, which ensures the normal functioning of the body. It is a source of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, some vitamins and minerals. Therefore, going to a butcher's shop, every housewife thinks about how to choose meat so that it is not only tasty and fresh, but also as healthy as possible. Knowing a few simple secrets, you can easily find a quality product.

Meat quality

In Russia, there is a rather strict requirement for the quality of meat. Indicators of meat quality depend on the composition and properties of raw materials, processing and storage conditions. A prerequisite for the production of high quality products is the correct selection of raw materials, compliance with all stages technological process and storage, sanitary and hygienic standards, as well as the absence of toxic substances. The quality of meat is influenced by the age, species, sex, breed and fatness of the animals.

When buying meat, we recommend that you pay attention to the appearance, smell, color and consistency of the product. But in some cases, these signs are not enough to determine the freshness of meat. For example, frozen meat that is completely unusable does not have an unpleasant odor. Therefore, to find a quality product, focus on the following characteristics:

good-quality frozen meat is firm to the touch and emits a clear sound when tapped;
on the surface and on the cuts, the meat should be red with a grayish tint, which is given by ice crystals;
even with slight heating (for example, if you put your finger) on the meat, a bright red spot forms;
frozen meat does not have a specific meaty smell; its freshness can be determined by smell only after it has thawed;
meat frozen twice or more can be recognized by its dark red surface;
on the cut, the color will be cherry red;
good-quality cooled and chilled meat is covered with a thin crust of pale pink or pale red;
when feeling the surface, the hand remains dry;
on cuts, the meat does not stick to the fingers;
the consistency of fresh meat is dense;
the meat juice is transparent.

How to choose the right meat

Going to a butcher's shop, every housewife asks how to choose the right meat according to the simplest parameters. Knowing some of the features of each type of meat, you can easily find a high-quality and fresh piece. It should be noted that different parts of the carcass have different culinary advantages, therefore, before going to the butcher's shop, we advise you to decide which dish you will treat your loved ones today.

Beef, pork, lamb and poultry are widely used in cooking. The nutritional value different types meat is distinguished by the quantitative ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and water in them. In order to preserve nutrients as much as possible, and to prepare not only tasty, but also healthy food, we recommend that you use the most rational methods of heat treatment - baking and stewing.

How to choose beef

So how to choose beef to please your family delicious meals? Try to avoid dubious butcher shops and unfamiliar stores - this is where you are more likely to buy stale meat. Go to the market to buy beef, at least there is always a choice.

First of all, pay attention to the color: it can vary from light pink (veal has this color) to deep red (beef). Keep in mind that the older the animal was, the darker and tougher the meat will be. But regardless of the age of the animal, the color of the meat should be uniform, even, without any dark and greenish inclusions. The fat has a light yellow tint; dense consistency, crumbles when crushed. The smell of fresh meat is pleasant, there are no foreign aromas. Fresh meat has an elastic consistency: when pressed with a finger, the fossa is quickly leveled. When cut, the meat is moist, but not wet. Do not forget that the tenderloin is suitable for cutlets, take the brisket for soup, and the shoulder blade will make an excellent roast.

How to choose pork

Pork is a delicious meat that is widely used in cooking. Everyone loves it, without exception, but not everyone knows how to choose pork in order to cook the most delicious and exquisite dishes... Depending on the thickness of the bacon, pork is divided into 3 categories: meat (subcutaneous fat is present on the dorsal and shoulder parts); bacon (on the cross-section of the chest part of the carcass, layers of muscle tissue are visible); fatty (high in adipose tissue). It is preferable to choose pork in meat markets. To choose pork with high nutritional and taste qualities, pay attention to the color: too dark color indicates that this is the meat of an elderly animal; the reason for the too light color may be the use of hormonal drugs. Give preference to pale pink meat. The fat should be soft and white. Young pork has a dense consistency; it differs from the meat of an old animal by the almost complete absence of films. The ham will make an excellent boiled pork, the neck will make a shish kebab, take the loin for the stew.

How to choose lamb

Few people know how to choose mutton. Since this type of meat is less commonly used in cooking. But in vain! Lamb differs from beef and pork in its specific smell and taste. But it contains more iron and less cholesterol, so it is great for feeding children. Old mutton is distinguished by its dark red color, stringiness, yellowness of fat. You will recognize the meat of young lambs by its light color, firmness and elasticity. The smell of fresh meat is pleasant, without foreign aromas, and even more so - without mustiness and rottenness. To choose the right meat, you need to know what parts the carcass consists of. For cooking pilaf, take a spatula, the neck part is suitable for stewing, for frying - a ham.

- and now I gathered my courage and decided to write the same, but about meat. If you search the Internet, you find an illogical, albeit explainable, pattern: there are so many recipes that you cannot cook in a lifetime, and you will not find sensible information on how to choose the right products for this recipe during the day with fire. Meat is a special product that requires the right approach, and therefore, in no way considering myself an expert, I will still give a few tips that I follow myself.

Meat is not yogurt or biscuits in a standard package that you can take from the supermarket shelf without looking. If you want to buy good meat, it is best to go to the market, where it is easier to choose and the quality is often higher. Another reason not to buy meat in stores is various dishonest tricks, which are sometimes used to make the meat look more appetizing and weigh more. It’s not that the market doesn’t do this, but here you can at least look the seller in the eyes.

Those of us who have not embarked on the path of vegetarianism eat meat more or less regularly. The best thing to do in this situation is to get “your own” butcher who will know you by sight, offer the best cuts, give valuable advice and order meat for you if it is not available now. Choose a butcher who is humanly pleasant to you and sells decent goods - and do not forget to exchange at least a couple of words with him with every purchase. The rest is a matter of patience and personal contact.

The butcher is a butcher, but it doesn't hurt to figure out the meat on your own. The color of the meat is one of the main signs of its freshness: good beef should be confidently red, pork - pinkish, veal similar to pork, but pinker, lamb similar to beef, but a darker and more intense shade.

A thin pale pink or pale red crust from drying out of the meat is quite normal, but there should be no extraneous shades or stains on the meat. There should be no mucus either: if you put your hand on fresh meat, it will remain practically dry.

As with fish, smell is another good guide when determining the quality of a product. We are predators, and a barely perceptible fresh scent good meat pleasant for us. For example, beef should smell so that you would like to immediately make a Tatar steak out of it or. A distinct unpleasant smell suggests that this meat is no longer the first and not even the second freshness; in no case should you buy it. An old, proven way to sniff a piece of meat "from the inside" is to pierce it with a heated knife.

Fat, even if you intend to cut it and throw it away, can tell a lot by its appearance. Firstly, it must be white (or cream in the case of lamb), secondly, it must have the correct consistency (beef must crumble, mutton, on the contrary, must be dense enough), and thirdly, it must not have an unpleasant or rancid odor. Well, if you want to buy not only fresh, but also high-quality meat, pay attention to its "marbling": on a cut of really good meat, you can see that fat is dispersed over its entire surface.

The same as with fish: fresh meat, when pressed, bounces and the hole you left with your finger is immediately smoothed out.

When buying frozen meat, pay attention to the sound it makes when tapping, even cut, bright color, which appears when you put your finger on it. Defrost meat gently, the longer the better (for example, in the refrigerator), and if it has been properly frozen, then, cooked, it will be practically indistinguishable from chilled.

When buying this or that cut, it is good to know where in the animal's carcass it is and how many bones it contains. With this knowledge, you will not overpay for bones and will be able to correctly calculate the number of servings.

Well, our secrets about how you personally choose meat, where you try to buy it, what you love the most, and we traditionally share everything else in the comments.

How to choose the right pork?

HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT PORK?

Are you going to cook something delicious from pork, but when buying, you were puzzled by the question of how to choose the right good and fresh meat?

Unlike the nose of a predator, the human nose does not have such a strong sense of smell to accurately distinguish fresh meat from stale, however, choosing good meat armed with non-tricky advice is not difficult.

To begin with, let's decide what kind of meat we want to choose fresh (chilled) or frozen, I prefer fresh, but situations, as they say, are different.

So, choose fresh (chilled) pork.

Wherever we go to buy, to the market or to the store (I personally trust the market more, there you can touch everything and look the seller in the eyes), we will pay attention to the following points, namely, the appearance, smell, check of meat by touch ...

First, let's make a reservation high-quality pork meat should be practically without films, in thin fatty streaks, like marble, without an unpleasant odor, as well as elastic and dense.

Appearance.

Pay attention to the color of the meat, good pork has a pale pink color (not red), the color should be uniform and glossy.

The appearance of the bacon says a lot, even if you are going to cut it off and throw it away, its appearance can tell a lot.

Good lardshould be dense white or cream, but not pink or yellow.

A thin pale pink or pale red crust from drying out of the meat is quite normal, but there should be no extraneous shades or stains on the meat.

You can determine how long the meat is on the counter by cutting it.

If on a piece of pork, from its inner side it is still raw, but the crust has begun to dry out, and meat juice flows from the pulp, then the piece is fresh.

Against on the old cut, the crust is dense and brown, and the meat is dry in appearance. There should be no mucus, darkened or very dry pork of a grayish brown color should not be taken.

Smell -

another faithful assistant in determining the quality of meat. A distinct unpleasant smell suggests that this meat is not the first or even the second freshness, buying it is by no means worth it.

Pork should not have any strong odors, it should have a pleasant and fresh aroma. Lard also should not have an unpleasant or rancid odor.

Let's check the meat by touch.

Fresh pork should be dense and elastic, when pressed, fresh meat immediately takes on its original shape, if you put your hand on fresh meat, it will remain practically dry, your hand will not get dirty. If the meat does not level out immediately, but after about a minute, then its elasticity is disturbed - the product in front of you is not the first freshness.

The presence of mucus and liquid is not allowed, the piece should not ooze blood and be sticky. In the event that the hand after this remains wet, and the meat secretes juice when pressed on it, then the pork was frozen.

In addition, if, when pressed on the meat, it releases liquid, it is possible that water was pumped into it from a syringe to increase weight in the store, it happens that a dishonest seller does this.

Choosing frozen pork.

To check with a knock on a piece, quality meat gives a crisp clear sound. If we put our finger on a frozen piece, then a bright red spot will remain on a quality product. If the stain did not appear, then this piece was frozen more than once.

In particular, it is better to choose a frozen pork neck from all briquettes where the meat is lighter - it is from a younger animal. It is just as easy to distinguish under what conditions the product offered to you was stored.

Ideally, quality frozen meat determined by the color as well as the quality of the packaging. If the package is transparent, it was stored correctly. If it is smeared from the inside, has drains of meat liquid, smudges - it means that the meat has repeatedly thawed, and the product has been defrosting repeatedly, I would not recommend such meat to you, since it loses its qualities during such storage.

Frozen pork should only be washed after the meat has thawed completely. It is better not to freeze pork again.

We chose pork, why not cook something tasty but not too complicated, what can it be? for example - pork chop in batter.

Pork chop in batter

Pork is the most valuable supplier of animal proteins for our body. In addition, it is rich in iron, zinc, is quickly absorbed by the body and quickly cooked.

600 grams of carbonate

2 chicken eggs

3 cloves of garlic

5 tablespoons flour

¼ a spoonful of ground black pepper

½ teaspoon salt

1 tomato

3-5 olives

Sprig of parsley

The traditional recipe for chop in pork batter is quite simple, I prefer to use carbonate (upper back) for this purpose.

Cut the carbonate into slices about 2 cm across. Then carefully beat the meat on both sides with a hammer for beating or the back of a knife. Salt the meat and rub it with black pepper.

Half the work is done, now we dip our fragrant slices of meat into the cooked consistency - from a slightly beaten egg with the addition of finely chopped garlic (this is our little secret meat envelops more evenly and after full cooking acquires such a wonderful taste and smell! ).

Next, roll the meat in flour or in bread crumbs(I still recommend flour, it retains moisture better; this makes the meat more juicy), put in a preheated pan and fry on both sides until tender.

Put the finished chops on plates, decorate all the splendor with parsley, add a few olives, carefully lay out slices of chopped tomatoes on the edge.

You can serve with fried potatoes and a glass of chilled red wine, droplets of moisture invitingly flow down the glass, you will lick your fingers.

Everything original is simple, tasty and healthy!

Good health and bon appetit

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07.11.12

No matter what anyone says, meat is the most popular food product in our country, and it is not for nothing that cooks especially appreciate those who know how to "work" with meat. If earlier meat was considered more of a delicacy than an everyday food, today meat dishes present at the tables every day. Meat dishes are the basis of a good lunch and dinner for many peoples of the world. Suffice it to recall the aromatic kebabs, chops baked with mushrooms and cheese, English roast beef, American steaks, etc. Meat cooking has many recipes, but one thing unites them - a high-quality product. Agree, buying a good piece of meat in our time is not an easy task. According to statistics, the average Russian eats about 70 kg of meat per year, but in fact, this figure is two times less. Today, meat is scolded by all and sundry and rightly so. The fact is that instead of 1 kg of purchased meat, half a kilo of meat and half a liter of chemicals and hormones get on our table. According to scientists, it is the hormones in meat that cause excess weight in children and adolescents. How to choose the right meat and what you especially need to pay attention to when buying, how to distinguish "pumped up" meat from normal - the topic of our conversation today.

Meat - the musculature of an animal with adipose and connective tissues, as well as adjacent bone tissue (meat on bones) or without it (boneless meat). Mainly meat of animals is used for food, less often meat of wild animals. Depending on the specific features, chemical composition and the properties of meat are different. Pork has a more tender consistency, increased content of fatty tissue, pleasant specific aroma and taste. Beef is represented by coarser muscle fibers, has a bright color, contains fewer extractives and refractory fat. Lamb is considered fatty meat, but surpasses pork in organoleptic properties.

Before the adoption of Christianity, the slaughter of cattle in Russia was in the nature of sacrifice, but with the adoption of Christianity, the population began to observe fasting and meat-eaters. Before the era of Peter I, cattle were killed wherever possible - in markets, in the hallways of houses, on wastelands, on the banks of rivers or in an open place near ravines. Peter I, looking at this, ordered the construction of slaughterhouses and issued decrees regulating the meat trade. If the norms were not followed, the traders were punished very severely. Later, in 1857, the "Medical Charter" was issued in Russia, in which the rules governing the slaughter of livestock were formulated in law.

Over the years, sanitary requirements (certain epidemiological standards on the content of substances harmful to human health in meat, as well as on the permissible shelf life of meat) have become perfect. Today the authorities of Rospotrebnadzor put forward stringent requirements, starting from the moment the animal was born and ending with the delivery of the finished meat products to shops and markets, because meat that is processed or stored in violation of technology can contain microorganisms that are pathogenic for humans.

Unfortunately, not all suppliers, as well as sellers of meat products, conscientiously comply with all these standards. Something is wrong with the meat market today. If earlier any seller could easily tell you from which animal the given meat was from - from a male or a female, today he will simply lower his eyes or lie. The fact is that today the largest gain is given by animals of the middle genus. That is, for a quick weight gain, males are given female hormones with food, and females, on the contrary, are given male hormones. Here's an example: for a piglet to grow naturally into an adult animal ready for slaughter, you need to wait a year or even a little more. But, having pumped it with hormones, after seven months it becomes suitable for sale. On the face - the saved time and money (no one talks about our health with you!) For the manufacturer. This is not the last time.

The second problem is related to the transportation and storage of meat. Many people think that the most delicious meat is after slaughter, this is not so. Before you can start cutting the animal, two days must pass, and this is time and money again. Therefore, new magic wands - "ripeners" come into play. Thanks to them, the muscles relax faster, and the meat becomes twice as heavy. Double result, double profit.

Unfortunately, nowadays, it is practically impossible to buy good meat in the store. It seems that everyone knows that, by law, stores are obliged to dispose of expired goods. But thanks to the resourcefulness of the sellers, the rotten meat is sold under the guise of normal meat, because for this you need to slightly conjure up the product. Such sellers help out - packaging. Therefore, our first advice is to try not to buy prepackaged meat. The product must be seen by the face and, if possible, from all sides. But back to our "craftsmen". Sellers can cover the low-quality part of a piece of meat with fresher meat. The lighting in the shop window does not allow you to see this, so ask the seller to show the selected piece from different sides. Also remember that if the meat has been frozen and thawed several times, the ice will be brown. Now, as for the touch-up: television has more than once enlightened us on this topic: meat is often reanimated in potassium permanganate baths. This procedure will get rid of the smell, and give color, and remove cadaveric spots.

So, where to buy fresh meat. Best of all in trusted places: whether it be a store or a market. But here and there you need to be on the lookout. As for the market - you should buy meat only where it is allowed and there is a veterinary service. The advantage of buying meat on the market is that there you can take a good look at it and even smell it. So, what you need to know when choosing meat.

First of all, you should pay attention to the color. In good-quality beef, the color is red, the shade of ripe raspberries, in veal - pink, the older the animal, the darker the shade of the meat will be. Older beef has a yellow or yellow-creamy tint, while young beef is almost white. Fresh lamb will be brownish red and pork will be pinkish white and slightly grainy. When aerated on the counters, the meat acquires a pale pink or pale red crust, this phenomenon is permissible. The meat should be relatively dry, free of mucus and foreign visible spots.

It happens that a chopped piece of meat will lie on the counter all day, it gets aired and starts to smell unpleasant. This kind of meat is called "prank". As we already wrote, some sellers, in order not to suffer losses, achieving a good appearance and trying to return the meat to its original appearance, soak it in a solution of potassium permanganate (popular - "potassium permanganate"). The solution does not leave a smell, does not interrupt the aroma of meat, it is immediately difficult to understand. And in this case it is good to know the following. In nature, the fatty layers of meat have a white or cream shade, after the solution of "potassium permanganate" the layers acquire a pink color.

Smell

Smell is a good indicator of the good quality of the meat. The beef smells like fresh herbs and milk. Lamb meat older than a year has a specifically subtle, slightly spicy aroma, lamb meat has almost no smell. Pork smells less specific, but distinct. The good quality of meat by smell can be checked as follows. Ask the seller to heat the knife and pierce the meat. If it is fresh, the smell will be pleasant, as if only the meat was thrown into a frying pan.

The fat found in meat also serves as a good indicator for selection. Lamb fat is soft, greasy, has a creamy shade; beef fat is dense, crumbling yellowish or white (marbled fat speaks of a grain-fed animal), rather dense; pork fat white or creamy if the pork is old. When choosing, be sure to check the elasticity of the meat.

Unscrupulous sellers with a thirst for profit use a syringe to pump water with water-retaining additives into meat to increase the weight, and with it, the cost of a piece of meat. You can easily check the water content. You should press firmly with your finger in the middle of the piece, and if a little liquid appears in the hole, then most likely it is "pumped" with water. In some cases, you can check only at home, by frying the meat, literally from the first minutes when heated, the fibers are compressed, displacing water. In this case, you just need to change the seller.

Natalia Petrova , Oksana Elnova specially for site

Beef is a source of protein and iron, it contains vitamins A, PP, C, B and minerals: calcium, selenium, magnesium, potassium. Beef is the basis for many culinary dishes starting from simple soups and ending with an exquisite filet mignon. Beef dishes are tasty and tender not only due to unique recipes, the taste of the dish also depends on how fresh and juicy the meat was chosen.

So, let's go to choose beef!

Fresh meat is more valuable than frozen meat. There are several reasons: firstly, it is completely ready for cooking, and secondly, such meat is easier to choose and consider when buying.

Colour... Fresh beef has a deep red color, without blotches of greenish or dark color. The meat of an old animal has a brownish tint (from such meat - do not expect juicy and soft dish). Output: meat - only red.
Fat... The fat should be light white and dense - in this case, the meat is considered to be of high quality. In young beef, the fat even crumbles a little. Yellow fat indicates the toughness of the meat. The best type of beef is considered to be marbled meat - such meat is permeated with small fat layers. It is difficult to spoil this meat during the cooking process - the dishes will definitely turn out juicy from it. Output: the fat is white and crumbles.
Surface... Slight airing of the beef surface is allowed if it was cut a few hours ago. The main thing is that there are no spots or crusts on the piece of meat. Fresh beef is firm and dry to the touch. The cut edges may be slightly damp. To check this quality of beef, you need to put your hand to the piece - the palm should remain dry. You should not buy meat that lies in puddles of blood; it is better to buy dried meat than wet meat. Output: fresh beef must be dry.
Smell... It is not always possible to sniff the meat, but if the seller allows you to do this, be sure to take advantage of this offer. Fresh meat smells nice, without additional odors. If in doubt, it is better to refuse to buy such beef. Output: there should be no unpleasant odor.
Elasticity... If possible, then it is worth conducting a test for meat flabbiness. If, when you press with your finger, the formed hole in the meat is immediately smoothed out: in front of you is fresh meat. Output: fresh meat is firm.
Price... The question of price is rather complicated, because all meat is in approximately the same price category. But it is worth remembering that the meat of village cows fed on grass with hay will be of higher quality and more expensive than the meat of cows from an ordinary farm. Output: quality beef cannot be cheap.

Buying frozen beef

When properly frozen and thawed, frozen meat is almost indistinguishable from fresh meat. Defrosting beef should only take place in the refrigerator and the longer the better.

Manufacturing time... First of all, you need to look at the timing of the sale of meat, they should be indicated on the label. Shelf life of frozen beef is 10 months, veal is 8 months.
Manufacturer country... Take a close look at who the beef producer is - it is better to take domestically produced meat - it is likely to be fresh imported.
Package... You should definitely pay attention to the integrity of the packaging. There should be no breaks on the substrate, and the film should be intact.
Colour... During the freezing process, the beef does not change its color dramatically, so it is worth choosing pieces with a lighter color. If the meat was stored without oxygen (it was in polyethylene or packed in a vacuum), then it may be dark red, but when thawed it will regain its correct color.
Ice... The presence of a large amount of ice and snow on the package indicates that the product was either stored incorrectly, or it has already been defrosted. It is better to refuse such a purchase. The presence of ice only on the outside of the package is permissible.

Choosing beef for a specific dish

Some people can spoil a good piece of meat due to improper cooking. Going to the store for beef, you need to have a clear idea of what you need it for.

For frying... Lean and soft meats are perfect for this. It is a sirloin, thick edge, thin edge, or rump.
For baking... For baking, it is better to choose pieces of meat with layers of fat, in which case the meat will be moderately juicy and soft. The sirloin, tenderloin is suitable.
For extinguishing... Use less lean beef for this cooking method. The thick edge, thigh, brisket, sirloin are well stewed.
For soup. Beef broth should be light, moderately bold and rich. For rich broths beef with cartilage, tendons, large bones is suitable.
For jellied meat... Shank, shank and tail are indispensable for jellied meat. The ratio of bones to meat should be the same. It is in the lower leg that the substances that give jelly jelly are contained, so no gelatin is needed here.

The ability to choose meat comes with experience, which in turn takes years. And yet the advice that is in front of you will be useful when buying good piece beef!