Meat, Poultry, Fish, and Dry Beans

Abstract

Meat is the edible portion of mammals—the flesh of animals used for food. “Meat” may include rabbit, venison, and other game, as well as the nonmammals poultry and fish. The flesh from various animals may be used as food throughout the world.

Glossary

Actin

The protein of muscle that is contained in the thin myofilaments and is active in muscle contraction.

Actomyosin

The compound of actin and myosin that forms in muscle contraction.

Adipose tissue

Fatty tissue; energy storage area in an animal.

Aging

Process in which muscles become more tender due to protein breakdown.

Collagen

Connective tissue protein; the largest component that gives strength to connective tissue; is solubilized to gelatin with cooking.

Connective tissue

The component of animal tissue that extends beyond the muscle fibers to form tendons which attach the muscle to bones; it connects bone to bone; endomysium, perimysium, and epimysium connective tissue surrounds muscle fibers, muscle bundles, and whole muscles, respectively.

Cured meat

Contains nitrite to form the pink color and control the growth of Clostridium botulinum.

Dry heat

Method of cooking tender cuts of meat, including broiling, frying, pan-frying, and roasting.

Elastin

Connective tissue protein; the yellow component of connective tissue that holds bone and cartilage together.

Endomysium

Connective tissue layer that surrounds individual muscle fibers.

Epimysium

Connective tissue layer that surrounds an entire muscle.

Gelatin

Formed from the tenderization of collagen, used for edible gels in the human diet.

Grain

Primary bundle containing 20–40 muscle fibrils.

Halal

“Proper and permitted” food under jurisdiction of trained Muslim inspection.

Kosher

“Fit and proper” or “properly prepared” food under jurisdiction of the Jewish faith; following the Mosaic or Talmudic Law.

Marbled

Intermuscular and intramuscular fatty tissue distributed in meat.

Moist heat

Method of cooking less tender cuts of meat, including braising, pressure-cooking, simmering, or stewing.

Muscle tissue

The lean tissue of meat.

Myofibril

The contractile actin and myosin elements of a muscle cell.

Myosin

Protein of a muscle contained in the thick myofilaments that reacts with actin to form actomyosin.

Perimysium

The connective tissue layer that surrounds muscle bundles.

Primal cut

Wholesale cut of meat; it contains the subprimal and retail cuts.

Retail cut

Cuts of meat available in the retail market; cut from primal cuts.

Reticulin

Minor connective tissue found in younger animals; it may be the precursor of collagen or elastin.

Rigor mortis

Postmortem state 6–24 h after death in which muscles stiffen and become less extensible; onset of rigor mortis correlates with depletion of ATP in the slaughtered animal.

Sarcomere

Repeating unit of the muscle myofibrils.

Sarcoplasmic protein

The hemoglobin and myoglobin pigments, and enzymes in the cytoplasm of a muscle fiber.

Smoked meat

Meat that has been treated to impart flavor by exposure to aromatic smoke of hardwood; smoking preserves by dehydrating, thus offering microbial control.

Stromal protein

Proteins including collagen, elastin, and reticulin of the connective tissue and supporting framework of an animal organ.

Subprimal cut

Division of a primal cut.

Wholesome

Inspection does not indicate the presence of illness.

Z-lines

Boundaries of the sarcomere; holds thin filaments in place in the myofibril.