Nice to MEAT you

Meat lovers unite! This blog is dedicated to the most delicious sources of protein. Filled with fun facts, food safety tips, recipes, and so much more!

[thebrainscoop]

Beef and its byproducts, an educational learning case commissioned by the beef industry in the 1930s.

[collegiatecarnivore]

"Natural" vs. "Naturally Raised"

THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE! “Naturally raised” is a defined standard that is regulated by the USDA. In order to be USDA-verified, producers must conform to rigorous rules: "must have been raised entirely without growth promotants, antibiotics (except for ionophores used as coccidiostats for parasite control), and have never been fed animal by-products”. This is a completely different definition than “Natural”, which tends to be more frequently labeled because of lax standards. “Natural” entails that the product contains “no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product”. The “Natural” label applies to handling of meat, not the livestock prior to slaughter. So a “Natural” product could have come from an animal that treated with antibiotics or hormones or fed tallow as a supplement.

It should be noted that neither of these marketing claims included literature about confinement feeding, organically fed, grass or grain fed diets, or humane treatment. It’s important to be an informed consumer so you don’t pay extra for something you don’t get!

(Sources: naturally raised, natural) 

[collegiatecarnivore]

NITROSYL HEMOCHROMAGEN

At a party and feeling intellectually inadequate? FEAR NO MORE, you have meat knowledge to brag about. Nitrosyl Hemochromagen (other than being a super cool phrase to say) is the state of oxidation that the myoglobin is after meat is cured. It gives cured meat its distinctive pink color.

[collegiatecarnivore]

GIRL you must have a marbling score of abundant 99 because you're a PRIME CUT

Beef cuts are ranked based on quality grades. Quality grades are determined on marbling and maturity, but marbling is the primary driver. The marbling, or intramuscular fat, are broken into different categories that relate to a quality grade. Because fat is responsible for flavor and tenderness, the more fat usually means a better the eating experience (and the more expensive a cut is). A steak graded prime, the most valuable quality grade, will have the most marbling. [BUT this should not be confused with the cut Prime Rib, which does not necessarily mean it will have a prime quality]

Marbling scores are broken down into 8 categories (from a scale of 0-99) that correlate with 4 quality grades for young cattle:

Abundant--High Prime

Moderately Abundant--Average Prime

Slightly Abundant--Low Prime

Moderate--High Choice

Modest--Average Choice

Small--Low Choice

Slight (50-99)--High Select

Slight (0-49)--Low Select

Traces--Standard

There are other grades for older cattle, but they will usually not be offered at the retail level due to off flavors and tenderness issues (due to collagen cross-linking). The Select quality grade is special though, because it is reserved for cattle between 9-30 months of age with Slight marbling score.

[collegiatecarnivore]

Did you know that according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), livestock provide the world with 25% of dietary protein and 15% of total food energy?

GO MEAT!

[collegiatecarnivore]

GIRL can I have your mom's number so I can tell her WELL DONE.

Cooking your steaks, chicken breasts, and roasts to the proper temperature is crucial to food safety and to eating experience. Most food borne pathogens are eliminated when they are cooked at the right temperature. So even if by some chance a bug is present, you can rest assured that you killed that sucker.

The USDA recommends certain temperatures and rest times to make sure the dastardly germs are gone:

Ground Beef--160 F

Fresh Beef--145 F

Fresh Lamb--145 F

Fresh Pork--145 F

Poultry--165 F

Ground Poultry--165 F

This is not to be confused with "degree of doneness", or how you like you steak prepared (like the picture above). These are your rare, medium rare distinctions for steak:

Very Rare ("Blue Rare")--130 F

Rare--140 F

Medium Rare--145 F

Medium--160 F

Well--170 F

Very Well Done--180 F

[collegiatecarnivore]

HELLO MEAT LOVERS OF THE WORLD

If you are a procurer of protein in it's most delicious form, look no further! This blog will be filled to the brim with meat recipes (of the low cost variety), super cool meat facts (like facts can be ANY cooler), meat safety tips, and so much more!

If you have any suggestions or questions just drop an ask! Hope y'all like the blog!