Meat (12-19)

Primal Cuts

The primary divisions of muscle, bone, and connective tissue produced by the initial butchering of the carcass.

Subprimal cuts

The basic cuts produced from each primal.

Fabricated cuts

The individual portion cuts from a subprimal.

Shrinkage

The loss of weight in food due to evaporation of liquid or melting of fat during cooking.

Marbling

Whitish streaks of inter- and intramuscular fat.

Subcutaneous fat

Also known as exterior fat; the fat layer between the hide and muscles.

Collagen

A protein found in connective tissue; it is converted into gelatin when cooked with moisture.

Elastin

A protein found in connective tissues, particularly ligaments and tendons; it often appears as the white or silver covering on meats known as silverskin.

Butcher

To slaughter and/or dress or fabricate animals for consumption.

Dress

To trim or otherwise prepare an animal carcass for consumption.

Fabricate

To cut a large portion of raw meat, poultry, or fish into smaller portions.

Carve

To cut cooked meat or poultry into portions.

Vacuum packaging

A food preservation method in which fresh or cooked food is placed in an airtight container (usually plastic) and virtually all air is removed from the container through a vacuum process, and the container is then sealed.

Freezer Burn

The surface dehydration and discoloration of food that results from moisture loss at below freezing temperatures.

Beef

The meat of domesticated cattle.

Primal Chuck

The primal cut found in the animal's shoulder (contains around 28% of the carcass's weight and is very tough).

Flat Iron

A cut of meat that comes from the top shoulder of the chuck and is a popular alternative steak suitable for dry-heat cooking.

Brisket and Shank

Cuts located beneath the primal chuck in the front half of the carcass and account for 8% of its weight.

Prime Beef Rib

A cut consisting of 6-12 ribs, a portion of the backbone, and around 10% of the carcass's weight.

Short Plate

A cut located directly under the prime rib and is around 9% of the carcass's weight.

Short Loin

A cut that contains a single rib (the 13th), is around 8% of the carcass's weight, and a portion of the backbone.

Tenderloin

The most tender cut located under the loin eye muscle.

Sirloin

A cut located between the short loin and the round, is 7% of the carcass's weight, and produces bone-in and boneless roasts and steaks.

Flank

A cut located directly under the loin, behind the short plate, is 6% of the carcass's weight, and contains no bones.

Offal

The group of organs used in the food industry, including heart, kidney, liver, tongue, tripe (stomach), and oxtail.

Veal

The meat of young, usually male, animals that are byproducts of the dairy industry (e.g., cows and goats).

Veal Shoulder

A cut that contains 21% of the carcass's weight, 4 rib bones, and portions of the backbone, blade, and arm bones.

Hotel Rack

A popular and expensive cut that is around 9% of the carcass's weight, very tender and small, and is sometimes called the double rib.

Veal Loin

A cut that contains the 12th and 13th ribs, 10% of the carcass's weight, and is behind the primal rib.

Primal Veal Leg

A cut that consists of both the sirloin and the leg, is 42% of the carcass's weight, and is separated from the loin through a perpendicular cut.

Fore Saddle

The part of the veal carcass that produces primal shoulder, foreshank, breast, and rib.

Hind Saddle

The part of the veal carcass that produces the primal loin and leg.

Back

The part of the veal carcass that produces large quantities of veal chop.

Lamb

The meat of sheep slaughtered when it's less than a year old.

Mutton

Meat from a sheep slaughtered after the age of one.

Primal Lamb Shoulder

A lamb cut that contains four ribs, the arm, blade, and neck bones and is around 36% of the carcass's weight.

Haddock

Thin, small Atlantic cod that weighs around 2-5 lbs

Pacific cod

Also known as Gray cod and is found in the northern Pacific Ocean

Pollock

Also known as Boston bluefish or blue cod, is found in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, and has a gray-pink color that turns white when cooked

Eels

Long, snakelike freshwater fish with dorsal and anal fins running down the length of their bodies

Salmon

Fish that lives in both northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, which return to freshwater rivers to spawn and have a pink-red color due to the crustaceans they eat

Sharks

Marine invertebrates that have cartilaginous skeletons and no bones, so they aren’t considered fish

Purchase fish whole/round

It’s purchased as caught, intact

Purchase fish drawn

The viscera (internal organs) are removed

Purchase fish pan-dressed

The viscera and gills are removed; the fish is scaled

Purchase fish butterflied

A pan-dressed fish, boned and opened flat like a book (the two sides remain attached by the back or belly skin)

Purchase fish fillet

It’s the side of a fish removed intact, boneless or semi boneless, with or without skin

Purchase fish steak

It’s a cross-section slice, with a small section of backbone attached known as darne

Purchase fish as a wheel or center-cut

Used for swordfish and sharks which are cut into large boneless pieces from which steaks are then cut

En papillote

The cooking method that involves fish and shellfish being wrapped in parchment paper with herbs, vegetables, butters or sauces and then baking them in a hot oven (a type of steaming method)

Submersion

The cooking method of submersion is a type of poaching method where the fish is completely covered with a liquid and cooked until done

Shallow poaching

A poaching method that combines poaching and steaming that’s usually placed in a bed of vegetables and submerged halfway in a cuisson

Cuisson

Liquid brought to a simmer on the stovetop