Friday, 15 May 2015

MUtton


MUTTON is meat from an adult sheep
that is eaten as food.



Determining the freshness of mutton:

 
- It should have good colour. Mutton has a duller red colour as compared to beef’s good red colour.

- It should smell fresh and not unpleasant.

- It should be moist but not wet.

- It should be springy to touch. Fresh meat is firm, but some cuts spring back to their original shape slower than other cuts.

- The colour of fat for fresh mutton is white. 




Meat Cuts





Mutton bone


  
An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mutton Bones Rasam 

Mutton Bones Rasam is a succulent, flavourful, tangy and spicy soup made of tender mutton bones. This dish contains herbs and spices such as coriander seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves.


 
 
 

Mutton chop


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Masala Pepper Mutton Chops

Toothsome, fork tender chops that are wonderfully spiced make up this dish, making it an altogether appealing dish. 


 

Mutton cubes


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mutton Biryani

Mutton Biryani is a rice and mutton dish traditional to Indian cuisine. It is normally made up of pieces of mutton or lamb simmered with basmati rice. It is often served as a stew and may be eaten with bread, though the rice itself is already very filling to some. 
Mutton Biryani usually starts with a marinade consisting of plain yoghurt or lemon-infused yoghurt curd mixed together with spices. 
It may be served with naan bread or over fried potatoes.
Mutton Biryani by Nadir Hashmi
@

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nadircruise/7813723416/in/photolist-8buSFh-8T3spy-9iu2Jj-sjH9QN-3JGLjR-ccSjz5-eUiY4A-igNCQw-cUtnKf-cUtcoj-i6muDG-9fKStM-cctmdu-bV76vK-gXJUj8-3SzYV1-r5fcrg-e5Ymhu-2igdeo-bV76AX-55Q8PA-5f1QvN-8CvtZ9-2Kh3Yh-3XDJhM-dbktaQ-7z9eL2/ CC



Mutton feet


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mutton Paya Masala



 

Mutton leg

 
An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mutton Leg Soup



 

Mutton loin

 
An Asian dish which uses this cut: Roast Loin of Mutton with Badami Sauce





Mutton neck


An Asian dish which uses this cut: 

Slow-cooked Mutton Neck Chops with Root Vegetables and Wild Garlic
 



 

Mutton shoulder


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mutton Rogan Josh

Mutton Rogan Josh is a rich, creamy, spicy and aromatic meat dish characterised by its thick, aromatic, flavourful red sauce and tender meat. Yoghurt is used as the base for the sauce. It is slowly cooked with a selection of fragrant spices,  ‘Kashmiri peppers’ being the most important due to the distinct red colour it gives to the dish and the fact that it keeps the dish milder compared to other Indian curries. This dish is best served with freshly baked naan or basmati rice.
mutton rogan josh by stu_spivack 
@

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_spivack/2284520530/in/photolist-4tSLn1-4JtA8q-ubCqp-bo8bxX/ CC

 





Mutton spare ribs


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Marinated BBQ Rack of Mutton with Parmesan Crust




 

Mutton stomach


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Crispy Stuffed (Mutton) Belly with Blood Orange Sauce







Mutton Shank

http://www.madina.bgmarketing.com.au/wordpress/portfolio-items/mutton-shank/


An Asian dish which uses this cut: Mughlai style Mutton Shank Curry

Nalli Nihari by Kirti Poddar
@
https://www.flickr.com/photos/feastguru_kirti/2244180340/in/photolist-2QEH6f-wKv5B-4qj1Cu CC


 



 
Fresh and frozen mutton- prices per kg





Source of mutton cuts








TWEEEEE BAH

Pork cuts

How to choose pork
1. It should be a nice reddish pink color to a purplish red. Many people think you want to pick lighter colored pork, but it is the opposite. The darker the pork is the better it will taste if cooked properly.



2. Also look at the fat inside the cut of meat. The fat inside the cut of meat is called marbling. The marbling will make the meat more juicy and tender if cooked properly.




Cuts of meat



Pork Shoulder Picnic Picnic Ham
The portion of the front leg above the hocks and below the Pork Butt Roast (Boston Butt). This cut is often roasted intact, skin-on and bone-in. It is a fairly lean cut with plenty of meat and big bones through the center.






Boston Butt
Pork Shoulder Boston Butt

This is the top portion of the shoulder from the backbone down to the top of the Picnic Shoulder, including the shoulder blade. It is commonly sold without skin and without bone. If boneless it may be rolled up and secured with netting.






Pork LegPork Leg (HAM)
The back leg of a pig, this cut is the lower part of the ham section but is not the whole section. There'a a lot of meat between this cut and the aft end of the loin but it has relatively complex bones so is usually boned and sold as "boneless leg".










Pork Loin (aft half)Pork Loin 
Because of its large size markets generally sell half loins, bone in and boneless. Normally separated into baby back ribs, tenderloin, chops and ribs before it is sold.
Prime rib cost  : $9.95/450grams from sheng siong
Loin rib Cost : $4.95/250grams from sheng siong
                                                                               Spare rib Cost : $4.95/250grams from                                                                                      sheng siong
                                                                               Boneless chop Cost : $4.95/200grams                                                                                      from sheng siong



Pork belly is a boneless cut of fatty meat from the belly of a pig. Pork belly is popular my cultures all over the world.
Cost : $4.95/250grams from sheng siong







Thursday, 14 May 2015

BEEF

BEEF CUTS

Beef is considered as meat that is from a cattle that is more than one year old. Beef can come from either cows, heifers bulls or steers. The older the animal the tougher the meat. There are also eight different grades of meat in order from highest to lowest.

HOW TO CHOOSE FRESH BEEF 



1. Bright Red Flesh








 Red meat such as beef should be bright red as shown in the photos above, this indicates that the meat is at its freshest. If the meat is slightly purple, it just shows that the meat has been exposed to oxygen but however is still fresh.
 
2. Fat 
 
 
 
 Freshness of the beef can also be determined by its fats. Fresh beef have firm fats when touched, and has a white, creamy or even yellowish color.
 
3. Firmness
 
 
To test the freshness of the beef, you may use your fingers to press the meat firmly, and if it springs back, the meat is fresh. Meat that has been kept for long or not fresh will tend to lose its firmness
 
4. Smell
 
 
 
 
 
 The beef should not have any foul or unpleasant smell and this would indicate that it is not fresh.
 
 
 

 

CUTS OF MEAT






 Cuts of beef are the first cuts of the beef that is removed from the carcass. These parts of the beef are the basic sections where sub primal and steaks are taken from. Each Main Beef cut is known as a primal cut and smaller cuts of meat taken from these primal cuts are known as Sub-primal.
 
 

 
1. CHUCK 
  
 
      
    
 
Beef chuck tender from Cold Storage
Cost: $3.20 per 100g
 
 
 The chuck is a large chunk of meat located near the neck area of the animal. It extends from the neck to the fifth rib and contains the shoulder blade and upper arm portion. Some sub-Primal cuts of the chuck are the 'Trimmed shoulder clod', 'top blade' and  'chuck roll' . The chuck compared to the other cuts of beef is not considered very tender and requires moist heat cooking to soften and tenderize the meat. Best method for cooking this cut of meat is braising to hence the slow and long heating will slowly soften the meat. 
 
One type of Asian dish that uses the chuck would be the chuck pot roast with vegetable and udon which is a common dish that is made by the Japanese.
 
 
2. BRISKET
 
 
  
 
 


 Beef Brisket at FairPrice
Cost: $1.79 Per 100g
 
 
 The brisket consist from the point end to the navel end of the animal. one of the retail or sub-primal cuts of the brisket is corned beef.This part of the beef is relatively flavourful but however has a coarse and stringy texture. The brisket contained the breast bone and contain ribs of 1-5. The brisket is tough cut of meat and requires the use of braising cooking method in order to soften and tenderize the meat.
 
Asian dish that involves this cut of meat is Chinese braised beef with ginger with is a Chinese dish that uses the beef Brisket,due to the fact the the meat is not very tender braising is used to soften and tenderize the cut of meat and is mixed with ginger and other Chinese ingredients such as Chinese 5 spice powder and black peppercorn.
 
Chinese braised beef with ginger
 
 
 
3. RIB
    
 
Beef rib eye fillet from the Butcher.
Cost: $6.99 per 100g
 
      
Beef Rib eye from cold storage
Cost $4.80 per 100g
 
Beef Rib eye from FairPrice
Cosy $3.99 per 100g
 
 
The beef ribs is a primal cut. The animal itself contains 13 ribs however not all of the ribs are contained in this cut. some sub-primal cuts from the ribs are short loin, rib eye and rib steaks. The cuts retrieved from this part of the meat are very tender and juicy, containing rich flavour and has fine grains and generous marbling. Common cooking methods are grilling, roasting or pan frying to bring out the flavour of the meat. The cuts of the ribs is also relatively costly I=due to its tenderness and taste.
 
 One Asian dish that can be used with meat from the ribs is Stir-Fried beef with snow peas,the meat is cut into thinly sliced pieces and does not require long heating as it is very tender.
 
 
4.SHORT LOIN 
                    
    
 
 
 
The short-loin is the most tender of all the different primal cuts of the beef as the muscles in this portion are the least used. It is quite lean and may have lesser flavour than some of the other cuts despite its tenderness. Some Sub-Primal cuts are the porterhouse steak and T-bone steak. The price of the shortloin is also rather expensive due to its extreme tenderness. It is best to cook the meat in a dry heat cooking method and it very important that the Meat is not overcooked as it could loose its natural tenderness which is the main reason why they are bought.
 
 An Asian dish would be stir-fried beef in oyster sauce as the beef is very tender and does not require a long period of cooking time.
 
 
5. ROUND 
 
 
 
The round is from the rear back leg of the animal and is usually divided into other cuts such as bottom round, top round, rump roast or even heel of round. The round is a lean cut and is relativelytough and just slightly tender. Due to the lack of fats and marbling, the round becomes dry easily. hence slow moist heat methods are most commonly used to slowly tenderize the meat and retain its moisture.
 
An Asian dish would be the beef turnip stew which is a classic Chinese stew made with ginger, star anise, garlic, and chu hou, a paste made of soybeans.
 
 
 
 
 
6. Flank 
 
 
 
 
 Flank Steak
Cost: $2.26 per 100g
 
beef stew cubs from the flank.
Cost: 1.99 per 100g
 
The flank cut is a boneless cut located on under area of the animal just below the loin. The sub-Primal cuts are flank steaks, Short ribs, stew Meat which are flavourful but however not as tender but can be tenderized if it is sufficiently and well cooked. Cooking methods such as pan-frying or grilling can be done but done not more than medium, this cut is also commonly cut into strips and stir-fried. It is also commonly made for cooking stew due to it being very flavourful.
 
One Asian dish is Beef Rendang where the beef is cut into small cuts and mixed with spices. This dish unfortunately is time consuming as the meat has to be cooked for a long period of time in order for it to absorb all the flavour and spices from the gravy and ingredients used. It is of Indonesian origin.
 
 
 
 
 
6. TENDERLOIN 
 
 
 
 
Beef tenderloin at FairPrice
Cost: $4.99 per 100g
 
 
Beef Tenderloin at NTUC Finest
Cost: $9.95 per 100g
 
The tenderloin is from the inner area of the carcass along side the backbone, ranging from the sirloin to the rump. The cut of meat is a long shaped tapered towards the rump. This cut does not have any bones and contains very minimal fat. The tenderloin is the most desired cut for beef due to its tenderness but also one of the most costly. Common sub-Primal cuts from the tenderloin are fillet steak, Fillet mignon and chateaubriand steak.
 
An Asian dish involving this cut of meat is Fried Gochujang (Yak-Gochujang) is a simple and very special dish which is originated from Korea. It uses Korean gochujang which is a spicy, sweet pungent paste. It is then fried with honey, beef, sesame oil and pine nuts.
 
7.LEG/ SHANK
 
 
 
 
Corned beef from the shank in cold Storage
Cost: $1.49 per 100g
 
Beef cuts from the leg also known as the shank are located in the rear portion of the carcass. This includes sub-Primal cuts such as Topside, Silverside which is used for corned beef and minced beef. These cuts are lean but are not necessarily tender, The fats and marbling that the shank consist of helps to provide flavour and tenderize the meat during cooking,however due to the small amount of marbling, cooking methods such as braising are more suitable for this particular cut of meat to achieve a tender and flavourful meat.
 
Bo-Ho which is a vietamese beef stew is very popular and is deeply flavoured with the sweet spice of ginger, Star Anise and cooked with wintered vegetables.
 
VietnameseBeefStew2
 
 Another traditional dish of the Chinese cuisine is Ma Po Toufu which is from the Chinese province of Sichuan which has toufu in a spicy and bean based sauce.
 
 
 
 8. SHIN SHANK
 
Shink shank of beef at fairPrice
Cost: $1.69 per 100g



The shin consist of a large proportion of bones and a lot of white connective tissues which are collagen hence this cut of the beef is rather tough however is relatively tasteful hence the cost of the Shin Shank is not as pricey. There is no sub-Primal cut for this area however is is common sold as a whole or in cubes for stews. The cooking methods used would preperably be Braising.
 
Japanese beef curry is one example of an Asian dish which uses the shank, Japanese curry unlike the normal indian curry, is a sweeter version and is thicker and milder and is always served with rice.
 
 
9. OXTAIL
 
 

 
 The oxtail is a bony and gelatinous meat. It is usually slow cooked and use as a good stock base for soups.
 
An Asian dish which is of a Chinese origin is braised oxtail with baby bokchoy, it contains star anise which give the meat a characteristic and strong flavour.
 
10. PLATE
 
 
 
The Plate cut is usually known as the short plate and is of the bottom front belly area of the cow just underneath the rib cut. This cut also has sub-Primal cuts such as skirt steak and hanger steak however is not very common and popular. It is considered as a relatively cheap, tough and fatty cut of meat. This cut is also commonly used to make minced meat.
 
One example of this cut of meat used in a dish is known as ground beef rice bowl which is from the Sichuan provenance which consisit of ground beef stir-fried in chilli pepper, soy sauce green onion and vinger. This dish is most commonly eaten with steamed rice and different variations are also made.
Ground Beef Rice Bowl