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Meat Basics
For
specific
questions
regarding
meat preparation,
handling, or stor-
age contact USDA (United
States
Department
of Agriculture)
Meat &
Poultry Hotline at (800) 535=4555.
Handling
Hints
• When shopping,
put meat in its
own separate plastic sack to keep
drips off other foods.
• Defrost frozen meats in refrigera-
tor, not at room temperature.
• Keep meat cool and covered until it
is time to cook.
• Wash
hands
with
warm
soapy
water before
and after handling
meat or raw egg.
• Thoroughly
wash any surface or
utensil raw meat or egg touched.
• Do not put cooked meat on the
same plate that held raw meat.
Cooking
Tips
• Marinate meat in the refrigerator.
Throw out excess marinade
that
came into contact with meat.
• Use
an oven-proof
meat
ther-
mometer.
• Cook meat to internal temperature
recommended
by USDA.
• When reheating foods, heat to an
internal
temperature
of at least
165 ° R
• While cooking meats, turn over at
least once.
Storage
Safety
• Once carved,
refrigerate
unused
portion immediately.
• Keep hot foods hot and cold foods
cold when serving meals.
• Separate cooked foods into small
portions for fast cooling.
Do not store cooked ground meats
or meals containing ground meats
for longer than 3 to 4 days in the
refrigerator.
Do not allow cooked or uncooked
meat juices to come into contact
with ready-to-eat
foods such as
fruits or vegetables.
Tenderizing
Braising is only one way to tenderize
less tender cuts. Before cooking, you
may pound, cube, marinate, or use
commercially
prepared meat tender-
izers. You may then use a dry method
to cook the meat.
Marinades
are acidic liquids such
as
wine,
citrus,
or
vinegar.
Marinades
soften meat fibers but
only penetrate about one-fourth of
an inch into the interior of the meat.
Do not marinate
meat for longer
than 24 hours.
• Pounding with a heavy meat ma!-
let breaks down the connective tis-
sue to tenderize meat.
• Cubing
breaks down the structure
more than pounding.
Cubing
is
done at the meat counter.
Commercial
tenderizers
are pri-
marily enzymes that work on the
outer fourth inch on a meat cut.
Make sure to follow the manufac-
turer's directions.
Using a Meat
Thermometer
When
using a meat thermometer,
remember
to insert
it at a slight
angle, in the thickest part of the meat,
away from fat and bone. The meat
should be removed when 5° F below
the desired final temperature.
While
the meat sits before carving,
it will
continue to cook internally,
raising
the last 5 ° F by itself.
Meat thermometer
• Takes the guesswork out of cook-
ing to a desired 'doneness'.
• Helps reduce the risk of foodborne
illness.
Oven=safe Thermometer
(convection mode only)
• Inserted before the meat is placed
in the oven, this thermometer stays
with the meat while it cooks.
• The internal temperature
will rise
slowly as the meat cooks.
• DO NOT use a metal thermometer
in the
oven
in COMBINATION
mode or MICROWAVE mode.
Instant-read Thermometer
Not oven safe, these thermometers
are placed in the meat when it is
removed from the oven.
While times may vary, an accurate
temperature
is normally displayed
within one to two minutes.
When
using
an
instant-read,
remember to clean the thermome-
ter stem with warm, soapy water
between readings.
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