Red Meat Nutrients & Tenderizing Methods: A Comprehensive Guide

1. Red Meat

2. Nutrients of red meat • Protein: HBVgrowth / repair / maintenance / energy / hormones. • Fat – saturated: – energy / protection / insulation. • Iron: haemoglobin/ transportoxygen / preventsanaemia. • Vitamin A / retinol – prevents night blindness / mucous membranes / visual purple. • VitaminD / cholecalciferol: absorb calcium / bones and teeth / prevents rickets – • Phosphorus: – bones and teeth / release of energy. • Sulphur: component of protein.

3. Nutrients of red meat • Thiamin / Vit. B1 – release of energy from carbohydrate / nerve function. • Riboflavin / Vit. B2 – release of oxygen from fat and protein. • Water – body fluids / lubrication of joints / maintains body temperature. • Vitamin B12 / cobalamin: requiered for the metabolism of the aminoacids and in the enzyme systems.

4. Reasonsfortoughness • Long muscle fibres • Thick muscle fibres • Meat from an old animal • Muscles have had most movement – e.g. neck / leg • Muscles well developed • Animal stressed before slaughter • Meat not allowed to hang after slaughter • Contains a large amount of collagen / connective tissue and gristle (cartílago) or elastin. • Incorrect cooking method used e.g. dry method for a tough cut of meat • Frozen meat not defrosted thoroughly before cooking etc.

5. Methods of tenderisingmeat before cooking • Mince: cut into small pieces • Score: shorten muscle fibres • Beat: with hammer/ rolling pin to separate fibres. • Hang • Marinade: soak in wine, lemon juice, vinegar etc. • Use enzymes: papain from papaya, bromalin from pineapple or ficin(from figs)

6. How tough meat becomes tender during cooking. • Using a moist method of cooking, e.g. stewing / braising / boiling / steamingetc. Moisture penetrates betweenmusclefibres. Do not use a dry method (roasting,baking, frying, grilling, BBQ) • Collagen(insoluble, converted to gelatinethatis soluble and easytochew and toeat. • Fatmelts, meatshrinks, musclefibrescontract, proteindenatures.

7. How tough meat becomes tender during cooking. • Squeeze out extractives, pass into cooking water making a flavour gravy. • Colourchanges from red to brown converting oxymyoglobinto haemochrome. • B vitamins dissolve in cooking liquid – thiamin destroyed by heat. • Muscle fibresloosen, meat becomes tender. • Protein coagulates on heatingat 60°C

8. Processing soya to resemble meat Advantages: • Soya is HBV protein, contains all indispensable amino acids • Only vegetable source of HBV protein, useful for vegans / vegetarians • More healthy than meat, low in fat, meat contains saturated fat linked to CHD • Cheaper than meat • Without shrinking, takes flavours from other food

9. Processing soya to resemble meat Advantages: • Easy to transport, dehydrated easy to store, light to carry ( meat extender or meat replacement or substitute, e.g. sausages / mince / chunks • Can mix with meat to give a cheaper product fortified with iron and vitamin from B group • No risk of animal diseases – e.g. BSE /birdflu etc.

10. Processing soya to resemble meat • Disadvantages • Processed food, artificial additives may have been used to preserve the flavour, colour • Some people try to avoid additives • Long-term effect not known. • May not like texture, cooking aroma • Does not taste like meat