Effect Of Cooking Meat

Proper cooking makes meat more digestible, as it softens the connective tissues, thus causing a separation of the muscular fibers, and enabling the digestive juices to act more advantageously. The color and flavor are improved. There is a loss of weight by evaporation of water, and loss of mineral matter and some extractives. The loss of water concentrates the nutrients, and thus renders cooked meat proportionally more nutritious than raw meat.

Objective Points And Methods In Cooking

1. To retain the juice as in baking, broiling, boiling and frying.

2. To extract the juice as in soups.

3. To extract and retain the juice as in stews.

The Principal Constituent of meat to be considered in cooking is the albumin. Note page 11, for albumin.

Cooking Of Meat

Heat penetrates meat slowly. At a temperature of 158 degrees Fahrenheit, the meat assumes a gray color, as a result of the decomposition of the coloring matter of the blood. At the same time a peculiar odor of cooking develops, which is due to chemical changes produced by the heat.

At a temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, meat begins to lose weight from the separation of water, which contains salts and nitrogenous extractives. This process continues as the temperature rises, except that coagulable proteins no longer separate with the water.

Coagulation of the albumin is an important factor in cooking meat, and the degree varies with the mode of cooking.

As broiling is the preferred way of preparing meat for the sick and convalescent, it is taken up in detail in this chapter.

Broiling

In broiling, the meat is to be cooked in its own juices; it is, therefore, evident that these must be retained as completely as possible. At first the temperature should be sufficiently high quickly to coagulate, and even harden the albumin on the outside surface, so as to form a layer or protecting coat over the whole; then the heat should be modified so that the interior will be raised to a temperature that will cook it properly without loss of its nutritive properties.

In broiling we partially sacrifice the outer layer of the meat, to preserve the inner portion.

The time for exposure will be different for different kinds of meat. Beef and mutton require a shorter time than lamb, chicken or game.

A piece of meat properly broiled swells, and when cut, the liquid portion flows out readily; but if cooked too long the albumin inside coagulates and the meat loses its moisture, shrinks, and becomes tough.

Effect Of Cold And Hot Water On Meat

Cold water draws out the soluble albumin, the extractives and some of the salts; thus in soups, broths and stews where all the nutriment possible is desired in the liquid, the meat is first put into cold water and gradually brought to a higher temperature.

Hot water or dry heat coagulates albumin, and since if subjected to too high a temperature this becomes tough and indigestible, we must note carefully the proper temperature of cooking. Often it is necessary to sacrifice a small amount of albumin by exposing the meat to a high temperature for a short time to form a coating on the meat, in order to retain the rest of the juices more effectively, after which the connective tissue can be softened by gentle simmering for several hours.

The Quality of Meat depends upon the age, sex, environment, care, feeding and time of hanging after slaughtering. It also depends greatly on the cuts used.

The tougher and less expensive cuts, if properly cooked, are as nutritious and as easily digested as the expensive cuts; however, tough meats take long, slow cooking to make them palatable, and the fuel used must be taken into consideration in the expense. Tough meats are muscles which the animal uses the most, as the legs (especially the lower part), neck, etc.; they are more highly flavored on account of the freer circulation of blood through these portions. Cuts from the neck and shin are used for soups and broths.

The tenderer and more expensive cuts are from the muscles which the animal uses the least, as the upper portion of the hind quarter (rump, sirloin) and fore ribs. The circulation of blood through these portions is less and they are not as juicy and well flavored, nor any more nutritious than tougher portions. These tenderer cuts are used for steaks and roasts.

The remaining muscular portions of the animal (flank, shoulder and brisket) are not as tender as the upper portion of the hind quarter, but just as nutritious. They need longer cooking and are used for stews, braising and pot roast.

Internal Organs or Animal Viscera used as food are the heart, tongue, brain, kidneys, liver, pancreas, thymus glands and paunch. Although some are as easily digested as most muscle tissue, they are not as nutritious, and most of them produce large quantities of uric acid.

The heart, liver and kidneys, when properly cooked, are not as easily digested as other meats, on account of their close and firm texture, and should be eaten only by those of good digestive powers.

The tongue is not very easily digested, for although the lean meat is tender, the fat is hard, and tends to retard digestion in the stomach.

The brain is the most rapidly digested of meats, but a very high per cent. is of no use to the body. It is not suited for invalid diet on account of the high fat content.

The paunch is the third stomach of the ox and called tripe. When properly cooked it is easily digested, but contains too much fat to give an invalid.

The pancreas and thymus glands of the calf or lamb are sold under the name of sweetbreads. They are most easily digested, but give rise to uric acid. Note chapter on Sweetbreads.