MANAGEMENT CLASSES MEAT-BASED COURSES

Transcription

1 BORMIOLI ROCCO ALMA MANAGEMENT CLASSES 11 MEAT-BASED COURSES

2 INTRODUCTION Knowing how to properly cook meat is essential in order to offer a menu of high-level main courses to one s own guests. In order to succeed one has to know meat thoroughly, first of all its physical-organoleptic characteristics, but also be able to evaluate color and marbling as well as to learn to identify its place of origin. Only having this information available allows choosing the most suitable cooking technique to extol the tenderness and texture of the meat cut being processed. A note about storage The most common method to preserve meat is freezing. The main advantage of the frozen meat is that it can be found all year around. It is usually vacuum-packed, already cut into slabs or divided into its anatomical parts; it can be stored in stock in one s own inventory without risking running short of it. The only strategy to adopt is to use a proper time schedule of stock rotation, since frozen products must not be restocked for too long.

3 RED MEAT In gastronomy red meat animals are classified as quadrupeds, Anatidae and Columbiformes. At a first glance the differences compared to white meat lie in the anatomy, color, marbling patterns and texture. Color Color is a major indicator to give an idea about hanging: the bright redder-looking the meat cut is the more it means it has not had the required time to become high. Marbling Marbling means fat streaks in the muscle tissue, which originate tenderness and succulence after cooking. A greater or lesser tenderness also depends on the animal age. In fact, the muscles of young animals contain more water, therefore they tend to be softer. Texture Since the various preparation methods impact the meat in different ways, in order to make the most of its texture, as well as to obtain the utmost tenderness, the muscle tissue construction of the specific anatomic cut must be known.

4 Notably... Type of cooking Prolonged cooking Braising, low-temperature cooking Quick cooking (without the need of immersion into fluids) Cut it is more recommended for Front fifth quarter (nose-to-tail) Rump, long thick flank Loin, tenderloin and some parts of thigh For the barnyard animals quoted in the previous page, cooking tend to be short in order to keep the meat rare. Some general notions Bringing the meat to room temperature before cooking is a trick to make easier and improve its cooking. Moreover, red meat always needs a resting time (even short) before being served. The internal core temperature for a proper cooking is: C for very rare red meat with a very strong tissue texture, C for mainly lean red meat, 60 C at the core well done for red meat of some birds (Anatidae).

5 Let s now examine the various types and cuts of red meat: we will specify the most proper cooking techniques for each one. BEEF In order to select a beef meat it is necessary first of all to know its breed, which shows its origin and, consequently, what the animal has been fed on, and its gender. Besides the traditional cuts, the cuts of fifth quarter ( nose-to-tail such as liver, tripe, spleen and stomach) must be taken into account, from which very tasty traditional Italian dishes are created or tail, shank, head and knee, ideal for long cooking, which produce an intense flavor note. Veal meat (which is considered white) includes a cooking with temperatures to the core of 60 C, and it almost exclusively offers cuts for roast cooking and few cuts for boiling cooking. The tenderloin (filet) is divided into three parts: the head, from which a dish called Chateaubriand steak is made, always served for three people; the heart, from which turnedos or filet mignon are obtained. This is usually the part one refers to when the term filet is used; the tail, from which ragoût or meat nuggets are obtained, which are always served matched with and cooked in sauce. All cooking types reserved for tenderloin are short and roasting type.

6 The Fiorentina (Florentine steak) stands out for the presence of the typical T-shaped bone. The cut is that of loin consisting of sirloin and tenderloin. The ideal size of fiorentina must never be below one kilogram. Cooking should be preferably through wooden coals like oak, beech or chestnut. The loin is the ideal cut to prepare roast-beef. It must be seared on all sides and then baked in the oven, reaching the internal core temperature of C or sliced into 3 cm-thick slices, then grilled and served sliced. Entrecôte (ribeye) is a premium cut obtained from loin, slightly more marbled and with presence of beef clod. Grilled or pan-seared are ideal cooking methods, trying to maintain the meat rare or cooked just right (medium rare). The rump (bottom round) if to be consumed as steak or grilled veal escalope must be cut transversally to fibers so as to become less tough. A traditional use of the rump in the tradition of region Campania is the Neapolitan-style pork chop stuffed with raisin, pine nuts, bread, aromatics and cheese. It may also be used whole trussed like a roast or open, stuffed and then trussed. In these cases cooking must be slow: it must be baked in the oven, and wetted with aromatic liquids such as wine or cooking stocks.

7 A cut called biancostato (flank) is obtained from belly, ideal for obtaining a tasty white stock. If defatted, belly becomes an optimal container for stuffing or it is recommended for rolls, cooked as pot roast. The sirloin may be treated as the beef rump, bearing in mind it is far more tender. It is ideal for roasts and wetted with wine or kitchen stocks, but it can also cut into at least a 1 cm-thick steak. Excellent with the low-temperature sous-vide cooking method. The thick flank also called long thick flank shows a very hard connective tissue, and therefore a long, slow cooking method is called for. It may be reduced into stew for preparations such as goulash and vegetable stews. The shoulder has a robust texture with a commercial value lower than the thigh, as it shows stringy, fatty parts. It is especially used for meat sauces or ground meat; otherwise, muscle bundles are separated and used as braised meat or boiled meat. In both cases a slow, long cooking method is recommended.

8 The chuck, besides preparations requiring a long cooking, may be used as a replacement of the sliced steak: it is cut into 3 cm-height slices, it is cooked sous-vide at a temperature of 53 C for 15 minutes, then the cooking is finished on the grill and it is served by slices, flavored by a mirepoix of aromatics, salt, oil. PORK As the old saying goes: When pigs are butchered, nothing is thrown away. As a matter of fact, every part of the pig is consumed. Each one shows different organoleptic characteristics: some have a sharper flavor, while others a more delicate one. Generally speaking, whoever is about to cook pork should know that many preparations include the use of aromatics, and that the high-end food retail establishment favors the use of suckling pig whose meat is leaner and less fat. The blade is an ideal cut for steaks; when roasted it gives excellent results, but also braised or boiled it gives origin to tasty dishes, for instance matched with a red wine sauce. The loin - being lean meat is the most used cut in the home-made cuisine. But one has to pay attention to cooking times: the risk is that of overcooking, which results in dry, tough meat. The traditional types of cooking? Cooked in milk as steak or stewed escalopes.

9 As for beef, pork tenderloin is the fine, tender cut of the animal. The only yet substantial difference between the two lies in cooking, which must be just right. The thigh - if purchased whole may undergo various preparations. First of all muscles must be separated, which follow the same classification as beef: thick flank, rump, sirloin, shank and hock, then each cut must be cooked using different methods. A good alternative is to cook the whole cut with bone or without bone for glazing at a low temperature to later roast it and obtain the Maillard s reaction. Pork s shoulder offers an excellent quality-price ratio. Since it contains a good portion of connective tissue, but also slightly fat areas, it is perfect for dishes like simple roasts as stews, but also for being served whole: once tied, just remove the bone off the blade, and then flavor with aromatics and spices. The side pork (pork belly) is not a Mediterranean product only: other culinary traditions prepare it in a sweet-andsour sauce or with curry. A very useful piece of advice is to perform a half steam cooking or in aromatic court bouillon, to later roast it in oven or finish it in a rondeau pan over low heat.

10 OVINE Lamb meat is widely used in haute cuisine since it can undergo various cooking methods such as roasting, moist-heat cooking, grilled, at low temperatures, rare, and so on. Thanks to its typical taste its pairing with stocks and vegetables, both sharp and delicate, can vary. The most suitable aromatics to match it with are thyme, savory and rosemary. A traditional dish that suits buffets very well is the baron of mutton from an adult animal. The rack of lamb is usually the cut guests like the most, since it is lean and soft to the bite. A traditional way to offer it is as grilled spare ribs, but they can often be laid out also breaded or stuffed with salami and truffle pasta in pork caul fat and cooked in the pan. A traditional preparation of the leg of lamb is the navarin. As an alternative, it can be cooked sous vide at a low temperature, finishing by pan-sautéing. It is served by slab for four people directly in the dining room matched with red wine lamb stock. Moreover, the shank cut is excellent.

11 The rear lamb shank is considered as a single plate portion: to be served whole, better if entirely deboned. The traditional preparation of the shoulder is drip-pan roasted, and it is obtained by often wetting the cut at the oven opening with its fat and the juice it releases. Ideal also as stew (ragout). HORSE Free from fat and connective tissue, the horse is sweet and tender. Its use is traditionally confined to a few regions in Italy: the pastizzada of Veneto region and the vecchia (horsemeat hash) with minced horse meat of Parma or the picùla of Piacenza and li sfilacci of Lazio region are to be mentioned. Instead, in the South horse meat is consumed either stewed or overcooked. The horse can easily found a use in the tradition of specialty butcher shop.

12 As for the other quadrupeds, even in the case of horses the finest part is the tenderloin, which is ideal for express cooking. Excellent also raw minced and served with a salad. It is advisable not to match it with fat animal sauces. The sirloin is a very lean, tasty cut. It is excellent after a three-day marinating with salt, sugar and spices. It is later washed, patted dry with a paper towel, then baked at 40 C for 30 minutes. It is served thinly sliced with small vegetables in sweet-and-sour sauce. This dish becomes a substitute for bresaola (air-dried, salted beef). The rump is ideal either minced or as tartare, served raw (as tenderloin or sirloin). Lean and very tasty, it originates divine dishes at a reasonable price. But it is very important to match it in the proper way with acidity notes that may be given by seasoned salads or by mayonnaise. The chuck may be used in the same way as beef, that is as stew or braise; to be tasted as sliced steak as well, even though it would be better to cook it just right. It is excellent also quickly grilled and cut into thin slices served with herbs, oil and salt.

13 WHITE MEAT White meat is largely consumed in Italy, since it is considered lean and naturally bloodless. When white meat is mentioned, one refers to: quadrupeds: veal, suckling lamb, pig, suckling pig, young goat; birds: chicken, turkey, quail, guinea-fowl, partridge and pheasant; barnyard animals: rabbit. In the kitchen white meat suits every type of cooking: grilled, roasted, in the pan and baked in the oven, in a castiron casserole or, more traditional, in clay pots. White meat must be cooked just right, that means that the temperature to the core must absolutely settle, as a minimum, between 60 C and 64 C. White meat is associated with any type of diet and age.

14 CHICKEN Chicken is widely widespread in the world culinary traditions as it suits all cooking methods and pairings (among the most sought-after sauces we quote wine, cream-based, olive oil-based or butter-based sauces). Its carcasses are ideal for white and brown kitchen stocks. The breast purchased with skin undergoes a preparation that includes a pocket stuffed in various ways, then bread coating and final baking in the oven. If it is found skinless, the breast can be cooked, quickly stewed, cut into thin slices and grilled, or in aromatic court bouillon and served with egg-based hot sauces. The thigh boasts a much sharper taste and calls for a prolonged cooking. Among the traditional dishes stuffed legs obtained from shank are worth quoting. Thighs are always sold with the skin, so pay attention, as the latter releases fat during cooking: better, then first sautée everything in the saucepan to eliminate the fat, then to end the preparation. The drumstick skinned and reduced to chunks becomes an excellent ragoût with mushrooms and vegetables. If the whole cut is to be served, a good trick is to remove the femoral bone and truss it, to then cook it stewed or braised. The wings are not widely used in Italy; on the contrary, those served with the barbecue sauce make it big in the United States - a tasty aperitif or appetizer to crunch at the bar counter.

15 For cooking white meat birds it is advisable a non-high cooking method, so that the liquids and juices do not leak and a more succulent dish is obtained. TURKEY From a culinary point of view turkey is quite similar to chicken, except for its size, which is three or four times greater. The finest cut is the breast (very lean and ideal for a controlled diet). When cutting the turkey breast, transversal cuts to the fiber must be done, starting with a diagonal inclination of the knife to end with clear vertical cuts. BARNYARD BIRDS When we think of the yard, we imagine free animals: this is an indicator of free farming with even more marked grain and values of genuineness. Chickens, ducks, geese, guinea-fowls and rabbits that live outdoors boast firmer, tougher and undoubtedly tastier meat. A good suggestion to use this meat is to fully exploit it using the offal in the traditional dishes such as the finanziera and vincisgrassi (Marche-style lasagne) or preparing terrines solely made up of livers. All the preparations suitable for turkey and chicken also fit the barnyard birds.

16 RABBIT If the rabbit is young, then it can be roasted for a short time at high temperatures; in the case of adult animals, instead, meat can be used either braised or as pot roast or as boiled meat. A good recipe is the rolled deboned rabbit stuffed with herbs: completely emptied of the inner carcass without separating the meat, is then flavored, stuffed, trussed and entirely cooked as the traditional Italian spit-roasted pork. The animal back can be deboned and stuffed with more or less flavored kinds of stuffing, and it can be called porchetta-style and also prepared in a fricassee with seasonal vegetables.

17 GAME The game is subject to seasonality: in fact, a use period corresponds to each animal (quadrupeds or birds) living free or bred. Also defined black meat or dark meat, the game meat is subdivided into two macro-categories: furred game and feathered game. In both cases the smell and taste are well marked: this is thanks to the animal s diet, which feeds on wild berries and plants. The color tends to dark red, almost black for the furred game, while it tends to be white for the Galliformes game (pheasants, partridges, etc ) and red for Anatidae, woodpigeons and mountain feathered game. The most flavored meat can be marinated with wine, spices or distillates in order to dilute the strong taste.

18 BORMIOLI ROCCO ALMA MANAGEMENT CLASSES IN THE NEXT CLASS EVOLUZIONE DELL APERITIVO