into retail cuts. In dividing the carcass
into cuts, the tender meat is separated from
the less tender and the thick pieces from the
thin. Both wholesale and retail cuts are
shown in the beef, veal, pork, and lamb
charts which follow on pages 179, 186, 189.
APPEARANCE AND PHYSICAL
STRUCTURE
In its gross structure, meat is made up
of lean or muscle portion, visible fat, and
bone. In addition, certain organs called
variety meats are used as food.
Lean or Muscle Portion. The lean portion
or muscle tissue is composed of bundles of
fibers or muscle cells held together by vary¬
ing amounts of connective tissue and sur¬
rounded by a sheath of heavier connective
tissue. The size of the bundles varies in
different muscles and determines to a cer¬
tain extent the grain or texture of the meat.
The individual muscle fibers are elon¬
gated, multinucleated, specialized cells. They
vary considerably in size depending upon
their function and use. Typical fibers are
from one to two inches long and less than one
five-hundredth of an inch in diameter. Each
tubular cell has an outer membranous cover,
and the interior is filled with minute rods
or tubes, called "fibrillae.” The fibrillae are
of dense protoplasm and are embedded in
a semifluid muscle juice which completely
fills the interior of the cell.
Connective tissue is composed of small
mono-nuclear cells which form a tough inter¬
cellular substance called collagen. The
toughness of meat is determined by the
amount, density, and form of the connective
tissue present in the particular cut. The
bundles of muscle fibers are bound by con¬
nective tissue into larger bundles, and these
in turn go to make up the large and small
body muscles. In general the connective
tissue binding muscle fibers into bundles and
bundles into muscles is smaller in amount
and less dense than that which surrounds and
separates the body muscles. Each muscle is
enclosed in a sheath of connective tissues
which may be h£avy and tough. These can
be seen in a cut like the round separating the
individual muscles. The fewer muscles in a
cut, the smaller the amount of these dense
layers of connective tissue that make meat
tough. The fact that the "tenderloin” is
composed of one muscle helps to account for
its tenderness.
The connective tissue is specially dense at
the ends of muscles, where it forms the ten¬
dons which attach the muscles to the bones
at the joints. Cuts like the shin and the
shank, the neck, and certain round and
shoulder cuts contain tendons and are always
tough. The amount and character of the
connective tissue changes with age, so that
the meat from older animals tends to be more
tough than that from young animals.
Page 157
Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
into retail cuts. In dividing the carcass into cuts, the tender meat is separated from the less tender and the thick pieces from the thin. Both wholesale and retail cuts are shown in the beef, veal, pork, and lamb charts which follow on pages 179, 186, 189.
APPEARANCE AND PHYSICAL STRUCTURE
In its gross structure, meat is made up of lean or muscle portion, visible fat, and bone. In addition, certain organs called variety meats are used as food.
Lean or Muscle Portion. The lean portion or muscle tissue is composed of bundles of fibers or muscle cells held together by vary¬ ing amounts of connective tissue and sur¬ rounded by a sheath of heavier connective tissue. The size of the bundles varies in different muscles and determines to a cer¬ tain extent the grain or texture of the meat.
The individual muscle fibers are elon¬ gated, multinucleated, specialized cells. They vary considerably in size depending upon their function and use. Typical fibers are from one to two inches long and less than one five-hundredth of an inch in diameter. Each tubular cell has an outer membranous cover, and the interior is filled with minute rods or tubes, called "fibrillae.” The fibrillae are of dense protoplasm and are embedded in a semifluid muscle juice which completely fills the interior of the cell.
Connective tissue is composed of small mono-nuclear cells which form a tough inter¬ cellular substance called collagen. The toughness of meat is determined by the amount, density, and form of the connective tissue present in the particular cut. The bundles of muscle fibers are bound by con¬ nective tissue into larger bundles, and these in turn go to make up the large and small body muscles. In general the connective tissue binding muscle fibers into bundles and
bundles into muscles is smaller in amount and less dense than that which surrounds and separates the body muscles. Each muscle is enclosed in a sheath of connective tissues which may be heavy and tough. These can be seen in a cut like the round separating the individual muscles. The fewer muscles in a cut, the smaller the amount of these dense layers of connective tissue that make meat tough. The fact that the "tenderloin” is composed of one muscle helps to account for its tenderness.
The connective tissue is specially dense at the ends of muscles, where it forms the ten¬ dons which attach the muscles to the bones at the joints. Cuts like the shin and the shank, the neck, and certain round and shoulder cuts contain tendons and are always tough. The amount and character of the connective tissue changes with age, so that the meat from older animals tends to be more tough than that from young animals.