The color of the meat should be clear and bright, not purplish.
There should be very little odor, and the meat should be firm
and elastic to the touch.
Meat is valuable chiefly for its protein, fat, and ash constit-
uents. The protoplasm of the muscle cells consists mainly
of proteins partially dissolved in 3 to 4 times their weight of
water. The fat is deposited partly in the cells and partly in
the connective tissue between the cells, where it forms in layers.
Fat does not alter the composition of the actual protoplasm
since it neither dissolves in nor absorbs water. When an ani-
mal is killed, the muscular protoplasm coagulates (rigor mortis),
but without essential change in the amount or distribution of
moisture, protein, or fat. Muscle protein and gelatin differ
conspicuously in their content of amino acids. It is now known
that the inadequacy of gelatin alone as protein food is due to
the absence of certain amino-acid radicles, particularly trypto-
phan and tyrosin. Special interest attaches to the ' extrac-
tives ' of meat, to which its flavor is largely due, and to the
purins which give rise to uric acid in the body. Among the
extractives creatin is most conspicuous. The purins exist
" free ' (as in the form of hypoxanthin, adenin, guanin) and
" bound ' as constituents of the nucleoproteins.
Cold storage, drying, canning, and the application of preserv-
ative substances are the principal means of preserving meats.
Salt, sugar, vinegar, and wood smoke are condimental as well
as preservative in their properties, and there is no restriction
upon their use. Saltpeter maintains the red color of meat and
preserves it. Boric acid and borax, which when used are
employed purely for their preservative effect, and sulphites
are not permitted under the present United States meat in-
spection law.
For fuller discussion of composition, nutritive value, preser-
vation and inspection of meat, read Sherman's Food Prod-
ucts, Chapters VI and VII.
MEATS, STOCK SOUPS, AND GELATIN 125
MEAT EXPERIMENTS
129. — Examine a shin of beef for fat, connective tissue, tendons,
ligaments, blood vessels (veins and arteries), bone tissue, and muscles.
Prepare round steak for the following experiments by grinding
through meat grinder.
130. — a. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water. Let stand i hour.
b. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water and \ tsp. salt.
Let stand i hour.
c. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water and i tbsp. vine-
gar. Let stand i hour.
d. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. warm water and \ tsp. salt.
Let stand i hour.
e. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. boiling water. Boil i minute,
and let stand i hour. Compare results. In which instances is most
color and flavor extracted ? Explain these phenomena.
131. — Remove as much muscle and fat as possible from a shoulder
of veal. Crack the bone in several places. Place in cold water to
cover, adding \ tsp. salt to each pint of water and let simmer for 6
hours. Remove the bone, strain the liquid through a wet cheesecloth,
and put in a cold place to cool. Let the stock remain in ice box
overnight and then observe change in consistency. (Keep for Expt.
132.)
a. Note the layer of fat on surface covering the jelly under-
neath. Could the small amount of fatty tissue left on the bone
have furnished enough fat to form such a layer ?
b. What was the source of the fat?
Page 55
Presented as published in 1916. 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
The color of the meat should be clear and bright, not purplish. There should be very little odor, and the meat should be firm and elastic to the touch.
Meat is valuable chiefly for its protein, fat, and ash constituents. The protoplasm of the muscle cells consists mainly of proteins partially dissolved in 3 to 4 times their weight of water. The fat is deposited partly in the cells and partly in the connective tissue between the cells, where it forms in layers. Fat does not alter the composition of the actual protoplasm since it neither dissolves in nor absorbs water. When an animal is killed, the muscular protoplasm coagulates (rigor mortis), but without essential change in the amount or distribution of moisture, protein, or fat. Muscle protein and gelatin differ conspicuously in their content of amino acids. It is now known that the inadequacy of gelatin alone as protein food is due to the absence of certain amino-acid radicles, particularly tryptophan and tyrosin. Special interest attaches to the ' extractives ' of meat, to which its flavor is largely due, and to the purins which give rise to uric acid in the body. Among the extractives creatin is most conspicuous. The purins exist " free ' (as in the form of hypoxanthin, adenin, guanin) and " bound ' as constituents of the nucleoproteins.
Cold storage, drying, canning, and the application of preservative substances are the principal means of preserving meats. Salt, sugar, vinegar, and wood smoke are condimental as well as preservative in their properties, and there is no restriction upon their use. Saltpeter maintains the red color of meat and preserves it. Boric acid and borax, which when used are employed purely for their preservative effect, and sulphites are not permitted under the present United States meat inspection law.
For fuller discussion of composition, nutritive value, preservation and inspection of meat, read Sherman's Food Products, Chapters VI and VII.
MEAT EXPERIMENTS
129. — Examine a shin of beef for fat, connective tissue, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels (veins and arteries), bone tissue, and muscles.
Prepare round steak for the following experiments by grinding through meat grinder.
130. — a. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water. Let stand i hour.
b. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water and \ tsp. salt. Let stand i hour.
c. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. cold water and i tbsp. vinegar. Let stand i hour.
d. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. warm water and \ tsp. salt. Let stand i hour.
e. Mix 2 tbsp. meat and i c. boiling water. Boil i minute, and let stand i hour. Compare results. In which instances is most color and flavor extracted ? Explain these phenomena.
131. — Remove as much muscle and fat as possible from a shoulder of veal. Crack the bone in several places. Place in cold water to cover, adding \ tsp. salt to each pint of water and let simmer for 6 hours. Remove the bone, strain the liquid through a wet cheesecloth, and put in a cold place to cool. Let the stock remain in ice box overnight and then observe change in consistency. (Keep for Expt. 132.)
a. Note the layer of fat on surface covering the jelly underneath. Could the small amount of fatty tissue left on the bone have furnished enough fat to form such a layer ?
b. What was the source of the fat?