Fat differs in different animals. The fat of the hog is softer and less highly flavored than that of other animals, and, because of this, and because it has a high burning point, it is extensively used for frying foods. Beef and mutton fats contain more stearin than pork fat; they are harder, more highly flavored, and not used much in cooking. It could be said that fats are not consumed, to any great extent, as meat, but are separated from the muscle fiber and prepared for use in some other way. The only excep- tion to this is the use of pork as bacon, salt pork, and sausage, but even then much of the fat is lost in cooking. The most important part of meat, then, is the muscle fiber, and if it is examined closely it will be found to consist of bundles of tubes or fibers held together by a substance similar to the ossein in bone, called collagen, a form of connective tissue. As this substance, collagen, is a form of albuminoid, it is softened and dissolved by moist heat. The tubes contain various proteins, — albumin, fibrin, myosin, compound proteins, and extractives, —and it is this part of the meat which furnishes the tissue-building ma- terial for the body. The muscle tubes consist of a sub- stance called elastin, another albuminoid. The toughness or tenderness of a cut of meat depends on the thickness of the albuminoids which form the cell walls and which hold the cells together. If the cut of meat is from a part of the animal where the muscles have been exercised a great deal, the albuminoids are thicker and tougher than in those parts which are exercised but little. Hence the meat will be tougher and will require long, slow cooking to soften the elastin and collagen. That is the reason why cuts of meat from the neck and leg are tougher than those from the back. 156 MEATS U. §. Department of Agriculture Prepared by Office of Experiment Stations C. F. LANGWORTHY A. C. True: Director Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. 0 C5 a Bs Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water Fuel Value 4.8q.|n. Equals 1000 Calories LAMB CHOP PORK CHOP EDIBLE PORTION Water:53. | FUEL VALue: : - Protein: 16.1 C5 5 2 ORI ERE EER Ree RIL IPL bed eat ia ay in fl UO odo \ \ eZ oe Davsnansail LELLLL AE EIT OTT ZZ — i EDIBLE PORTION EIR : eee 7. blr a OP ae Fs I NU we NL ood Fuet vALUE: 1535 cacories PER POUND Ash:4.8 1875 cacories PER POUND BEEF STEAK EDIBLE PORTION Water: 61.9 EET CH Ueeticccee: Ga $4) LEK Wee eee Ee Vee eee eee. £08 0 8 LL 1090 caories PER POUND CoMPOSITION OF MEATS. DRIED BEEF EDIBLE PORTION Protein: MEATS : 157 U.S. Department of Agriculture Prepared by Office of Experiment Stations C.F, LANGWORTHY A.C. True: Director Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations pe OO ON OF FOOD MATERIALS. 7, {0m Fone == , Fuel Value = 46Sq. in. Equals Bieinic Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water 1000 Calories VEGETABLE OILS,AS OLIVE , PEANUT, Water: 18.8 COTTONSEED Protein: 9. a3 Fat:100.0 gaa L 3090 caLoriEs PER POUND Water: 13.2 ae ( G i] i _— -_ ” VALUE: BUTTER PSII ae te 3-0 | Drotein’ 1.0 ee VALUE: Fuet vAuue: = CALORIES PER POUND ~~ s RSSSSS S337 3405 calories PER POUND 4080 catories PER POUND COMPOSITION OF Fats. 158 _ MEATS The true proteins in meat are coagulated by heat, and flavor is developed. Albumins are soluble in cold water, ieee, myosin and fibrin in dilute salt, or alkaline solution, and _ the rest are insoluble. If meat is soaked in cold water, or put on to cook in cold water, and gradually heated, albumin is dissolved out. It forms the brown scum that rises to the surface of the water when meat is boiled, and is usually lost during the process. Fibrin and myosin are dissolved when meat is soaked in salt solution, as in the corning of beef.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Fat differs in different animals. The fat of the hog is softer and less highly flavored than that of other animals, and, because of this, and because it has a high burning point, it is extensively used for frying foods. Beef and mutton fats contain more stearin than pork fat; they are harder, more highly flavored, and not used much in cooking. It could be said that fats are not consumed, to any great extent, as meat, but are separated from the muscle fiber and prepared for use in some other way. The only exception to this is the use of pork as bacon, salt pork, and sausage, but even then much of the fat is lost in cooking. The most important part of meat, then, is the muscle fiber, and if it is examined closely it will be found to consist of bundles of tubes or fibers held together by a substance similar to the ossein in bone, called collagen, a form of connective tissue. As this substance, collagen, is a form of albuminoid, it is softened and dissolved by moist heat. The tubes contain various proteins, — albumin, fibrin, myosin, compound proteins, and extractives, —and it is this part of the meat which furnishes the tissue-building material for the body. The muscle tubes consist of a substance called elastin, another albuminoid. The toughness or tenderness of a cut of meat depends on the thickness of the albuminoids which form the cell walls and which hold the cells together. If the cut of meat is from a part of the animal where the muscles have been exercised a great deal, the albuminoids are thicker and tougher than in those parts which are exercised but little. Hence the meat will be tougher and will require long, slow cooking to soften the elastin and collagen. That is the reason why cuts of meat from the neck and leg are tougher than those from the back. U. §. Department of Agriculture Prepared by Office of Experiment Stations C. F. LANGWORTHY A. C. True: Director Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations 0 C5 a Bs Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water Fuel Value 4.8q.|n. Equals 1000 Calories LAMB CHOP PORK CHOP Water:53. | - Protein: 16.1 C5 5 2 ORI ERE EER Ree RIL IPL bed eat ia ay in fl UO odo \ \ eZ oe Davsnansail LELLLL AE EIT OTT ZZ — i EIR : eee 7. blr a OP ae Fs I NU we NL ood Fuet vALUE: 1535 calories Ash:4.8 1875 calories BEEF STEAK Water: 61.9 EET CH Ueeticccee: Ga $4) LEK Wee eee Ee Vee eee eee. £08 0 8 1090 calories CoMPOSITION OF MEATS. DRIED BEEF Protein: MEATS : 157 U.S. Department of Agriculture Prepared by Office of Experiment Stations C.F, LANGWORTHY A.C. True: Director Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations pe OO ON OF FOOD MATERIALS. 7, {0m Fone == , Fuel Value = 46Sq. in. Equals Bieinic Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water 1000 Calories VEGETABLE OILS,AS OLIVE , PEANUT, Water: 18.8 COTTONSEED Protein: 9. a3 Fat:100.0 gaa L 3090 caLoriEs PER POUND Water: 13.2 ae ( G i] i _— -_ ” VALUE: BUTTER PSII ae te 3-0 | Drotein’ 1.0 ee VALUE: Fuet vAuue: = CALORIES PER POUND ~~ s RSSSSS S337 3405 calories PER POUND 4080 calories PER POUND COMPOSITION OF Fats. 158 _ MEATS The true proteins in meat are coagulated by heat, and flavor is developed. Albumins are soluble in cold water, ieee, myosin and fibrin in dilute salt, or alkaline solution, and _ the rest are insoluble. If meat is soaked in cold water, or put on to cook in cold water, and gradually heated, albumin is dissolved out. It forms the brown scum that rises to the surface of the water when meat is boiled, and is usually lost during the process. Fibrin and myosin are dissolved when meat is soaked in salt solution, as in the corning of beef.

Principles of cooking