MEAT & MEAT PRODUCTS

Preparation Of Different Meat Products

November 13, 2023

564

Preparation Of Different Meat Products

The art of preparing meat products encompasses a diverse range of culinary techniques and recipes that cater to different tastes and preferences worldwide. Whether it’s a succulent roast, flavorful sausages, or mouthwatering charcuterie, mastering the preparation of various meat products opens up a world of gastronomic possibilities. This guide explores the techniques and methods involved in crafting a selection of popular meat products.

Meat is highly nutritious and versatile food. The primary importance of meat as a food lies in the fact that when digested its protein is broken down releasing amino acids; these are assimilated and ultimately used for the repair and growth of cells. Hence it is a source of high biological value protein. Meat production and consumption has increased remarkably in recent years in India. Demand for quality meat and meat products is increasing due to growing awareness about nutritional and sensory characteristics of meat products. Changing socio-economic status has also contributed for the enhanced consumption of processed and convenience meat products. As the demand for ready to eat meat products is ever growing due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, a lot of efforts need to be made to meet such increasing requirements. Variety of meat based products like tandoori chicken; pickles, balls/koftas, tikka, biryani, patties, nuggets and sausages are available in the market, Kashmiri products like goshtaba, rista as well as nate-yakhni have been reviewed.

Meat production and consumption has increased remarkably in recent years in India. Demand for quality meat and meat a products is increasing due to growing awareness about nutritional and sensory characteristics of such meat products. Changing socio-economic status has also contributed for the enhanced consumption of processed and convenience meat products. Though the meat industry in our country is yet to transform into an organized sector, its contribution to the national GDP has been significant. Meat and meat products during the year 2004-05 contributed Rs. 30,401 crores annually to the Indian economy (DAHDF, 2006). Ministry of Food Processing Industries has established National Meat and Poultry Processing Board to support the healthy and organized development of meat sector for clean and wholesome meat production. Further, Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 would regulate and ensure the processed meat sector to produce safe and quality products. Meat plays an important role in the sustenance of human health and well being. The processing of meat products depending on the availability of raw materials, seasons and local taste preferences passes through generations with consequent improvement in sensory profiles. Among these foods traditional meat and poultry products are popular by virtue of their appealing sensory attributes and play pivotal role in human nutrition in India. Traditional meat and chicken based fast food products like meat balls (koftas), kababs, tikka, chicken tandoori (roast), biryani, curries, pickles, enrobed and battered products are attracting greater consumer response in India. Goshtaba and rista, popular traditional Kashmiri products are also being processed at fast food corners, restaurants, and hotels, etc and are liked by many for their unique taste. Many entrepreneurs have priority programmes on meat based fast foods to cater to the growing needs of younger generation. Venkey’s India Ltd, Pune manufactures traditional chicken products such as sausage, nuggets patties, and markets them in several cities. Small manufacturers have an advantage in the production of variety products with flexible processing systems. Consumer preferences have also shifted to different custom designed products from stereotype traditional foods supplied in bulk. Further developments in quality improvement, processing, consumption as well as demand, problems and prospects of meat and poultry products are discussed.

Ingredients

The ingredients can be classified in any one of the five categories viz., polysaccharides, proteins, fat and hydrogenated oil, water and seasoning. Polysaccharides: Water soluble polysaccharides are long chain polymers that dissolve or disperse in water to give a thickening or viscosity building effect. These compounds serve diverse roles as providing hardness, crispiness, thickening quality, viscosity, adhesiveness, gel forming ability and mouth-fill. The functional properties of polysaccharides in batter are acquired by interacting themselves or with other ingredients such as proteins to provide stability and lipids to provide viscosity and sometimes emulsifying action. Different flours such as Bengal gram, lentil, wheat and corn flour, starch, corn flakes have contributed better texture and crispiness to the enrobed products (Anjaneyulu et al., 2003; Keshri et al., 2003). Proteins: Plant and animal proteins are widely used for enrobing meat and meat products. They include milk powder, milk protein fraction, egg albumin, skimmed milk powder, cereal flours, seed proteins etc. Non-fat dried milk has been used to ¨ Increases the water absorbing capacity of flour and viscosity of the system. ¨ Improves baking quality of meat product. ¨ Strengthens product texture and improve texture. ¨ Retard moisture loss. ¨ Enhance crust colour and flavour development. Egg proteins form structure and act as thickeners. Seed proteins and soy proteins are widely used as enrobing ingredients because of their functional properties that improve emulsifying capacity, emulsion stabilization, fat and water absorption. Fat and hydrogenated oils: They are rich source of fat-soluble vitamins and contribute to flavour and palatability as well as to the feeling of satiety after eating. Shortening contribute to the tender quality of a baked product by their lubricating action. Other fatty acid materials such as mono- and triglycerides and lecithin serve as emulsifying and staling inhibitors. Water: It is used for making batter suspension and aid in the adhesion of beading to the surface of the product. This affects amount of coating on food, its thickness, machine ability and drying time. Water also acts in a structureforming role by reacting with proteins and polysaccharides. Seasoning: It includes sugar, salt, pepper, paprika and many other species, their use depends on the desired flavour. Sugar has plasticizing effect and provides flavour, either alone or in combination with amines. Salt enhances the flavour of foods. Some spices serve as antioxidants and provide specific flavours. Paprika gives a pleasing pink colour and is used where the products are to be frozen and heated in microwave oven or baked under conditions where little browning occurs.

Types of batters

Conventional (non-leavened) batter: There are two primary types of conventional batters. One is wheat flour based batter, which mixes easily with water and apparently remains in a solution for long period of time. These materials are easily handled in mechanical batter applicator. Second type is corn flour based batter. It settles out easily and will change batter thickness resulting uneven pick-up. Continuous mixing is essential to keep solids in suspension when corn based batters are used (Cunningham, 1989).

Formulation for preparation of emulsion based meat products

Ingredients—Quantity (%)

Deboned meat 70

Fat/oil 10

Ice flakes/chilled water 10

Salt 1.6

Polyphosphates 0.4

Spice 1.6

Sodium Nitrite 0.01

Condiments 3.4

Maida 3

Tempura or leavened batter: These batters should not be pumped or recirculated within the system. Continuous pumping or mixing allows CO2 to escape and prevents the characteristic rise of the batter.

PREPARATION OF MEAT EMULSION OR BATTER

Meat and fat is freezed to about at – 18±10C then thawing the meat at 4±10C for 12 hrs. the chilled meat is then chopped in grinder to desired consistancy. Mincer machine meat chunks of variable size and shape and with variable fat contents are ground to form uniform cylenders of fat and lean. The worm or screw feed in the barrel of grinder convey the meat and passes it into the barrel of grinder plate. The ratating blade cut the compressed meat and aids in fillilg plate holes. Ice cube are added to produce proper texture and insure a low meat temperature during mincing. The operations are performed at a temperature 100C-150C so that meat emulsion will not break. Spice, curing ingredients like sodium or potassium nitrate, sodium cloride, sometime sugar, ascorbates etc. may be added to the grinder or latter in meat mixture machine. (Anjaneyulu et al., 2003).

PREPARATION OF NUGGETS

Fill the meat batter in aluminum moulds and provide steam cooking the meat blocks for 40 minutes. Chill the meat blocks at 4±10C overnight then cut with food slicer into nuggets then Packaging in LDPE bags and Stored at 4±10C or – 18±10C. (Altunakar, B., Sahin, S. and Sumnu, G. 2004).

PREPARATION OF PATTIES

About 70 g meat batter filled in the Petri plates/ automatic patty forming machine. Raw patties kept on perforated oven trays and load in preheated (180 0C) the hot air oven.Turn upside down after 15 minutes further heating in oven for 10 minutes then record core temperature of patties (should be above 75 0C) remove the patties from oven packaging in LDPE bags and Storage at 4±10C or -18±10C (Biswas, A. K., Keshri, R. C. and Chidanandaiah 2005).

PREPARATION OF MEAT BALLS/KOFTA

About 20-30 g meat batter formed in to round balls. Cooked in the hot water and record core temperature of meat balls (should be above 75 0C). Meat ball will Package in LDPE bags and Storeat 4±10C or -18±10C.

PREPARATION OF CROQUETTES

About 8-10 g meat batter in small lumps put it in preheated oil With deep fat frying till golden brown appearance Drained off excess of fat. Packaging and Storage at 4±10C or -18±10C

PREPARATION OF CURED AND COOKED HAM

Recipe

Sr. No. Ingredients— %—- Quantity

1 Trimmed ham (From hind leg of pork carcass) 1 kg

2 Dry Cure mixture

Salt– 8 —80 g
Sugar —5 —50 g
Sodium nitrate –0.017— 0.17g

Protocol

Trim ham, divide cure mix in to 3 parts and rub cure mix one part on flesh and skin side then rub second part after 24 hours. Keep the ham in the refrigerator (at 5-7 0C, relative humidity 80-90%) and then rub third part after 24 hours. Keep the ham in the refrigerator (at 5-7 0C relative humidity 80-90%). Keep for maturation at the rate of one day for 2 kg weight. Desalinate ham in by soaking the cured ham in warm water (35-40 0C) for 2 hours to remove excess of salt and drain. Cook in the preheated oven or Smoke at 650C for 24 hours. Wash and draining then ageing is done for 24-48 hrs (at 5-7 0C, relative humidity 80-90%).

Kababs

Variety of kababs, popular convenience and nutritious comminuted meat products made either from mince or chunks of meat and other ingredients vary in appearance and flavour. Kababs are a dish of oriental origin, prepared in several countries by charbroiling. The flavour of charbroiled kababs is unique due to combustion of fat that drips on the red hot charcoal. Oven roasting is generally used for commercial scale cooking of many meat and poultry products. Charbroiling is done at 230 ± 20C for 3 min (internal temperature 75 ± 20C) while oven roasting is carried out at 180 ± 20C for 12 min (internal temperature 75 ± 20C). Meat cooked quickly to a given internal temperature has a lower cooking loss, and is juicier than those cooked slowly to the same temperature. Charbroiled kababs are characterized by better appearance (browning), flavour (smoked), juiciness and texture and more yield than oven roasted ones (Mir Salahuddin et al., 1991). However, due to its convenience, the oven roasting may be more suitable for commercial production of kababs. Emulsion technology has been developed for processing of high yielding and palatable mutton and chicken kababs from meat and byproducts of spent hens utilizing polyphosphate, soy, potato and maida as binders (Mir Salahuddin et al., 1991). Chicken kababs have greater consumer acceptance than mutton kababs. However, incorporation of spent hen meat and byproducts in mutton kababs formulations improved the products yield and consumer preference (Mir Salahuddin et al., 1991). Further shelf life evaluation showed that precooked charbroiled kababs from chicken, mutton and their combination has good acceptability for a period of 10 days during refrigerated storage at 5 ± 10C. Garlic kababs are made from chicken breast or leg chunks. Breast chunks are marinated, inserted with an ingot skewer (iron rod), placed in a preheated oven and baked. Optimum process for garlic kababs is reported to bake the products for 15 min at 2500C after marinating for 60 min (Rao, 1996).Traditional ginger kababs and shami kababs simulating chicken meat products of high sensory quality are prepared from rabbit meat. Freshly prepared boty kababs of rabbit meat (boneless pieces grilled) are rated significantly higher (P<0.05) for juiciness, tenderness and overall acceptability than mutton boty kababs (Sushil Kumar et al., 1997a). Further, these products are reported to be acceptable and safe up to 5 days of> refrigerated storage. Colour and tenderness of buffalo meat kababs are improved by microwave cooking than broiling in hot air oven (Hoda et al., 2002). Dehydrated chicken kabab mix packed in metalised polyester pouches has microbiologically safety for 6 months at ambient temperature of 27 ± 20C and chicken kababs prepared from dehydrated mix are acceptable after 6 months of storage (Modi et al., 2007). Different types of kababs have been made at functions, restaurants and star hotels and served them warm to the consumers. Small scale meat processors like M/s Darshan Foods, Gurgaon, manufacture kababs and supply to departmental stores and hotels in Delhi. Kababs are relished by most of the meat consumers as snack food.

Tandoori chicken

It is a value added popular product made from marinated tender broiler chicken and relished by majority of consumers. Small superficial incisions are made on the deskinned primal cuts or carcasses to facilitate the penetration of marinade (for 2 h) and smeared salt and lemon juice for 15 min and baked in a gas tandoor. Finished product is cut into primal cuts and served warm. Processing of tandoori chicken using response surface methodology has indicated that optimum period of marination is 120 min and processing time is 20 min at 2800C (Rao, 1996). Cooking temperature and time positively influence the sensory attributes such as colour, juiciness, texture and taste of the product. Though quality of he tandoori chicken is stated to be optimum immediately after processing it can be stored for 8 h at 300C, 24 h at 30C and for 15 days at – 150C in microbiologically safe conditions (Rao, 1996). The main processing factors such as time, temperature and marination lowered the total microbial load. Apart from enhancing some of the sensory attributes of the products, the marinating mixture acts as a bacteriostatic agent as well as a barrier for other harmful microbes contaminating the product. Further, increase in temperature and time of cooking has considerably reduced the microbial counts and eliminated the pathogens resulting in a safe product (Rao, 1996). The demand for tandoori chicken is ever increasing among younger generation.

Korma

Medium size washed mutton or chicken meat pieces are drained off excess water and marinated with salt, spices, condiments and curd for about 4 h. Sufficient quantity of ghee, chopped onion, bay leaves and garam masala are fried. The marinated meat pieces are blended with spice preparation and cooked under heat till the visible moisture from the meat is evaporated. Then it is added with curd and little sugar and placed under low flame till meat is completely cooked (Kesava Rao et al., 1999). Mutton and chicken korma are popular products and have potential for commercial production in retort pouches for wider distribution and marketing.

Goshtaba and rista

These are two popular pounded ground meat products of Kashmir valley, ‘Wazawan’ and also processed in other major cities. Wazawan represents the entire range of highly delicious Kashmiri meat products viz. goshtaba, rista, nateyakhni, tabak manss, aba gosh, roganjosh etc are made mainly using mutton or lamb. These products are processed traditionally from hot boned (pre-rigor) tender mutton. Goshtaba and rista consist of specially pounded meat balls shaped manually from the meat batter and cooked in their respective gravies. It is made by continuous pounding of hot boned mutton along with mutton fat using indigenous equipments. Goshtaba meat balls are cooked in gravy called yakhni made from curd, water, spices and condiments. They differ mainly in flavour profile due to basic differences in formulations of gravy. Goshtaba and rista are considered to be essential components for Kashmiri feasts due to their highly appealing flavour, texture and palatability characteristics. Because of their popularity, there is a vast potential to introduce them at the national level and to promote their export. Quality of traditionally processed goshtaba and rista are reported to be superior to that of machine minced products. Addition of 0.5% sodium tripolyphosphate along with 2.5% salt improves the palatability, when these products are made from minced meat of cold- boned mutton. The cooked goshtaba and rista along with respective gravies packed in LDPE pouches have a reported shelf life of 7 and 4 days, respectively on refrigerated storage.

Roasting

– Classic Roast Chicken:

Season the chicken with herbs, salt, and pepper.
Roast in the oven until golden brown and juices run clear.
Baste periodically for added moisture and flavor.

– Perfect Pork Roast:

Score the pork skin and rub with a mix of salt, garlic, and herbs.
Slow roast to achieve a crispy crackling and tender meat.

Grilling

– BBQ Ribs:

Marinate ribs in a flavorful barbecue sauce.
Grill low and slow until the meat is tender and has a smoky flavor.

– Tandoori Lamb Skewers:

Marinate lamb chunks in yogurt, spices, and herbs.
Skewer and grill for a delicious Tandoori twist.

Smoking

– Smoked Brisket:

Apply a dry rub to the brisket.
Slow smoke until the meat is tender and infused with smoky flavor.

– Applewood-Smoked Bacon:

Cure pork belly with a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices.
Cold smoke for a distinctive, savory bacon flavor.

Sausage Making

– Italian Sausages:

Combine ground pork with garlic, fennel, and red pepper flakes.
Stuff into casings and link into sausages.

– Chorizo:

Blend ground pork with paprika, garlic, and vinegar.
Fill casings and air-dry for Spanish-style chorizo.

Charcuterie

– Duck Prosciutto:

Cure duck breasts with salt and spices.
Air-dry until the meat becomes a rich, flavorful prosciutto.

– Chicken Liver Pâté:

Sauté chicken livers with shallots and herbs.
Blend into a smooth pâté and chill before serving.

Ground Meat Creations

– Homemade Burgers:

Mix ground beef with spices and shape into patties.
Grill or pan-fry to your desired doneness.

– Spaghetti Bolognese:

Sauté ground beef with onions, garlic, and tomatoes.
Simmer for a rich, savory Bolognese sauce.

Slow Cooking

– Beef Stew:

Combine beef chunks with vegetables and broth.
Slow cook until the meat is tender and flavors meld.

– Pulled Pork:

Rub pork shoulder with spices and slow cook until easily shredded.
Serve on buns with barbecue sauce.

Conclusion

The preparation of various meat products is an exciting journey that allows home cooks and chefs alike to explore different flavors, textures, and techniques. From the simplicity of a perfectly roasted chicken to the intricacies of crafting artisan sausages or charcuterie, the world of meat preparation is as vast as it is delicious. Experiment with different cuts, spices, and cooking methods to discover your own culinary masterpieces and delight the palates of those fortunate enough to savor your creations.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF PROCESSING OF MEAT PRODUCTS