Meat, Poultry and Eggs
Tips & Advice to help you make your decision on Meat, Poultry and Eggs
Meat, poultry and eggs are basic items that have been written down on daily grocery lists for generations. This trio provides your body with protein, as well as other essential nutrients that are required to stay healthy. Business.com has provided this page to offer you all of the tasty details.
Meat is found in many different varieties and grades. The classic inclusions in this category are cows and pigs. A cookout wouldn't seem complete without hamburgers or pork chops. The trophies of hunters also fall into this group. Venison hot dogs, sausage and jerky are just a few of the seasonal wild game treats that people enjoy.
Though this is also a vast category, the most common forms of poultry are chickens, turkeys and ducks. All of these are found at your local grocery store or butcher shop. As an alternative, all three have hunting seasons as well. Chicken eggs remain the traditional cooking and baking component in most homes, versus other types of eggs.
Considerations for buying meat, poultry and eggs include concerns in the treatment of animals and the manufacturing of the products. Issues such as free-range rights and organic benefits have some raising their own animals for consumption. Check out the links on this Business.com page if you want to find out more about the classic trio of meat, poultry and eggs.
Working With Meat, Poultry and Eggs
Your business' guide to preparing and cooking meat, poultry and eggs safelyBy Kristina Seleshanko Meat, poultry and eggs are cornerstones of nearly all food business offerings, yet each of these foods holds the possibility of not only being badly cooked, but of being potentially harmful to your customers. Therefore, it's wise to take some time to study the best ways of working with meat, poultry and eggs.
Taste is certainly an important consideration when preparing any food for your customers, and this is greatly affected by the sort of food product you choose and how you cook it. In addition, food safety should be paramount in your commercial kitchen, especially when preparing meat, poultry and eggs. Before serving another dish to your customers, consider:
1. How to choose the best cuts from a meat company, then serve it tastefully and safely;
2. How to pick the best in the poultry business, and prepare it healthfully;
3. And how to choose and safely cook eggs from the poultry business.
Select and prepare the best in the meat industry
There are three main goals you have when cooking meat: making it tasteful, cooking it thoroughly (so that all bacteria that might be picked up during meat processing is killed) and making the meat tender. The first is accomplished by choosing the right piece of meat. The second is achieved by cooking all meat to correct doneness. And the third is accomplished by cooking the meat at the proper temperature.
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To learn how to choose the best cut from meat distributors, see "The Meat Counter" at Texas Steakhouse and Saloon. For a chart of cooking temperatures to ensure a healthy finished dish, plus information on how cooking temperature affects finished tenderness, read "Cooking and Preparation" at Purdue University.
Choose and cook the best poultry from meat and poultry distributors
To create the perfect poultry dish, first begin with fresh, healthy food from meat and poultry companies; many people prefer the taste of free range poultry. Like meat, poultry must also be carefully cooked to kill all bacteria. Using a meat thermometer makes this easier and more accurate. Finally, choose a cooking method and follow it carefully.
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For great tips on how to handle and cook poultry safely, including a thorough cooking chart, see "Safe Handling of Poultry" at Clemson Extension. "How to Cook Poultry" at Hubpages is a great guide to various cooking methods, including braising, roasting and pan frying.
Learn that when working with meat, poultry and eggs, preparation is key
Like meat and poultry, eggs can contain harmful bacteria, so it's important to cook them thoroughly until they are no longer runny. If you are cooking a dish with uncooked or partially cooked eggs (like traditional Cesar salad dressing) use only pasteurized eggs.
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For a good run down of egg safety and cooking, read "Eggs" at the Food Standards Agency. "Cooking Eggs Safely" at eMaxHealth also has many useful tips.
- When purchasing food from the meat and poultry industry, pay careful attention to "sell by" dates. Always cook or freeze meat or poultry within two days of this date.
