Category Archives: meat 101

Creating Local to Local Culinary Business Opportunities: The Meat Industry + Chefs Collaboration = strengthening local food systems and economy

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It is a sincere pleasure to see predictions come to pass. Back in 2007 just before the butchery trend-craze-fad hit I had myself already transcended this path. I predicted “a future trend that would have more chefs becoming familiar with and creating stronger relationships within the meat industry” in Meating Place News Magazine (2007). It happened! Now, a lost culinary practice has risen back to its rightful place and the results are here to stay! Chefs, cooks and enthusiasts alike are seeking to revive what was once everyday practice… people wanting to educate themselves about traditional food and food systems, more specifically butchery and meat-centric preparations.

Recently Denver’s own chef Justin Brunson (an Iowa transplant), owner of Masterpiece Deli and the (opening soon) Old Major project delved into their passion for pork feet first. Old Major will practice an extensive in-house meat program. Brunson armed himself with an SOP and HACCP plan that would rival most USDA inspected small plants practices including fresh meat, dry fermented sausage, not heat treated NRTE and a heat-treated not shelf stable program to allow him to safely and effectively craft meats in-house. Most health departments cringe at the mention of “house cured” “house made” salumi/charcuterie, or in-house meat programs. Brunson (Old Major) recognized this and respectfully wanted to do it right and proper as it relates to practice as well with the local health department officials.

DBC1

The first final prototype making its introduction at the Denver Bacon & Beer Festival

Also recently, Brunson developed the Denver Bacon Company. Just as I did with Il Mondo Vecchio initially in 2006, Brunson started by outsourcing the services of a local USDA plant and familiarizing with production protocols. Small and medium sized plants can provide services such as private label contract business. We used to do similar contract business for the likes of Frasca, Canyon Ranch Spa Resorts, Vesta Dipping Grill, Cure Organic Farms, Oskar Blues and Black Belly Catering to name a few. Doing so allows Brunson to make his delicious artisan crafted Denver Bacon Company Bacon products under USDA inspection and bring it to market for wholesale, retail, food-service and grocers. For the small – medium plant it is an opportunity to generate more revenue streams and diversify their business model for profitability.

MEANS + IDEAS = STRONGER LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

From a purely economic standpoint this is truly a win-win situation for locally produced products, sustainable food systems and the possibility of becoming a local food staple supported by the general public: 

  • For the USDA plant this allows opportunity to tap into revenue stream of simply manufacturing, packaging and possible storage and/or distribution or sales.
  • For the Chef, this allows the creative expertise of artisan-chef crafted products to go into commerce without the cost of starting up an entire USDA plant with employees and all the other costs associated with an entire plant.
  • For the Community, it provides opportunity for more local to local business interactions strengthening local commerce and local economy. Be it from farm to table, from field to fork or whatever other “buzzword” is appropriate. Outside the fancy talk, it is simply smart business all around. 

This December, we were able to promote DBC at the Denver Bacon and Beer Festival sponsored by Forkly.com (Jenna’s favorite iphone food app), Eat Boston and Denver Off-the Wagon.

RECIPE:

Here is a recent recipe I created one evening at home utilizing Brunson’s DBC-Bacon. This dish also incorporates use of leftovers sitting in the fridge: roasted chicken thighs I’ll be candid… I love my refrigerator “Quick Fire Challenges” it’s like I am on a Bravo TV or Food Network show. So here is my Denver Bacon Company Quick Fire Home Refrigerator Challenge outcome:

Smoked Pimenton Broth Poached Vegetables with Chicharron of Chicken Thigh and DBC Bacon Lardons with manchego-truffled croutons.

THE BROTH & VEG

IMAG2843

Serves 2-4

  • 1 TBS Olive Oil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic Sliced
  • 1 Small Yellow or Sweet Onion (diced ¼ inch)
  • 3 Tablespoons Smoked Spanish Paprika (Pimenton)
  • ¼ Cup Yukon or Red Potatoes (diced ¼ inch)
  • 16 Ounces Poultry Stock
  • ¼ Cup Orange Cauliflower Florets (sliced thin)
  • ¼ Cup Baby Carrots (sliced 1/8th inch thick)

Method:

In a small sauce or soup pan over med-high heat add olive oil. Add garlic and onions, cook until translucent. Add paprika and incorporate well. Add potatoes.

Add stock, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Allow it to simmer until 25% of the liquid evaporates. Add the potatoes and simmer until cooked through: “al dente”. Turn off the heat and place in the remaining vegetables.

1 tsp Fresh Parsley Chopped for Garnish at time of service.

CHICHARRON:

IMAG2842

  • 2 each Chicken Thighs, skin on, pre-cooked (roasted) a great way to use leftovers (shred off the bone into small pieces)
  • 3 each slices Denver Bacon Company sliced into thin strips (julienne lardons)
  • 2 TBS Olive Oil (not E.V.)

Over low heat in a heavy bottomed skillet place the chicken and bacon strips. Allow to fry slowly and cook crisp. Allow them to get golden brown and crispy. This may take up to 15 or 30 minutes…do not rush it, slowly crisp over low heat.

To serve, pull out of fat and place on dry paper towels to absorb excess oils. Keep warm and place over the broth and vegetables.

CROUTONS (these can be made in advance):

  • 1 cup Bread preferably sour dough or rustic cibatta bread (diced ½ inch)
  • 2 TBS Manchego Cheese (fine shred)
  • 2 TBS Olive Oil
  • 1 TBS White truffle essence olive oil

Toss all ingredients in a bowl to coat lightly. Adjust seasoning with hint of salt and fresh ground black pepper. Spread out the croutons on a sheet pan and toast in oven at 350* until light golden brown and crispy.

IMAG2850

Simplicity in execution and complex with tastes, textures, flavors and diverse cooking methods lend a velvety vegetable and broth with smoky notes of pimento, crisp fried bacon and chicken thigh meat/skin finalized with the classic flavor bombed crunch of a simple crouton.

Kudos to Chef Brunson, please join me in congratulating his current and future endeavors as well his respectable leap into the world of meat industry from production to plate and everything in between!

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beer can chicken???!!!???!!!

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I have been hearing about beer can chicken for years… I knew it was fun, I knew it was cheeky, I just never knew it was SO DELICIOUS!!! I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to make it!!! It is the perfect easy summer grilling dish. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it!

This chicken is so juicy, so flavorful, and the skin is crispy (always a necessity for me!).

I figure this dish needs no further introduction, so if you haven’t yet… just make it already!!!

Ingredients:

  • 1 can of beer (use the good kind, drink half)
  • 1 shallot, cut in chunks
  • 5 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 lemon, cut in half
  • 1 whole chicken
  • blackening spice
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

  • Heat your grill. Keep the coals on one side, you will cook the bird over indirect heat to keep it from burning, and let it go slow and low.
  • Rinse the bird with cold water and don’t forget to remove the package with the liver and heart. Feed it to the dog.
  • Tuck the wings behind its head so it looks classy.
  • Take the top off the beer can with a can opener. Make sure you have drank half of the beer.
  • Drop the shallot, garlic, and a spoonful of blackening seasoning into the beer. Squeeze half the lemon into the beer. Drop it in as well if there is room. If not, toss it.
  • Stick the other lemon half into the neck of the bird to help keep the steam from the beer in the cavity while cooking.
  • Season the chicken with a light sprinkle of kosher salt and black pepper and the blackening seasoning. Take it easy, because a lot of pre-made seasonings already have salt in them.
  • Stick the can up inside the chicken and position it so it stands up.
  • Place the bird over the cooler part of the grill, over indirect heat. Don’t make the tragic mistake of letting it get too hot so you burn the skin.
  • Place the lid on top of the grill. If the lid won’t go on, try taking the grate off and putting the bird in a pie tin or cast iron skillet and just placing it near the coals.
  • Let it alone for about 1 hour or so, checking every once in a while to be sure it doesn’t burn or get too cool.
  • Test the meat with a thermometor (every kitchen should have one) and pull it out at 165*.

It should go without saying that you shouldn’t use a glass or plastic container for the beer, but I sometimes get crazy questions and don’t want to hear that one:)

Enjoy!!!

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Surprise rooster = Coq au vin blanc

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In celebration on Coq au vin day, (one of our favorite dishes), we offer a story of our little urban “farm/ranch” in the heart of Denver.

We belong to an amazing chicken co-op that provided us the opportunity to be involved from the ground up. We had 9 little chicks in our home from day two of their lives for a little over two months. We fed them their first food. We fell in love with them, loved them, named them, and we certainly had the most spoiled chicks in the city.

The chicks all live on a farm now as part of the co-op. 40 happy hens growing strong, someday to give us eggs. One rooster ended up in the group, and he was pretty aggressive with the hens. The day finally came to a head where the lives of the hens were in danger (his fault) and he was separated. Unfortunately due to the (very) early morning cock-a-doodle-doo of the rooster, he had no place on the farm in the middle of the city, or in the back yard of our members.

SPOILER: if you have are sensitive about killing, plucking, or eating an animal, please skip on to another post. If not, read on.

I grew up in Boulder, CO. I never had the opportunity to raise chickens in our backyard, and certainly never had the chance to butcher one. I know where this rooster has been every day of his life, and exactly what he has eaten: Organic, no gmo, no soy feed and fresh Colorado water (and maybe a little poop, because chickens poop in their water a lot.) I was very excited about this.

I did a little research on youtube, asked some friends and sharpened up the knife. We grabbed a plastic container to hold the rooster, grabbed our gloves and got to business.

I talk a big game. I am down for every experience, but this time I got a little nervous. I have never had anything die by my hands before. I shuffle spiders out the door in lieu of smashing them. (I do, however, kill mosquitos). Mark gave me a little pep talk and we made it happen.

There are tons of videos on the web about how to do this, so if you are ever lucky enough to do it yourself, youtube it. I’ll just say, have your mise en place ready so you can move once it is started. I cannot believe that my Grandma Hunter used to do this all the time when she was growing up in Fargo.

It happened. He bled.

The video said to place the bird in boiling water to make it easier to pluck, but we just got plucking. This way, I could see which feathers were pretty for my father, who will use them in tying his flies. Its pretty easy to pluck. And a great excuse to use the word “pluck”. Like mother “plucker”. Mark cleaned out the insides, which was just one step too intimate for me.

Here he is drying out after plucking and before I burned off the feathers on out little gas burner. I broke down the animal.

The recipe for dinner was decided by Mark, he wanted coq au vin, which we love. Traditionally, this recipe great for an old hen. The red wine and the braising make the meat tender and tasty. Our bird is young, but it still sounded good to me. We used white wine instead (it is hot in Denver right now), and it turned out fantastic.

Talk about using the animal, here is where the bird ended up:

Feathers: to my Dad Jim for tying flies for fishing

Feet, bones: into the braising liquid for flavor and enriching the broth

Meat: enjoyed every bit of it.

Nothing was wasted. Thank you Mr. Rooster.

Coq au Vin blanc:

  • 1 rooster, cleaned and broken down
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 each, carrot, peeled and rough chopped
  • 1 each bay leaf
  • 1 small bunch thyme (pull from the herb pot outside)
  • 1 spring rosemary (herb pot)
  • 2 cups or so chicken stock
  • white wine (enough to cover the bird after the stock)
  • to taste kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

  • season the bird skin and sear on each side in a splash of oil until golden brown. Set aside.
  • place onion and garlic in pot. Saute until translucent.
  • Add bird, stock and wine. Heat through. Add herbs.
  • Heat for 1 1/2 hours or until rediculously tender and crazy flavorful.
  • Season to taste.

Serve with warm bread for dipping. The bread with the sauce alone was enough to make a meal!

 

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Culinary Tools: Selecting a Simple Set of Knives

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Covering more than just the tip of getting the right kitchen knives to adequately prepare foods in any setting. “Go purchase quality knives!” is what is often said… Let me just cut to the chase, that statement alone can be subject to a variety of personal interpretations. Here I’ll provide slices of basic information founded in my own beliefs and opinions.

How many knives? Three (3)

Which specific knives?

  • French/Cooks/Chefs or santoku knife 6 or 8 inch. These knives are the workhorses! I have found the 8 inch to be best suited to my personal needs in both professional and home settings. Jenna uses an 8 inch as well.
  • Pairing/Utility Knife: a good solid handled 4 inch blade paring knife for fine detail work, tourne, peeling, and shaping. Back in the day, before fancy machinery, we used this to make potato or turnip roses for parties of 200 – 800 servings (3 roses per person) almost daily.
  • Boning Knife: A six inch semi-flexible curved boning knife. Great all purpose boning knife that is short, direct, and maneuverable.

TANG: Not the breakfast drink of NASA: A knife handle is just as important as the knife itself. Go for full tang! What that (tang) means is that the knife blade portion that extends into the handle. The tang of a quality knife should be fully integrated into the handle and riveted or completely part of the handle.

Comfort is most important:

  • How does the knife feel in your hand? This is a very integral part of a knife. It is, in essence, the extension of you.
  • Materials of the handle: stabilized wood (epoxy/laminate/resinwood), molded or composition plastic, fibrox enhanced rubberized grip, smooth polished wood.
  • Should feel good in your hand, should not pose safety issues, and should be resistant to abrasions.
  • The shape of the handle, how it fits and feels in your hand. A knife should feel natural in your hand, it should not put any undue stress on hands or wrists when cutting for lengths of time.
  • The “balance” of a knife refers to where the weight is in a knife. Is it blade heavy or handle heavy? It should be evenly balanced especially with knives that are specifically used for multiple actions such as slicing/dicing. Again you will be able to “feel” this in your hand as you hold a knife.

Knife materials:

  • Stainless- not a good option, these tend to be very hard to sharpen and used by most that don’t care to tend to knives.
  • High Carbon Stainless Steel-most commonly used for knives holds a good edge but will need sharpening/honing frequently, resistant to tarnish/rust.
  • High Carbon Steel-Old school standby used by chefs that know how to take care of them. These hold a great edge but will tarnish/rust if proper care is not taken.
  • Damascus is for show and shine:  an expensive knife that is fashioned from a variety of steels layered together. A finishing touch is an acid etch that exposes lines in the surface of the steel giving it a artistic appearance. It is a tough blade with good edge quality.
  • Porcelain/Ceramic – Need I even say…the fact that it will shatter (in the kitchen!) if dropped counts this one as not usable in my book.

Remember… a more expensive knife does not mean that the user’s cutting ability will be any better. A knife must be cared for, used properly and feel comfortable while in use. In my next post, I’ll speak to the points of sharpening, as well honing your fine piece of cutlery.

My favorite knives over the years, what feels good in my hand, are as follows:

 

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Aged beef basics: wet & dry

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The two types of meat aging methods associated with beef are wet and dry. Both methods yield the same end goal which is to make meat more tender, however, the end result is significantly different. In this post I shed light as to the differences and why one is more expensive than the other, how flavor differs, and why one is marketed more than the other.

All scientific jargon aside, both wet and dry aging, in layman’s terms is…controlled rotting. Rotting you say?!?! Yes!!! A very naturally occurring process… in a positive way.

Most beef sold has typically been wet aged and is really not marketed as much as dry. Wet age is just not as exciting and there is not all that much to it. There is simply nothing sexy about vacuum sealed meat resting in refrigerated temperatures. Bring on the beefcake with dry aging and you now have yourself a sexy hunk of meat!

To simplify some of the basics…

Wet age:

  • A piece of meat (most common are whole boneless roasts or individual steak cuts) is vacuum sealed in a bag and kept free from air.
  • Kept at 35 – 40 degrees for upwards of 14 days.
  • At 14 days tenderizing has reached its peak.
  • There is a natural enzymatic softening (tenderizing) of the muscle fibers that takes place, thus making the fresh meat more tender.
  • There is minimal, if any, noticeable flavor difference/change.
  • There isn’t much, if any loss from moisture or trimming.
  • Not much marketing goes into this, as this is how the majority of consumer and wholesale beef is packaged, stored and handled.
  • Wet aging is much less expensive to produce (less loss, less time, easier to control).

Dry Aging:

Colorado's Best Beef All Natural Charolais 14 - 21 Day Dry Aged Carcasses

  • Dry aging is applied to larger cuts such as full carcasses or sides of beef, full primal cuts or large whole bone in or boneless roasts. Often times rib roasts (rib-eye steaks), short loins (where t-bones and porterhouse are cut from) and strip loins (KC and NY strip steaks).
  • The meat hangs in a temperature controlled room of about 38 degrees F for upwards of 35 days.
  • The RH (relative humidity) is between 50 – 60%
  • The exterior of the meat surfaces is exposed to air and adequate air flow, no two pieces of meat touch. This is important as if two surfaces touch it creates a moisture pocket which would contribute to really bad bacterial growth.
  • What takes place, as in wet aging process, is enzymatic muscular fiber breakdown, thus tenderizing the meat.
  • There is a loss of moisture, and with this loss along with the “controlled rotting” a significant deepening of flavors takes place. Beefy, meaty, rich and deep notes takes hold.
  • Lastly before the meat is sold to you the consumer, the exterior that has dried (rotted) gets trimmed off as it is too pungent as well not good nor pleasant to eat. This excess trimming and loss also contributes to the much higher cost of the dry aged.
  • There is upwards of 21% loss from the original weight of the beef cut that is dry aged.
  • A concentration of flavors due to the moisture loss in the dry aging process is what gives it it’s deep, rich and beefy flavor.

Hopefully this simplifies aged beef.

There are many restaurants that practice dry aging in wooden rooms, Himalayan pink salt rock rooms, even so much as airport restaurants and even now some Whole Foods locations.

Gallagher's NY Prime Steakhouse Newark Airport

 

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You say salami, they say salame and we say salumi! Which is what and what is which?!

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As a chef, educator and a salumi maker, many people, especially those “not-in-the-know” ask me this question. I typically (tactfully) respond in my Massachusetts accent ~ butchering the pronunciations ~“It’s like that French chahhhcoooterreeeyyy stuff. Due to that Medici chick back in the day, and all the Italians basically teaching the French all they know about food, but somehow, the French get all the accolades and the popular meat term that eminates the salivating lips of foodies and chefs flexing their meaty muscles… Charcuterie!”

Salumi is to Italy what Charcuterie is to France. Both are considered to be forms of what the American public often calls “further processed meats”. For some, the term further processed meats itself brings visions of olive loaf, the multi-pack of meat from Oscar Meyer, and the fist pumping rants of Ann (renegade lunch lady) Cooper and PETA raging against the machine of the carniverous USDA.

Whatever your personal belief, further processed meats, salumi and charcuterie both are an all inclusive catchall terms referring to all meats; dry cured, smoked/cooked, fresh sausage and even pate, terrine and galantines. So sausage, bologna, pepperoni and proscuitto are all salumi. Furthermore, salumi/charcuterie can be considered anything other than roasts or steaks handled in such a fashion being transformed into a myriad of other well known processed meats.

Salumi- derived from the Latin term salsus (salty) or Italian sale (salt) simply a way of preservation. Originally salumi referred to meats that were dry cured such as salami, salame and prosciutto. Salumi came more from a means of necessity and utilization to sustain and have an abundance of food over long periods of time. Salumi, the real deal old world stuff made of nothing more than pure sea salt, meat and spices (no junk added, no nitrites, nitrates or fermentation cultures) was salted and dried to a point, now known in the new world, NOT to be a PHF (potentially hazardous food) due to its low moisture content.  What that means is that salumi has enough salt and the lack of moisture which creates an environment that little nasty things like salmonella, listeria and botulism cannot survive.

These salumi items can be stored at room temperature without concern of spoilage which back in the day was a pretty good way to live.

Over the past decade salumi/charcuterie has been on the forefront of culinary trends in many forms from USDA small and large production to restaurant chefs and even home enthusiasts.

All Salumi is Salami but not all Salami is Salumi! Say that five times fast!!! Seriously though, here is the breakdown…..

Salami/Salame- Most well known term that American culture is most comfortable or familiar with when referring to dry sausage specifically. Salami/salame dry sausages are produced from big conglomerates down to today’s artisan producers. Coarse or finely ground meat (most often pork), at Il Mondo Vecchio we make a selection of seasonal SaLambi (salumi made from American Lamb).

Salumi- Originally an all encompassing term referring to preserved meats dry sausages and dry cured whole muscles such as coppa/capicola, prosciuttio, pancetta, lomo and guanciale just to name a few.  Technically salumi now by definition in the new world also includes fresh sausages, smoked/cooked specialties such as mortadella and cotechino.

With expert execution and passion of salami, salame and salumi from my own Il Mondo Vecchio-Salumi (Denver), Erik Gutknecht Continental Sausage (Denver), Chef Cosentino’s Boccolone (San Fran), The Batali Family’s Salumi (Seattle) and Olympic Provisions (Portland) to larger companies such as Paul Bertolli’s Fra Mani (San Fran) and Salumeria Biliese (NYC/NJ) and the age old big dogs Volpi (St Louis, MO), Columbus (San Fran) to dare I even mention for fear of reprimand and ridicule from my salumi colleagues and brethren Hormel and Oscar Myer.

At the end of the day no matter how you slice it, from small to large, each fits the category of what salumi is in its purest form…which is nothing more than a fancy way of saying… “further processed meats”.

A great source reference and research on the great American Salumi movement by Kim Long (American Forecaster) and John Lehndorff (freelance writer Boulder Daily Camera, Aurora Sentinel)  can be found @ www.AmericanSalumi.com

Other References, meat porn and friends:

 

 

 

 

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MEET THE MEAT GRADES: MAKING SENSE OF BEEF BASICS

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In this post, I clarify:

  • When to pony up the extra coin on a piece of meat, when and when not to spend
  • Practical application: How, why and when to buy graded or ungraded meats
  • Beef “quality grades” as Prime, Choice and Select

When purchasing meat, beef in particular, which grade should you buy? The higher the grade, the more expensive is it… and quite frankly spending more “moo”-la is not always the best choice!

All retail meat, graded or ungraded has been Federally Inspected and Passed and is “fit for human consumption” (somehow that doesn’t sound so appetizing!).

Beef is voluntarily graded for quality, a program that ensures a certain amount consistency within the product. Almost every cut of beef you will see in the store is graded. Most often chefs/restaurants and the meat industry use this marketing to promote, market, and charge for high end cuts.

The time to choose or buy a meat that is graded is typically when quick dry cooking methods would be applied such as grilling, searing or sauteeing. Grilling most often is associated with steaks or individual cuts. Look for the grade on your package of tenderloins and hangar steaks. Prime will give you a more velvety, tender steak than choice. In this case, spend!

Another application where you may purchase graded beef is when cooking and serving a whole roast such as rib-eye (what most know as prime rib) or strip loin (where NY Strip Steaks, T-Bones and Porterhouses come from).

The end cooked quality of these rely heavily on fat content “marbling”, the intramuscular fat dispersed throughout the muscles. The more marbled the steak or roast the more flavorful, moist, juicy and tender the meat will be. In this case, FAT = FLAVOR.

Ungraded meat (still completely safe to eat) is best served when stewing, braising or slow/long cooking techniques are utilized. Tough working muscles such as shank, shoulder or leg cuts will become tender, flavorful and juicy within the cooking liquid itself as well the long time simmering that will break down muscle tissues thus making braised and stewed items “fork-tender”! This would be stew meat, osso buco cuts or brisket. In this case, save! No need to have more expensive cuts when you’re just going to cook the heck out of it to tenderize anyway!

The USDA Grades:

  • Prime
  • Choice
  • Select

Beef grades weigh heavily on marbling (intra-muscular fat), but size, firmness

and other factors play an integral role in the grading process. If you like math and animal carcasses you just might enjoy the detailed statistical data processing and recording that goes into being a USDA Grader.

http://blogs.usda.gov/2011/10/19/new-technology-means-increased-consistency-and-efficiency-in-grading-for-beef-industry/

Here are some easier examples as to how to identify the marbling.

 

 

 

 

 

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MEAT: Federal Inspection & Grading Basics: Making sense of it all!

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In this post, Mark gives you an idea of what goes down in his USDA plant where he makes his artisan salumi… and kicks off a quick lesson on some of what “happens” before your meat reaches the store. After this story, we will build on what this grading means for your pocketbook and taste-buds.

Inspection & grading are completely different programs that fall under the responsibility of the USDA.

USDA INSPECTION:

American consumers can be confident that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), the public health agency in the USDA, ensures that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Factsheets/Inspection_&_Grading/index.asp

I process under federal inspection at Il Mondo Vecchio Salumi. A new inspector is rotated in every 6 months. Every day I am in production, a federal inspector (I.I.C./Inspector In Charge) stops by to check on things. Everything from our records to how we are handling product is under scrutiny. He checks and monitors cleanliness (so clean we sanitize the walls everyday) down to temperature and humidity and ensures that every hair is covered (I wear a hairnet on my beard!). It is a positive working relationship, and we both ensure that what we are doing is producing products in safe and sanitary manner providing wholesome products that will be eaten by the public.

USDA Federal Inspection is a mandatory inspection ensuring meat/poultry products are fit for human consumption.

All meat/poultry processed for commercial commerce (distributor/wholesale) is processed under Federal Inspection for wholesale/retail.

USDA Mark of Inspection Picture: http://www.extension.org/pages/27291/product-labeling

An easy way to explain this is that meats (fresh or further processed, like hot dogs) are safely prepared, in an approved USDA processing facility, by people that have handled the meat within the proper environment and in a timely fashion following HACCP guidelines. USDA regulations are consistent from border to border and sea to shining sea. From cutting to packaging to storing and shipping if all protocols have been properly followed the meat product is considered USDA Inspected & Passed.  USDA processing facilities, both small and large, operate and have a federal inspector on site randomly throughout everyday of production Monday – Friday, 6am – 2:30pm. These hours are not negotiable, and certainly a far cry from my days as a restaurant chef where I would roll in at 2 am after a dinner shift.

Very few restaurants fall under the rigors of USDA Inspection. Restaurants and food-service establishments alike fall under the responsibility of the local county/state health department. A health inspector will stop by an establishment for an unannounced inspection every six months.

USDA GRADING:

A voluntary program that most often times refers to a standardized level of quality attributes of meat (poultry, lamb, beef, pork, veal); marbling, size, shape, carcass yield, color and musculature just to name a few.

Basic examples and explanations are…Beef: Prime (highest grade), Choice (mid-range), Select (lowest grade). There are lower grades, but these are not available for retail purchase… they go for items like dog food.

  • Lamb: Prime, Choice, Select. Very similar to beef grading relying heavily on marbling in the rib-eye area.
  • Veal: Choice or Higher Grades are associated with color more so than marbling. Veal is very lean meat often times with little to no marbling whatsoever. The lighter whitish/pinkish the color, the higher the quality. The darker or more reddish the color, the lower the quality.
  • Poultry: A, B, C
  • Pork: 1, 2, 3, 4. Not actual grades these more refer to what the carcass will yield of meat.

Grading can also refer to the manner in which the animal or meat was raised, fed, or how it lived, as well may refer to which manner it was slaughtered/processed (such as religious).

The following Grade Claims and terms fall under USDA Grading:

  • Organic
  • All Natural
  • Pastured/Pasture Raised
  • Free Range/Free Roaming/Range Fed
  • Cage Free
  • Not Fed Antibiotics
  • Not Fed Animal By Products
  • Corn Fed
  • Grass Fed
  • Religious Claims: Kosher or Halal

 

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