WHC of meat

By: Suharyanto

Water Holding Capacity (WHC) is often defined as the ability of meat in a bind or retain amount of free water, both water that originally existing in the flesh and the water added during the cutting, grinding, mincing, blending and other comminuting processes. The higher WHC, it is the better meat properties. Other meat properties associated with WHC are the color, texture, tenderness, and juiciness of meat.

WHC properties also determine the economic level of the meat processing business. During processing, the loss of water due to evaporation will occur. When the WHC is high, the shrinkage due to water loss is minimized. Meat with lower WHC value potent to lost a lot of water, consequently reducing the volume and weight of product will occur. In term of nutritional content, the lower WHC shows the damage to meat protein.

Naturally, water in meat is divided into three layers (compartment). The first layer is the meat that is really bound to the active groups of amino acids of meat protein. The second layer is immobilized water. Water in this layer is weakly bound by the active groups of amino acids. Third layer is free water. The free water is more weakly bound by the amino acids of meat protein. Meat with a good protein has active group of amino acids binding water. It retains free water bound.[]

Read more »

Posted in: Animal Product Technology

Meat and Muscle

By: SUharyanto

Meat is obtained after the muscle change through the process of slaughter, or animal off. During and immediately after animal is slaughtered, muscle changes that affect meat properties and quality.

Meat is defined as all body tissues of animals and processed products of meat suitable for consumption. Meat should not cause health problems to who consume it. The definition includes all meat over the organs like liver, kidney, brain, lungs, heart, spleen, pancreas and muscle tissue.

Meat is composed of various body tissues such as adipose tissue, connective tissue, nerve tissue, epithelial tissue and muscle tissue. Muscle tissue is the largest component of the meat so the discussion is much about studying the nature of this muscle tissue, especially sceletal muscle.

However, that is often used as a discussion of the meat is just muscle (sceletal muscle tissue) is converted into meat after animals are slaughtered. When referring to the SNI SNI 01-3947-1995 and 01-3948-1995 then beef/buffalo and goat/sheep was described as a tendon attached to the frame, unless the tendon on the lips, nose and ears are derived from cow / buffalo A healthy when cut. As for horse meat has not been included in the Indonesian National Standard (SNI).

If referring to the ISO, then the meat is the one with the carcass. Carcasses are cattle that have been slaughtered and disposed of her blood, shelled (except pork)/feather removal in birds, removed his head from the base of the head, dumped digestive track, removed internal organs except the kidneys, removed the front and rear legs of the knee (except pork, whole). Poultry is an insert on the neck rather than into the category of the carcass.[]

Read more »

Posted in: Animal Product Technology

Aging and Rigor Mortis

By: Suharyanto

CARCASSES of large animals, such as cattle, buffalo, horses, etc. are usually aged/conditioned. Aging is the handling of carcasses by hanging or storing in a hygienic place. Aging can be either at room temperatures or at 15oC. During aging, there will be increasing tenderness and flavor of meat and finishing the physiological process of postmortem muscle.

The physiological process that must happen is rigor mortis, which is a muscle stiffness that occurs after the slaughter. The process of the stiffness is an irreversible muscle contraction. When the meat obtained from carcasses that still rigor mortis, the meat will feel more tough/hard. Therefore, this process must go through rigor mortis.

Aging by hanging carcasses will reduce the shortening of muscle due to rigor mortis. Physically, hanging carcasses cause gravity to hold the process of muscle contraction. In addition, aging provides an opportunity for proteolytic enzymes to degrade protein fibers making the meat tenderer.

Rigor mortis process must be considered because mishandling can affect the quality of meat. Pre rigor or rigor carcasses stored at the frozen, then thawed, there will be a great shrinkage up to 50% because of rigor mortis return (thaw rigor). Thaw rigor causes carcass or meat size is much smaller than its original size. Therefore, freezing of carcasses or meat are usually applied on post-rigor state. Considering the nature of rigor mortis, aging is better applied at temperatures between 15-16oC. At this temperature, rigor mortis can still take place so when the carcass or meat is thawed, it will not shorten. Aging on the low temperature will cause shrinkage (cold shortening). Temperatures below 15oC will delay meat rigor process, and when thawed, rigor mortis will be back continued followed by shrinkage of carcass/meat.[]

Read more »

Posted in: Animal Product Technology

Eliminate Outdoor Cooking Mistakes

As humans, we all make mistakes. It is human nature to do so, and cannot be prevented each and every time. When it comes to barbequing, this rule is no different. We often make mistakes that we do not even realize until we taste our food, or something potentially dangerous happens.

Some mistakes just mean that the food you cook is not going to taste very good, while others could potentially mean a trip to the hospital, or a visit from your claims representative on your home insurance policy. No matter the severity of the mistake, you should do your best to try to avoid them whenever possible.

Cooking Mistakes

You must properly prepare the meat you are cooking, before cooking it. You should never attempt to cook meat on a grill when it is still frozen, or even partially frozen. Thaw your meat by sitting it out about 12 to 24 hours before you plan on cooking it, or by thawing it in a microwave.

Once meat is cooked, never put it back in on the same plate you had it on when it was raw. This could cause the spread of many unwanted illnesses.

Cooking with charcoal lighter fluid can be good or bad. The lighter fluid will cause the food you are cooking to taste different then with other types of grills. Alternatively, attempting to not use lighter fluid may cause a lot of frustration due to the fact that charcoal can be difficult if not impossible to light without lighter fluid.

Never poke you meat while it is cooking. Poking holes in meat will cause the juice inside to leak out into the bottom of the grill. Not only will this make your food dry and unappealing in the end, but it also could potentially ruin your barbeque grill. At the very least, it will cause a buildup of unwanted grease and juices on your grill, which will make cleanup harder.

Once the meat is on the grill, try not to open the lid to many times. Each time you open the lid, you change the temperature in the grill. The constant change in temperature and the air flow will cause your meat to dry up quickly.

Remember that the higher the heat is not always the better. While it is ok to quickly cook food, turning the heat up will just cause the meat to dry up and potentially burn.

While using tin foil or aluminum foil will make cleaning easier, it will cause your food to have more of a fried taste then a grilled taste.

Dangerous Mistakes

Never, under any circumstance, should you leave a grill alone when it is in use. Grilling does have fire involved, and accidents can happen. Fire spreads quickly, so being aware of your grill could mean the difference between a small fire that is quickly extinguished, and a visit from the fire department.

Never place a hot grill against a wall, even if the fire is already completely out. A hot grill can heat up an exterior wall to the point of combustion. Also, do not put the grill cover back on until you are sure that the grill is completely cool.

You grill should be cleaned after each and every use, no exceptions. While no one likes cleaning the grill, it is essential for the life and safety of your grill. If you allow your grill to sit dirty, not only are you causing a potential fire and health hazard, but you are ultimately making it harder on yourself when it does come time to clean your grill.

Make sure that your grill is completely cold before cleaning it. Spraying oil and cleaning agents on a hot surface could cause it to ignite. Be careful, because the grill may seem cool, but may still be hot in certain areas. You do not want to sustain a burn.[]

Read more »

Posted in: Animal Product Technology

Barbequing: An American Tradition

No matter if it is the 4th of July, or just another day in the summer, chances are someone in your area is barbequing. Barbequing has become a standard American tradition for families. The reason as clear as to why, not only does the food that comes from barbequing have a taste that is unmatched by other cooking methods, but barbequing presents a reason for families to gather together. Some on my most memorial experiences happened outdoors at one of my families many get-togethers.

Planning A Barbeque

First, no barbeque would be complete without guests and proper outdoors weather. Plan ahead of time, checking with your potential guests for scheduling conflicts and issues. Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone should not be to hard as long as you everyone enough advanced notice. Alternatively, be sure to check the weather for that type of year. If you live in a climate that cannot be predicted, then you may want to have a backup plan just incase unusual weather comes. You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests. A barbeque in cold weather may hold more negative memories of trying to keep warm rather then good memories of family and friends.

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire. Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque. 12 to 24 hours before you plan on beginning the party, make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditional sizes. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes and potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish, and onions. These foods are typically severed at barbeques because they are easy to prepare and store until the event happens. You may want to cook other items, but any barbeque is complete with just the items listed above.

A themed barbeque may present more opportunities to hold a festive event. With a themed event, you can splurge on the atmosphere and decorations. Matching tablecloths, napkins, and plates can be found at any local store. You can also match your décor to the party. For example, a luau could simply be creative colored utensils, leis, and Tiki torches, all of which are extremely cheap. You can even reuse the Tiki torches later!

Your party area should be set up before guest arrive. It only takes a few minutes to get everything ready, but the reaction you get from your arriving guests may make you feel like you were preparing and decorating all day. Depending on the situation, you may or may not want to have the food already cooking on the grill. The smell will surely be inviting if you start cooking ahead![]

Read more »

Posted in: Animal Product Technology