Green Meat

Appears in

Published 2014

About

Soon after slaughter, an animal’s muscles stiffen due to chemical changes in the flesh. This stiffness, called rigor mortis, gradually disappears. Softening takes 3–4 days for beef, less time for smaller carcasses like veal, lamb, and pork. This softening is caused by enzymes in the flesh.

Table 15.1 USDA Meat Grades

Characteristics	Beef	Veal	Lamb	Pork
Highest quality, highest price, limited supply.	Prime	Prime	Prime	Pork used in food service is consistent in quality and is not quality-graded. It is inspected for whole someness and graded for yield.
High in quality, generally tender and juicy. Abundant supply. Widely used in food service as well as in retail.	Choice	Choice	Choice
Lean meat, not as fine or tender. Economical. Can be tender and flavorful if cooked carefully. Used in many institutional food-service operations.	Select	Good	Good
Least frequently used in food service. Highest of these grades are sometimes used in institutional food service. Lowest of these grades are used by canners and processors.	Standard Commercial Utility Cutter Canner	Standard Utility Cull	Utility Cull