All about beef

BEEF

The approximately $400 billion US retail grocery industry includes about 40,000 companies that operate about 70,000 chain and independent grocery stores, not including convenience stores.
The large national and regional chains like Kroger hold between 60% and 70% of the market.
U.S. Cattle and Beef Industry, 2002-2005
Retail equivalent value of U.S. beef industry:
2002: $65 billion
2003: $70 billion
2004: $79 billion
2005: $78 billion, estimated

Total U.S. beef consumption:
2002: 27.9 billion pounds
2003: 27.0 billion pounds
2004: 27.6 billion pounds

Value of U.S. cattle and calf production:
2002: $27.1 billion
2003: $32.1 billion
2004: $34.9 billion

U.S. beef production (commercial carcass weight):
2002: 27.09 billion pounds
2003: 26.24 billion pounds
2004: 24.55 billion pounds
2005: 25.6 billion pounds, estimated

U.S. beef exports (commercial carcass weight and value):
2002: 2.45 billion pounds, $2.610 billion
2003: 2.52 billion pounds, $3.144 billion
2004: 461 million pounds, $552 million

U.S. beef exports as percent of production:
2002: 9.0 percent
2003: 9.6 percent
2004: 1.9 percent
2005: 2.5 percent, estimated

Quality meat is a driving force behind every successful supermarket.

Cooking Times | Aging Beef |Beef Cut Names |Beef Grading

All About Ground Beef

Domestic cattle dating to 6,500 B.C. have been found in Turkey and other sites in the Near East approach this age also.
The domestication of cattle started as early as 10,000 years ago.

Regardless of the time frame it is generally accepted that the domestication of cattle followed sheep, goats, pigs and dogs.

Modern domestic cattle evolved from a single early ancestor, the aurochs. In addition to prehistoric painting that help us identify the appearance of the auroch the species actually survived until relatively modern times.
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It is believed the last surviving member of the species was killed by a poacher in 1627 on a hunting reserve near Warsaw, Poland. The species may have survived in small number in other parts of the world until a later date but there is no evidence to support this theory.

Early cattle served a triple-purpose. They provided meat, milk and labor to their owners. Eventually their draft purposes were largely replaced by horses and much later by machinery so they were selected more for single or in some cases dual purposes.

For a complete guide and information about cattles breeds ( Over 250 different breeds)
GO HERE

Move cursor over sections of carcass graphic above, (left click when "arrow" becomes "hand") to see common cuts and alternative names.

If the graphic links don't work, computers..who knows! :-)
Click on these:
BRISKET--CHUCK--LOIN--PLATE--ROUND--RIB--SHANK

General Shopping Tips for Beef.

Select beef last when shopping to ensure that beef stays cold as long as possible until you get home

Choose beef with a bright cherry-red color, without any grayish or brown blotches. A darker purplish-red color is typical of vacuum-packaged beef. Once exposed to oxygen, beef will turn from a darker red to bright red.

Fresh ground beef does go through a number of color changes during its shelf life. These color changes are normal, and the ground beef remains perfectly wholesome and safe to eat if purchased by the "sell by" date on the package label.

A package of ground beef may appear bright red on the surface, where it is exposed to oxygen through the permeable plastic wrapping, while the interior, where oxygen is absent, remains purplish-red. With extended exposure to oxygen, beef's cherry-red color will take on a brown color.

Choose packages that are cold, tightly wrapped and have no tears or punctures. Be sure the packages do not contain excessive liquid, an indication of temperature abuse or excessive storage. For vacuum-packaged beef, be sure that the seal has not been broken and that the package is not leaking.

Choose steaks, roasts and pot roasts that are firm to the touch, not soft.

Purchase before or on the "sell by" date printed on the package label.
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APPROXIMATE BEEF COOKING TIMES (°F)

TYPE OF BEEF

SIZE

COOKING METHOD

COOKING TIME

INTERNAL TEMPERATURE

Rib Roast, bone in

4 to 6 lbs.

Roast 325°

23-25 min./lb.
27-30 min./lb.
32-34 min./lb.

Medium rare 145°
Medium 160°
Well done 170°

Rib Roast, boneless rolled

4 to 6 lbs.

Roast 325°

Add 5-8 min./lb. to times above

Same as above

Chuck Roast, Brisket

3 to 4 lbs.

Boneless
Chuck

Brisket

*Braise 325°

2 to 3 hours

Medium 160°

Round or Rump Roast

2½ to 4 lbs.

Roast 325°

30-35 min./lb.
35-40 min./lb.

Medium rare 145°
Medium 160°

Tenderloin, whole
half

4 to 6 lbs.
2 to 3 lbs.

Roast 425°

45-60 min. total
35-45 min. total

Medium rare 145°
Medium 160°

Steaks

¾" thick

T-Bone

Top
Sirloin

Ribeye

Tenderloin
FiletMignon

New York

Broil/Grill

4-5 min. per side
6-7 min. per side

Medium rare 145°
Medium 160°

Stew or Shank Cross Cuts

1 to
1½"thick

Cover with liquid; simmer

2 to 3 hours

Medium 160°

Short Ribs

4" long and 2" thick

*Braise 325°

1½ to 2 ½ hours

Medium160°

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Most people know that cattle provide us with a healthy food -- beef. But few people know what other important products cattle supply.

Beef by-products enable us to use 99 percent of every beef animal, according to the National Cattle Women's Association. The primary raw commodities by volume are hides, fat and bone, blood and meat meal.

The use of beef by-products as animal feeds is the most significant single application (other than hides) on a volume basis. Since fats and proteins are the primary products of rendering, high energy and high protein animal feeds compose a large segment of the by-product market.

It's estimated that by-products contribute approximately 10 percent to the value of livestock. That means, 10 percent of the money a rancher receives when selling cattle is based on the value of edible and inedible by-products.

In a 1996 survey by Colorado State University, the nation's eight largest packers and 106 rendering plants were interviewed regarding the uses of beef by-products. The following table summaries the uses for various items.

Packer and Renderer Response to Survey

Item Describe uses of various by-products by consumer

Cattle hides upholstery, leather, shoes, clothing, gelatin, sausage casings, pharmaceutical capsules

Switches animal feed, meat and bone meal, minimal use for paint brushes

Hooves, horns animal feed, meat and bone meal, animal chews, soaps

Ears animal, meat and bone meal

Blood fertilizer, edible sausages, pharmaceutical, animal feed

Fetal blood animal feed, medical research, pharmaceuticals, fetal serum

Fetal hides animal feed, leather, meat and bone meal, fine parchment

Bone animal feed, fertilizer, gelatin, piano keys, soaps, fatty acids, soup bones

Tendons Japan (edible), Asia (edible), animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Spinal cord Mexico (edible), Japan (edible), Asia (edible), soup stock, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Xiphoid cartilage Japan (edible), animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Fat

Edible
shortening, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, margarine, cooking, oleo chemicals, food products

Technical
animal feed, fatty acids, tallow, Mexico (export), soaps, high-quality hand soap, lubricants

Inedible
soap, animal feed, export, fatty acids, industrial soaps, amines, pet feed, cosmetics (lipstick base, glycerin), waxes and polishes, polymers for synthetic lubricants, oleo chemicals, coatings for steel to prevent rust, lubricant for steel rolling mills, paints, plastics, rubber

Glands

Adrenal
pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Pancreas
pharmaceutial, insulin, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Thyroid
pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, sweetbreads

Parathyroid
pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Ovaries
pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, hormone extraction research

Pineal
pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Testicle
animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, Rocky Mountain Oysters

Organs

Livers
pet food, edible (domestic), edible (Egypt), animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Lungs
pharmaceutical (heparin), pet food, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Kidneys
pet food, edible (Egypt), animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Brains
pharmaceutical, edible, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Rumen
export (Poland, Mexico), pet food, meat and bone meal, components used for cheese culturing, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, scalded tripe

Reticulum
edible (domestic), meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, honeycomb tripe

Omasum
export (China), meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Abomasum
export (Korea), meat and bone meal, food processing, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Tongues
export (Japan), meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, edible

Bladders
meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Small intestines
meat and bone meal, medical sutures, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Large intestines
export (Japan), meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Spleen
pet food, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids, edible, pharmaceuticals

Heart
edible, meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Gall stone export, aphrodisiac, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Gall bladders meat and bone meal, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Bile domestic, pharmaceutical, animal feeds, soaps, fatty acids

Paunch content fertilizer, animal feeds, compost, lawn/garden

What Aging Does To Top of Page

Cooked, unaged beef has been described as lacking in typical beef flavor.
Beef flavor is fully developed after about 11 days of aging. The aged beef flavor increases with increasing aging time.

Aging also increases tenderness. It has been shown that during the aging process certain changes take place in portions of the structure of collagen and muscle fibers
It is thought that enzymatic-caused changes in the structure of muscle fibers are largely responsible for the increase in tenderness. It is known that tenderness decreases immediately after slaughter while rigor mortis takes place then tenderness increases gradually. Tenderness continues to increase up to 11 days, after which there is no increase in tenderness.

One study showed that maximum tenderness and progress of tenderization during aging varies among muscles and is associated with the color of the carcass lean. Aging dark-cutting beef beyond seven days did little to increase tenderness. However, in carcasses where lean was lighter in color, tenderness continued to improve during up to 16 days of aging.

The tenderness effects of aging are more evident in carcasses from older animals than in the usually more tender lean from younger animals' carcasses.

Aging also decreases the shelf life of fresh meat products. Ground beef made from trimmings from aged beef carcasses usually has a shorter shelf life in the retail case and in your refrigerator, primarily because of increased microbial growth that occurs on certain parts of the carcass during the aging process.

Some research has demonstrated that as fresh meat ages, the activity of the various enzymes decreases and protective action against oxidation declines, thus increasing susceptibility to oxidation. This suggests that oxidation of fresh raw meat becomes increasingly important the more meat is aged.

During the aging process, one can also expect a loss of weight of the product. Because the leanis approximately 70 percent water, it's easy to see why there is a weight loss. The weight loss is caused by dehydration of the lean and fat. The weight loss occasionally occurs at tremendous proportions depending on relative humidity, amount of air flow and temperature of the aging cooler. During chilling of the hot carcass immediately after slaughter, the carcass will lose 2 to 3 percent of its weight because of moisture loss. Aging the carcass beyond this time will result in additional tissue shrinkage of 1 to 1.5 percent for each seven days. Carcasses with a thin external fat cover will lose more moisture than carcasses with a heavy fat cover. One study observed an 18 percent trim and shrink loss from loins aged 14 days in a 36 degrees F cooler.

How to Age Beef

The beef carcass or side should be aged in sanitary surroundings. Also, the aging area should be free of products such as kerosene, gasoline, paint, onions, and fish, since the carcass will absorb these undesirable odors.
Because meat is a perishable product, it can spoil at temperatures of 40 to 60 degrees F. Therefore, maintain the temperature at 30 to 35 degrees F while the beef carcass is being aged.
Sawdust should not be used on floors because it will contribute to air contamination. Carcasses and wholesale cuts should be properly spaced to allow complete circulation of air around the product.
Freezing the carcass should be avoided.

Recently interest has increased in short-time (12 hours) aging at 60 to 66 degrees F to speed up the aging process. The carcass is then placed in a 32 to 34 degrees F cooler to chill and complete the aging process. This procedure benefits cow beef more than steer or heifer beef, because cow beef is usually less tender. Apparently, carcasses with a thin fat covering would benefit more than fatter carcasses. However, the effect of this short-time, high-temperature aging on bacterial growth on and in the carcass is not understood fully.

Also remember that fat protects the meat from dehydration. Therefore, if you are aging a beef carcass with very little fat, you can expect a higher weight loss during the aging process than would occur normally with a fatter carcass. Maintaining the aging cooler at 85 percent relative humidity will keep weight losses down during prolonged aging. Carcasses with little external fat are more likely to pickup undesirable cooler odors and should thus be aged no more than five days.

Because of the drying process that takes place during aging, molds often grow on the carcass. If this occurs, merely trim off the mold (and accompanying fat or lean) at the time of processing and discard it. Do not use this trimmed-off portion in ground beef.

Dry aging is much more expensive and takes longer than wet aging. Meat which is dry aged is hung in a very clean, temperature and humidity controlled cooler for a period of two to four weeks. During this time, enzymes within the meat break down the muscle and connective tissue making it tender. Moisture is lost from the outer parts of the carcass causing an inedible crust to form which must be trimmed off and discarded. The carefully controlled environment, the time involved, and the loss of outer portions of the carcass make dry aging a costly process.

Wet aging occurs when meat and its own juices are vacuum packed in plastic and boxed for distribution. Because the plastic packaging does not allow loss of moisture, the meat may absorb more moisture which results in an increase in juiciness and tenderness. Both methods of aging work well and can create a better product. The difference is that dry aging gives a more distinctive flavor while wet aging is much less costly and allows for a quicker entry to the market and therefore a much longer shelf-life.

Due to the carefully controlled conditions required to safely age meat, Aging meat at home is not recommended.

BEEF PART 2

BEEF GRADING To Top of Page