Logan Steele
Whole-muscle, intact beef refers to beef that has not been injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated. In other words, it is meat that has not been manipulated. Whole-muscle beef is often used for steaks, which are primal cuts of beef. The muscle in the steak expands and contracts when cooked, and the cooking process is called denaturation, which begins at 105°F. Whole-muscle cured meats are made out of an entire muscle from an animal, and can be made with any muscle from any animal.
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What You'll Learn
- Whole muscle beef is not injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored
- Whole muscle beef steaks must meet a surface temperature of 145 F
- Whole muscle curing involves packing meat with salt and spices
- Whole muscle cured beef is known as bresaola
- Whole muscle beef is made from the bundles of cells and proteins in a cow's muscle. These muscles expand and contract when cooked
Whole muscle beef is not injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored
Whole-muscle, intact beef is meat that has not been injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored. This means that the meat has not been altered in any way and is in its natural state.
Beef is a popular food worldwide, and for the most part, humans enjoy primal cuts of beef, or steak. Steak is a muscle from a cow. These muscles are made up of bundles of cells, or fibres, and these fibres are made up of proteins. When an animal is slaughtered, the arteries and veins in the carcass are drained of blood.
The definition of whole-muscle, intact beef is important in the context of food safety and labelling requirements. For example, in 2015, Food Safety and Inspection Services (FSIS) published a final rule to establish labelling requirements for mechanically tenderized beef products. This rule provides consumers, restaurants, and retail stores with the information they need to distinguish between intact, non-tenderized beef products and non-intact, mechanically tenderized products.
Whole-muscle, intact beef is not manipulated or processed in any way. This means that the meat has not been injected with any substances, such as marinades or other additives. It also has not been mechanically tenderized, which is a process that uses needles or blades to penetrate the meat and make it more tender. Additionally, the meat has not been reconstructed, which means it has not been formed or shaped from smaller pieces of meat, and it has not been scored, which involves making cuts or incisions on the surface of the meat.
In summary, whole-muscle, intact beef is meat that has been left in its natural state and has not been injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored. This type of beef is valued for its natural state and the absence of any processing or manipulation.
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Whole muscle beef steaks must meet a surface temperature of 145 F
Whole-muscle, intact beef refers to meat that is not injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated. From this, beef steaks may be cut. Whole-muscle beef steaks are required to meet a surface temperature of 145°F. This is a lower cooking requirement than steaks that have been mechanically tenderized.
When cooking steak, the temperature range you choose will depend on how well done you want your meat. For a medium-rare steak, the internal temperature should be between 120 and 129°F or 130 and 134°F. For a medium steak, the internal temperature should be between 135 and 144°F.
If you want a medium-well steak, you should aim for an internal temperature of between 145 and 154°F. At this temperature, the protein fibres in the steak's muscles will shrink, causing the steak to lose volume and take on a pink tinge in the middle. The meat will no longer be juicy.
Finally, for a well-done steak, the protein fibres break down completely, and the meat loses its juices and tenderness. This is the safest way to eat steak, as the higher internal temperatures kill all pathogens.
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Whole muscle curing involves packing meat with salt and spices
Whole-muscle, intact beef refers to meat that has not been injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated. Whole muscle curing is a food preservation method that involves packing meat with salt and spices. This process can be done with any muscle from any animal, and the most well-known example is perhaps prosciutto, which is traditionally made from the leg of a pig.
The initial curing stage involves packing the meat with salt and spices, and the time needed for curing depends on the thickness of the meat. The process of osmosis and diffusion is key here: the cure mixture diffuses from the high outside concentration into the low concentration inside the meat, and water is attracted to the higher osmotic gradient outside the meat. This dehydration effect, caused by salt drawing moisture out of the meat, helps to preserve the meat by inhibiting bacterial growth.
After the initial curing stage, there are several options for further treatment of the meat. One option is cold smoking, which involves keeping the temperature below 30°C/86°F to impart a smoky flavour to the meat without cooking it. Cold smoking is often done before the drying stage, but some do it afterward. Another option is to use the equilibrium curing method, which involves using accurate scales to measure minimal amounts of salt, spices, and nitrates. This method can be used to create traditional South African biltong, for example.
Vacuum packing is the most consistent method for salt dry-cured meats, and it can keep the meat preserved for years. Without vacuum packing, the meat will slowly dry out, so it is not recommended to keep it in a kitchen fridge due to the low humidity. Instead, the meat can be stored in a Tupperware box for a few weeks.
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Whole muscle cured beef is known as bresaola
Whole-muscle, intact beef refers to meat that has not been injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated. Whole muscle beef steaks may be cut from this type of meat. Whole muscle cured beef, meanwhile, is known as bresaola.
Bresaola is a type of Italian salumi made from air-dried, salted beef. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy's Lombardy region. The word comes from the diminutive of Lombard bresada ('braised'). The practice of salting and air-drying beef has been popular in this area since at least the 15th century, with farmers using the fresh alpine air to preserve their meat for the colder months.
Bresaola is usually made with meat from the eye of the round cut of the cow, a very lean and tender cut. The eye of the round is trimmed to ensure an intact, lean piece, then rubbed with a dry mix of coarse salt and spices such as white pepper, nutmeg, cinnamon, and juniper berries. The meat is then left to cure for at least 10 days, after which it is hung in a natural casing to dry. Finally, the meat is aged for up to two or three months in special cellars, during which time it loses nearly half of its original weight and develops a deep ruby-red or scarlet colour.
Bresaola is very low in fat and calories, while being rich in protein. It is often recommended by nutritionists and dieticians, and lends its name to a nutrition regime based on lean meats and vegetables (called the ‘bresaola diet’) that’s popular amongst athletes in Italy. It is typically served in thin slices, either on its own as an appetiser (antipasto) or as part of a charcuterie board.
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Whole muscle beef is made from the bundles of cells and proteins in a cow's muscle. These muscles expand and contract when cooked
Whole muscle beef is a cut of meat that is not injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated. Whole muscle beef is made from the bundles of cells and proteins found in a cow's muscle. These muscles are composed of fibres, which are in turn made up of proteins. When a cow is slaughtered, the arteries and veins in the carcass are drained of blood, which is why you have liquid and proteins on your plate, not blood.
The bundles of cells and proteins in a cow's muscle allow the muscle to expand and contract, generating movement. This process also occurs when the meat is cooked. The application of heat causes changes to the structure of the fibres and water content. Specifically, the calcium proteins begin to lose integrity starting at 105°F, continuing until 122°F. This temperature range also exhibits high enzyme activity.
The transition from rare to well-done occurs rapidly as moisture eliminating heat works exponentially inside the muscle. Chefs often recommend medium-rare as the ideal doneness, providing a balance between a cooked crust on the exterior and warmth and flavour changes on the interior.
Whole muscle beef can be cured to create products such as bresaola, which is traditionally made from an eye round roast, a cheap cut of beef with low fat content. The curing process involves packing meat with salt and spices, allowing the cure mixture to diffuse into the meat while water is drawn out. Cold smoking is an optional step that can be performed before or after the drying stage to impart a smoky flavour without cooking the meat.
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Frequently asked questions
Whole muscle beef is meat that is not injected, mechanically tenderized, reconstructed, or scored and marinated.
Bresaola is a whole muscle cure, usually made with an eye round roast, a common and cheap cut of beef.
Steak is a primal cut of beef, or muscle from a cow.
