Remember the little old lady in the TV commercial, standing at the fast-food hamburger window: "Where's the beef?" Or 1984 presidential candidate Walter Mondale challenging Gary Hart's viewpoints with the taunt, "Where's the beef?" Well, if you are like millions of other Americans, the beef is right there on your dining room table. And in case you have wanted to know more about that tantalizing food product, just read on.
How Beef Gets Its Color
One of the proteins in meat is called "myoglobin." This important protein holds the oxygen in the muscle after it is delivered through the red blood cells. The amount of myoglobin in the muscles of different animals gives their meats different colors. For example, beef is a "red" meat because it contains more myoglobin than chicken or fish.
Beef muscle which has not been exposed to oxygen is a deep red, purplish color. That's why the beef you see in a vacuum package is purple. After it's been exposed to air for 15 minutes or so, the myoglobin becomes oxygenated, and the meat becomes bright red.
We've all noticed that steak will turn brown it it's left in the refrigerator for a few days. This is because the myoglobin in the beef changes chemically after it's been exposed to oxygen for about five days. Meat which has turned brown from extended storage is extremely susceptible to spoilage.
How Long Can Beef Be Kept Frozen?
After meat has been frozen, the length of time it can be stored varies. Packaging material that is moisture- and vapor-proof will help prevent the surface dehydration and discoloration known as "freezer burn." The ideal freezer temperature for meat is -50 degrees F, but should never exceed 0 degrees F.
Storage Chart
| |
Refrigerator |
Freezer |
| |
(28 to 32 degrees F) |
(0 degrees or lower) |
| BEEF (Fresh) |
3 to 5 days |
6 to 12 months |
| GROUND BEEF |
2 to 3 days |
4 to 6 months |
| VACUUM-PACKAGED |
16 or more days |
6 to 12 months |
In addition, the length of frozen storage life varies with the species and type of meat. Beef can be stored for 6 months at 0 degrees F, or for 12 months at -5 degrees F.
Frozen meat should be thawed at refrigerator temperatures for 15 to 24 hours. Meat should never be thawed at room temperature or in warm water. If there's not enough time to properly thaw the meat, it can be defrosted in a microwave, under cold running water, or while it's being cooked.
How Meat Changes During Cooking
The elements of meat which are most affected by cooking are the proteins (muscle fiber, pigments, and enzymes) as well as water and fat. Water, in one form or another, makes up between 70 and 75 per cent of animal muscle. The cooking process decreases water (through "dripping" or evaporation) so significantly that the amount which remains in the cooked meat is one of the factors which determines its juiciness.
Cooking Time: Keep It As Short As Possible
Usually, the longer a beef roast is in the oven, the more it shrinks. And this is particularly true if the meat is overcooked. Generally, the larger the cut, the longer the cooking time needed. The most important measurement of meat size is the distance from the outside to the center of the cut. A flat roast (such as a boneless top loin, for example) might take half the cooking time of a thicker round roast of the same or greater weight cooked to the same doneness.
Another element which affects cooking time is the cooking load. Four roasts placed in a conventional oven at the same time will take longer to cook than one roast because heat is being dissipated into a greater mass of meat. However, even though the minutes-per-pound required increases with a greater load, the cooking time should not be calculated on the basis of the weight of the entire amount of meat. Instead, the time should be figured on the minutes-per-pound for the smallest roast, with adjustments made for the cooking time of the larger roasts.
From the May, 1994, issue of The Teddy Bear.
