Meat Products: Types, Processing, and Preservation
Fresh Meat Products
Fresh meat products are prepared with or without fat, chopped, with or without condiments, and not subjected to drying, salting, or cooking. Examples include beef, burgers, sausages, and Moorish kebabs. The temperature is kept at refrigeration levels. If made with chicken or turkey meat, textured vegetable protein (TVP) is added to avoid sweating and, therefore, spoilage.
Marinated Raw Meat Products
Marinated raw meat products are made with whole pieces of meat to which salt and seasonings are added. They do not undergo thermal treatment. The marinade typically includes paprika, oregano, salt, garlic, parsley, olive oil, sugar, vinegar, and white wine. They are preserved for longer periods because the vinegar lowers the pH, which prevents bacterial growth. If the pieces are small (like kebabs), the meat is immersed in aqueous marinade solutions for 24 hours at 4°C. If the pieces are larger (like pork loin), brine is injected and mixed in rotating drums to obtain an aqueous solution. The brine lowers the water activity (aw), inhibiting the growth of spoilage microorganisms. The addition of salt to the brine can lead to the formation of nitrates and nitrites.
Heat-Treated Meat Products
Beef offal is used, to which spices and seasonings are added. It is subjected to heat to coagulate proteins. Products like chopped meat, mortadella, pâtés, galantines, and cooked ham are made using this method. The heat achieves the following technological purposes:
- Binding of the meat mass (by melting protein)
- Development of desirable sensory characteristics (taste, texture, and color)
- Inactivation of enzymes in meat that might lead to subsequent changes in the product
- Destruction of vegetative forms of microorganisms
Heat is applied by placing the pieces in hot tubs (but not boiling) for the time required for the interior of the piece to reach 72°C. After that, the piece is quickly cooled with showers or baths of cold water and stored at a temperature not exceeding 10°C. If the temperature and time are excessive, the product will have altered consistency, color, flavor, and juiciness. If the product is canned, it is done in an autoclave at 121°C.
Blanched Products Prepared from Fine Paste
Fine pastes are emulsions of meat that have been finely chopped using a cutter or a spiral mill. The ingredients are lean pork, fat, and ice or cold water. They look like a smooth porridge. Spices can be added, and their color can be modified. They can be molded into casings or molds. Types of products include:
- Sausages (pasta can be used alone)
- Bologna (fat is added)
- Chopped meat (pasta + lean meat)
- Pâtés (lean meat, fat, liver, emulsifiers, and fillers like starch)
- Galantines (similar to pâtés but of superior quality)
Baked Ham
Baked ham is a product made from boneless pork leg, with the rind removed, brined, and cooked. It can be prepared whole or in pieces. The process is as follows:
- Selection of Raw Material: The pieces should have a pH between 5.8 and 6.2 (pH is determined at three sites within the piece) for high water-holding capacity so that the ham is soft and juicy. Therefore, neither PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) nor DFD (Dark, Firm, Dry) meat will be used.
- Preparation of Raw Materials: Clean and bone the ham, removing fat, cartilage, lymph nodes, and connective tissue.
- Curing: Can be wet (applied by injecting brine with a needle at a specific pressure) or dry (salted during massaging).
- Massaging: This serves to break down muscle fibers and myofibrils, encouraging the muscles to bind during cooking. It also softens the flesh, prepares it for molding, distributes the brine, and enhances the color. This mechanical operation can be done using either the Flick method (using beaters to drive the pieces up in a rotating drum, where they fall and collide with each other) or the Malaxa method (using a device with an arm that rubs and kneads the meat). The mechanical process is done in intervals, and the operation lasts more than 48 hours.
- Molding and Filling: Hams are placed in a mold to shape them before being wrapped in plastic to plug any holes. The meat is reintroduced into the mold.
- Cooking: Cooking temperature is set at 70°C in steam boilers. Cooking stabilizes the color, coagulates proteins that bind the muscle, develops the flavor, and preserves the product.
- Cooling: Done with water or air showers so that the ham reaches an internal temperature of 4°C.
- Resting: The ham rests in a container for 1 or 2 days.
- Packaging and Storage: Vacuum-packed and stored at a temperature of 2-6°C in the dark to avoid altering the color.