“Spice is life. It depends upon what you like... have fun with it. Yes, food is serious, but you should have fun with it” (Emiril Lagasse).
In the culinary world the goal is creativity and taste. To make a plate of food become a masterpiece, like paint on a canvass. To make the flavor enhanced and blended on one’s pallet, perfectly. BAMM!! Just like that. With the rise of specific cable television shows devoted to culinary arts, many people have become fascinated with making the perfect dish. Many times with this creativity comes terminology that the culinary world uses. When the meat industry and culinary world cross paths, a variety of things can happen.
Many times in the culinary world, terminology is based on how a dish is prepared. When terminology from the culinary world seeps into the meat industry confusion can occur. When creative terms from the culinary world replace standardized terms from the meat world, confusion occurs.
Also many times, recipes are written using preparation method terminology. When a consumer goes to the store to buy a package of meat and the terminology used in the meat department is not the same as the terminology used in the recipes, confusion can also occur.
Preparation methods are based on creativity, and creativity is always changing. With this in mind it is important when a consumer is shopping for meat for them to have knowledge of meat cuts. This way when a recipe calls for a cut based on a preparation method, they will know what cut of meat to buy.
Below is a table that lists examples of meat cuts that have been given preparation method names. Next to this is the URMIS name for the cut of meat. This demonstrates how important it is to know the URMIS system and to be able to buy the right cut of meat.
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| Meat Preparation Methods Table |
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Preparation Method |
Definition |
Description Line 1 |
Description Line 2 |
Blackened |
A dish of thin meat coated with pepper and other spices and then seared in a very hot skillet, thereby producing meat that is black on the outside but tender on the inside. |
PORK LOIN SIRLOIN |
CHOPS BONELESS THIN |
BEEF ROUND TIP |
STEAK BONELESS THIN |
Brasciole |
A thin slice of meat usually wrapped around a stuffing and cooked with wine. |
BEEF TOP ROUND |
STEAK BONELESS THIN |
PORK LEG TOP INSIDE |
STEAK BONELESS |
Carnitas |
A dish braised or roasted pork in Mexican cuisine. It can also be made from beef using a chuck roast, although using pork seems to be the more common method. |
BEEF CHUCK UNDER BLADE |
POT ROAST BONELESS |
PORK SHOULDER CUBES |
BONELESS MEDIUM |
BEEF CHUCK UNDER BLADE |
POT ROAST BONELESS |
Chicken Fried |
A dish made of a thin tenderized steak dipped in batter and fried like chicken, served with country gravy. |
BEEF CUBED STEAK |
BONELESS |
PORK CUBED STEAK |
BONELESS |
Chop Suey |
A Chinese-style American dish consisting of small pieces of meat cooked together with bean sprouts, onions, mushrooms, or other vegetables and seasoning, in a gravy, often served with rice and soy sauce. |
BEEF LOIN SIRLOIN CUBES |
BONELESS MEDIUM |
PORK LOIN SIRLOIN CUBES |
BONELESS MEDIUM |
Cordon Bleu |
A dish made with thin slices of meat interlaid or stuffed with ham and cheese and then sautéed. |
CHICKEN BROILER BREAST FILET SKNLS |
THIN SLICED BONELESS |
Kalbi |
Kalbi is a Korean dish made from short ribs. It can be seasoned or unseasoned, and in the seasoned variety, the ribs are marinated in a sauce made from fruit juice (generally Asian pear juice), rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, sesame seed oil and sugar. |
BEEF RIB SHORT RIBS |
BONELESS |
BEEF CHUCK SHORT RIBS |
BONELESS |
Kiev |
A pounded meat cutlet rolled in butter (that has been seasoned with herbs) and then covered with crumbs and fried. |
CHICKEN BROILER BREAST FILET SKNLS |
THIN SLICED BONELESS |
London Broil |
A dish of marinated meat, cooked for several hours followed by heating in an oven broiler or outdoor grill. It is commonly served in thin slices, cut across the grain. |
PORK LEG TOP INSIDE |
STEAK BONELESS THICK |
BEEF TOP ROUND |
STEAK BONELESS THICK |
Pepper Steak |
Steak covered with crushed peppercorns pan-broiled and served with brandy-and-butter sauce. |
BEEF ROUND TIP |
STEAK BONELESS THIN |
Roulades |
A thin slice of meat rolled around a filling for cooking. |
PORK LEG TOP INSIDE |
STEAK BONELESS THIN |
BEEF TOP ROUND |
STEAK BONELESS THIN |
Santa Maria |
Spanish style barbeque |
BEEF LOIN TRI TIP ROAST |
BONELESS |
Satay |
A dish of southeast Asia consisting of strips of marinated meat, poultry, or seafood grilled on skewers and dipped in peanut sauce. |
PORK LOIN SIRLOIN |
STRIPS BONELESS THIN |
BEEF LOIN SIRLOIN |
STRIPS BONELESS THIN |
Scaloppini |
Sautéed cutlets (usually veal or poultry) that have been pounded thin and coated with flour. |
CHICKEN BROILER BREAST FILET SKNLS |
THIN SLICED BONELESS |
VEAL LEG |
CUTLETS BONELESS |
Spiedie |
A dish that normally consists of cubes of chicken and pork. The meat cubes are marinated in a special spiedie marinade, then grilled carefully on spits over a charcoal pit. The freshly prepared cubes are served on soft Italian bread or a submarine roll, wood skewer and all, then drizzled with fresh marinade. |
CHICKEN BREAST CUBES |
BONELESS |
PORK LEG CUBES |
BONELESS MEDIUM |
Stir-Fry |
To fry quickly in a small amount of oil over high heat while stirring continuously. |
BEEF FOR STIR FRY |
BONELESS |
Stroganoff |
A dish of tender beef strips, mushrooms, and onions cooked in a sour-cream sauce and served with noodles or rice. |
BEEF STRIPS THIN |
BONELESS |
Sukiyaki |
A dish consisting of meat, vegetables and other ingredients, slowly cooked or simmered in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs. |
PORK LOIN SIRLOIN STRIPS |
THIN BONELESS |
BEEF LOIN SIRLOIN STRIPS |
THIN BONELESS |
Swiss Steak |
A round steak pounded with flour and braised in stock with vegetables. |
BEEF ROUND STEAK |
BONELESS THICK |
Tamales |
A Mexican dish made of chopped meat and crushed peppers, highly seasoned, wrapped in cornhusks spread with masa, and steamed. |
PORK SHOULDER BLADE |
BOSTON WHOLE BONELESS |
Taquitos |
A Mexican dish consisting of a small rolled-up tortilla and some sort of filling, usually beef or chicken. |
BEEF BRISKET WHOLE |
BONELESS |
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