Meat Education 101 – Big Green Egg

I had the opportunity to attend the Meat 101 Class at Big Green Egg last weekend thanks to Culinary Local, www.culinarylocal.com, and it was so enlightening and eye opening.

Big Green Egg Culinary Center is one of the best places to go for a great cooking device (Big Green Egg) of course, awesome and knowledgable staff/educators and some of the tastiest food.

So there was this Meat Doctor, by the name of Jerry Draluck who facilitated the class and I see why they chose him. I have been to the Culinary Center about 3 times and each time it was so much fun and in an environment that is full of creativity and interaction it is so much easier to learn.

We had meat from every category:

Seafood

Chicken

Pork

Beef

Each of the above categories were discussed and I pulled the highlights from what we were taught, so you can possibly learn something too. Oops, I almost forgot about the grilled veggies and the chocolate cobbler.

Cut up Chicken Demo

One of the most asked questions: How can you tell when the drumstick done?

A second, very traditional test is to grasp a drumstick by the end and wiggle it. If it moves freely, that’s because the tissues around the hip joint have cooked and contracted. The chicken will likely be done. No pink.

Different grades of beef

USDA Prime

Certified Angus Beef

Choice

Sweet grains vs grass fed

According to this specialist: how to get marbling in meat is due to cows eating sweet grains (another way of seasoning the meat), but as long as there are no added antibiotics or hormones eat it.

Perfect burger’s fat content is 80 percent lean and 20 percent fat

Have you ever wondered what is in ground beef? I did not until being taught that it can have any part of the cow but lots of times skeletal muscles.

Cooking Pork or Beef Tenderloin:

Grill 3 or 4 minutes and keep rolling it on grill to retrieve the temp you want

Resting vs non resting

Steak not necessary, but chicken in particular rest it

How old is your steak?

You know that steak you had at Chops and would like to know why it is as tasty as it is? Partially it is due to them not serving a piece of steak less than 21 days. Aging is a natural tenderization method and creates flavor.

Kobe vs Wagyu Beef

Kobe:  from Tajima strain of Japanese Black cattle

Wagyu: is created from seedstock from Japan

Why receive small amount when purchased and/or order from restaurant due to how rich the piece of beef is. It is a delicacy and it is valued for it’s flavor, marbling and tenderness.

Wet aged vs dry aged

Wet aged: sealed and oxygen removed

Dry aged: Bone in and take out of cryovac goes into cooler with the perfect combination of air flow, temperature control, etc.

I did not know half of the things that I have learned prior to the class and I am so glad that I went.  I would highly recommend any class at the Big Green Egg’s Culinary Center and to find the next class here: https://www.culinarylocal.com/organizer/big-green-egg/

 

How much do you know about what you are eating?