| Animal muscle turns to meat after slaughtering. Meat is | | | | pork and veal are young and small, their muscles are |
| surrounded by a layer of connective tissues, consisting | | | | less developed and do less work. Therefore, pigs and |
| almost entirely protein collagen. Meat tissues are | | | | calf have a lower concentration of myoglobin in their |
| composed of three main factors, water, protein | | | | muscles than cows. The only similarity between these |
| (connective tissue) and fat. Carbohydrate also appears | | | | four animals is that they are mammals on land. Fish |
| in meat as it gives the browning effect of meat when | | | | float in water and do not need constant muscle |
| cooked. Without this carbohydrate, the desirable flavor | | | | energy to support their skeletons. Most fish meat is |
| and appearance of browned meat would not be | | | | white, with some red meat around the fins and tail, |
| achieved. | | | | which is used for swimming. The pink colored of some |
| Meat are mainly referred as red or dark and white | | | | fish, such as wild salmon and trout, is due to |
| meat. Red or dark meat is mainly made up of muscles | | | | astaxanthin, a naturally occurring pigment in the |
| with fibers that are called slow fibers. These muscles | | | | crustaceans they eat. Fish such as sharks and tuna |
| are used for extended periods of activity, such as | | | | has a dark or red flesh because it contains more |
| standing or walking and need a consistent energy | | | | myoglobin as they are fast swimmers and amigratory |
| source. The protein myoglobin stores oxygen in muscle | | | | fish. |
| cells, which use oxygen to extract the energy needed | | | | Juiciness and tenderness are two very important |
| for constant activity. Myoglobin is a richly pigmented | | | | factors when it comes to meat quality. Both factors |
| protein. The more myoglobin there is in the cells, the | | | | are influenced by the cut of meat and how long the |
| redder or darker, the meat is. Red meat is red | | | | meat is cooked. The more a muscle is used, the |
| because the muscle fibers that make up the bulk of | | | | stronger and therefore tougher, the cut of meat will be. |
| the meat contain a high content of myoglobin, which | | | | In contrast, the longer meat is cooked, the more liquid it |
| are colored red. Myoglobin, a protein similar to | | | | loses and the tougher it becomes. Factors that also |
| hemoglobin in red blood cells, acts as a store for | | | | influence tenderness and juiciness are: The animal's |
| oxygen within the muscle fibers. | | | | age at slaughter, the amount of fat and collagen |
| White meat is made up of muscles with fibers that are | | | | (connective tissue) contained in particular cuts and to a |
| called fast fibers. Fast fibers muscles are used for | | | | small degree, brining. |
| quick bursts of activity, such as fleeing from danger. | | | | Collagen is a long, stiff protein that is the most |
| These muscles get energy from glycogen, which is | | | | prevalent protein in mammals. It's made up of three |
| also stored in the muscles. White meat as in fish has a | | | | separate molecules composed of amino acid chains, |
| translucent "glassy" quality when it is raw. Animal such | | | | twisted around each other, something like the way |
| as calf and pigs are also categorized as white meat. | | | | fibers are twisted around each other to form a rope. |
| Veal meat is white because it is slaughtered after the | | | | This structure is what makes the collagen so strong; |
| calf been milk fed, approximately up to one year old. | | | | this strength is also what makes it more difficult to |
| Pigs are lazy animal; they are not as active as cows, | | | | break down. The more collagen there is in a piece of |
| so their body contains more fat than any other animal. | | | | meat, the tougher it is to cut and to chew. Skin is |
| White meat is white because there is less usage in the | | | | mostly collagen, as are the tendons that connect |
| muscle. Myoglobin content is low in these muscles. This | | | | muscles to bones. For cuts that are high in collagen, |
| is why chicken breast, pork and veal are slightly pink or | | | | cooking with methods that use slow, moist heat, such |
| white, before or after cooked. Fish is white because it | | | | as stewing or braising, are the best. Collagen is soluble |
| lives in water and does not need to support its own | | | | in water and when it is cooked slowly with moist heat, |
| body weight. Basically, there are no myoglobins in | | | | it becomes gelatin. |
| these muscles. | | | | Collagen can be less tough by slicing up the meat into |
| The difference between meat and fish muscle tissue | | | | smaller pieces, which makes the fiber smaller and |
| is that there is no tough connective tissue between the | | | | easier to break apart. Weight-bearing muscles and |
| muscles and bones. | | | | muscles that are constantly used contain higher |
| Cows and pigs are both sources of dark meat, though | | | | amounts of collagen than muscles that aren't used for |
| pig is often called "the other white meat." Pigs muscles | | | | support or aren't used as frequently. Cows and pigs |
| do contain myoglobin, but the concentration is not as | | | | have higher amounts of collagen in the legs, chest, and |
| heavy as it is in beef. Chickens have a mixture of both | | | | rump. Pork is generally more tender than beef, |
| dark and white meat, and fish is mainly white meat. | | | | because pigs are usually slaughtered at a younger age |
| Chicken spend a lot of time walking around and | | | | than cows and so their muscles are less developed |
| standing. Their thigh and leg muscles are used | | | | and have less collagen than those of cows. |
| constantly, so the meat from these parts is slightly | | | | Fish muscles are quite different from those in |
| darker than its breast. Since they rarely fly, and then | | | | mammals. Fish float in water and so don't need muscle |
| only for very short distances, the meat that comes | | | | to support their weight. Their muscle fiber are very |
| from the breast and wings is white. In contrast, wild | | | | short called myotomes and are held together by |
| birds such as ducks fly a lot; the meat from their | | | | connective tissue called myocammata, which is much |
| breasts and wings is dark. Same goes with their legs, | | | | more delicate than collagen and breaks down much |
| as they use them for swimming. | | | | more easily when cooked. The only muscles that most |
| Cows spend a lot of time standing, walking and so | | | | fish use extensively are around the tail and fins (areas |
| their muscles are constantly being used. Therefore, | | | | that aren't eaten as often by humans), which are used |
| beef has a fairly high concentration of myoglobin and is | | | | for constant cruising around in the water. Once caught, |
| dark red. Pigs also can spend quite a bit of time | | | | (dead) fish are stored in an ice room with standing |
| standing and roaming around. The pink color of pork is | | | | temperature of 1-3°C. |
| due to myoglobin, but because the animals used for | | | | |