From the maintenance of fats in meat its caloric content depends. It follows that lamb (especially meat of old animals) is equated with beef. 100 grams of mutton contains from 4, 2 to 21 grams of fat, and beef - from 18, 5 to 38 g.
Compared with cheese, milk, eggs, lamb has a low content of mineral salts. But it is rich in vitamins of group В, В1, В2 and vitamin РР, which provide the correct metabolism and energy in the body.
The main source of vitamins is the lamb liver, only it contains vitamin A and C. Thanks to the high content of vitamin A in the liver, it is used in medicine. In addition to vitamins, the liver is rich in carbohydrates. They are necessary for the body as a nutritious material for the work of muscles, as well as for fasting.
Properties of the liver
Useful properties in lamb are preserved depending on the way of processing meat. Delicious dishes are obtained from lambs, which are fed with milk, from castrated lambs under the age of 18 months, from obedient older ewes (up to 3 years) and from ewes not suitable for further fattening. The lamb's liver contains a large amount of water, so it is a perishable product.
The freshness of meat can be determined by evaluating its appearance, smell, color and other properties of meat. Fresh meat has a thin and dry crust, the color on the cut is bright red, the surface is slightly moist, non-sticky, the meat juice is transparent. Fresh meat is dense, so that by pressing a finger, a hole is formed, which quickly aligns. Still fat at fresh meat of white color and always elastic consistency.
How to process lamb meat and liver?
Bought meat, so as not to spoil, should be quickly processed or put in storage in the freezer. But if there is no freezer in the house, I will tell you about the ways of storing it for a few hours or even a few days without a freezer. In the countryside you can store meat by wrapping it in nettles. It should be fresh, dry and clean. On all sides the meat is covered with nettle, and with a large volume of meat, the nettle leaves are also laid between the pieces. In this way, the meat can be stored for several hours: the content of formic acid in the leaves of the nettle inhibits the development of rotting bacteria. And it is desirable to put the meat in a cold and dark place. The next way to store lamb without a freezer is to store it in butter and vegetable dressing. This method not only hinders the development of the decay process, but also greatly improves the taste of lamb itself. Vegetable dressings, which best protect the meat, are - horseradish, onions and garlic, because they contain phytoncides. Still for this filling use carrots, leeks, celery and parsley. Meat is cleared of tendons and cut into pieces. Folds in ceramic dishes and dressed with sliced vegetables mixed with butter and seasonings, such as bay leaf and clove pepper. And at a temperature of no higher than -7 ° C, meat, preserved in this way, can be stored for up to 24 hours.
Storage
Storage of meat is also possible in the marinade, which is prepared from vinegar, water, seasonings and vegetables. One whole piece of meat is laid in cast-iron or enameled dishes and poured in pre-cooked brine, then add chopped vegetables. This method of marinating meat protects it from spoilage for 2-3 days, if the air temperature is somewhere around 4 ° C, and in the winter season the storage can last up to a week.
With this method of storing meat, 2-3 times a day it needs to be turned over. And for storing meat for a long time it only needs to be frozen.
Advice
It is very important that the above listed methods of storing meat can be used as ways that accelerate the ripening of meat from old animals. To do this, prepare sour marinades, which include vinegar, it is possible to add sour milk or whey, as well as vegetable dressing and oil. The protein in the acidic medium is very swollen and due to this, with the heat cooking, the meat becomes softer and resembles the taste and smell of meat of wild animals. Dishes from unripe lamb after treatment are not tasty and are difficult to digest by the body. The main methods and stages of pretreatment of meat are as follows:
-defreezing if necessary;
- Removing unnecessary bones, tendons and fat;
- cutting into portions - ripening of meat, if necessary;
- Preparation of semi-finished meat.
Frozen meat should be defrosted beforehand, for this it must be placed on the lower shelf of the refrigerator. This method is quite long, but it will ensure the preservation of all the original properties of meat, in contrast to meat thawing, for example, in hot water. With this type of defrost, it loses a large amount of juice and nutrients.
Before cooking, the meat is thoroughly washed to remove mechanical impurities, as well as microorganisms that are present on its surface. Water for washing should be flowing and its temperature should be 25-30 ° C. This temperature of the water will allow to wash away the contamination from the fatty part of the meat. Washed meat should be dried or wiped with a clean cloth.
Breasts are the main part of lamb carcass. This piece of meat is located between the occipital bone and the first cervical vertebra, and from behind - along the line of separation of the scapula. The ham is the back of the sheep's carcass. In the trade, the sternum and ham are referred to I grade.
The lower chest part is part of the carcass, which is located in the lower part of the sternum-abdominal part. The koreika is a part of the sheep's carcass, is part of the thigh (without kidneys and adrenal fat). The lower chest part and the loin are 2 kinds of meat. The scapula is part of the mutton carcass, which is cut off from the anterior section of the upper sternum part along with the scapula and is a low-grade meat.