Created to accompany a training session designed increase employee knowledge of product served at the restaurant.

1. WHERE HAS
YOUR BEEF
BEEN?
Farmhouse Restaurant, 2015

2. Farm to Table
transparency
noun
1. Full disclosure of information about rules, procedures,
and practices at all levels of food production.
traceability
noun
1. The ability to trace to their origin all components in a
food production chain.

3. Jersey cows are bred to Gelbvieh bulls.
Den Dulk Dairy Farms, Ravenna, MI1

4. Beef steers spend the last four to six months before harvest
eating grain at a feedlot.
Nordman’s Feedlot, Oregon, IL2

5. Steers are delivered to the USDA inspected facility at 18 months
of age for harvest and processing.
Eickman’s Processing Co., Seward, IL.3

6. Terms to Know
 A composite evaluation of
factors that affect
palatability of meat,
including carcass maturity;
firmness, texture, and color
of lean; and the amount
and distribution of marbling
within the lean.
QUALITY GRADING DRY AGING
 The practice of hanging a
side or quarter of beef in a
climate-controlled
environment for an
extended period of time,
with the goal of increasing
tenderness and improving
flavor.

7. Quality Grading
Carcasses
are split into
fore- and
hindquarters
at the 12th rib.
The exposed
ribeye is
assessed for
marbling to
determine
quality grade.

8. 1. Fine threads of fat dispersed within the lean
2. Component of meat that increases flavor, juiciness, and palatability
3. The primary consideration in determining quality grade
What is Marbling?

9. However NOT graded by the USDA, our beef is estimated to belong to a
certain quality grade by Eickman’s Processing Co.
Depending on the shipment, our beef is Choice− to Prime°.
USDA Quality Grade Standards

10. Dry Aging Beef
Through
proteolytic
activity by the
carcass’
natural
enzymes and
beneficial
microbial
species,
tenderness
and
palatability
are
increased.

11. 1. Flavors are concentrated in the meat.
2. Significant weight loss increases the value per pound.
DRY AGING: Moisture Loss

12. Enzymes naturally present in the meat are given time to break
down connective tissues that would otherwise make the meat
less tender.
DRY AGING: Enzymatic Activity

13. 1. Like some fine cheeses, certain species of fungi colonize the outer
surface of the meat and impart a rich, nutty flavor.
2. Fungi of the genus Thamnidium produce collagenolytic enzymes that
further break down connective tissue and increase tenderness.
DRY AGING: Microbial Growth

14. What do we get from our dry-aged carcass?
Parts of a Beef

15. Beef Sub-Primals

16. Economically Important Cuts
Ribeye: From the Rib, very flavorful and
tender. Excellent marbling.
Filet (Tenderloin): From the Loin, the most
tender cut of beef.
NY/KC Strip: From the Loin, good marbling
and flavor. Less robust than Ribeye.
Porterhouse: From the Loin, composed of
the Filet and Strip.
T-Bone: Same as a Porterhouse, without
the Filet.

17. Economically Important Cuts
Sirloin: From the Sirloin, near the Round. Characteristics vary depending on the
cut, but generally tend to be very flavorful yet less tender than other steaks.
Flank Steak: From the Flank, very lean.
Skirt Steak: From the Plate, formerly the diaphragm. Sensitive to overcooking, it
can be slightly tough.
Flat Iron (Blade Steak): From the Chuck. Good marbling, very tender when
connective tissue is removed.
Corned Beef: From the Brisket, high in connective tissue.

18. Common misconceptions and
misunderstandings:
 Does our beef come from the cows at the dairy?
 Is a rare steak “bloody”?
 How is cured meat safe to eat?
Bones to Pick

19. Dairy vs. Beef
DAIRY COW BEEF STEER

20. Don’t Call it Bloody!
Myoglobin is
a muscle
protein, the
oxidation
state of
which
determines
the color of
the meat.

21. Cured Meats
 Curing refers to various
preservation and flavoring
processes of meat
products by the addition of
a combination of salt,
sugar, and nitrite.
 Salt:
 Reduces water activity
 Sugar
 Improve flavor
 Facilitate culture activity in
fermented sausages
 Nitrite
 Fixes cured color
 Imparts characteristic cured
flavor
 Inhibits bacterial growth

22. Definitions
 Transparency: Full disclosure of information about rules, procedures,
and practices at all levels of food production
 Traceability: The ability to trace to their origin all components in a
food production chain
 Quality Grade: Assigned to carcasses based on the fineness and abundance of
marbling
 Marbling: Intramuscular fat that contributes to flavor
 Dry aging: The practice of hanging a side or quarter of beef in a climate-
controlled environment for an extended period of time, with the goal
of increasing tenderness and improving flavor.
 Curing: Refers to various preservation and flavoring processes of meat
products by the addition of a combination of salt, sugar,
and nitrite.
 Myoglobin: Muscle protein that determines color of meat
 Steer: Castrated male bovine
 Heifer: Young female bovine

23. Questions?

24. Meet Your Meat?
Field trips to Eickman’s Processing Co.
Every other Wednesday, starting April 15
3:30 AM – 2:00 PM
Gas is paid, lunch is on Brent