A new 'muscle guide' has been launched to help meat businesses maximise value and quality by selecting the best quality cuts.
The Beef Muscle Guide, by AHDB, is part of a series of educational packages aimed at increasing people's knowledge who work in the meat industry.
Despite the beef carcase becoming leaner and changing shape over the years, muscle groups remain the same.
Each individual muscle has its own characteristics and can produce specific cuts, with muscle grain that suits a particular cooking method.
When correctly selected, this brings out the best quality and value from the carcase.
AHDB Beef & Lamb Master Butcher, Dick Van Leeuwen, said: “Retail and foodservice beef cuts are constantly adapting to keep up with consumers and their changing eating habits – there is a need for continuous new product development to satisfy this demand.
“The guide helps demystify the beef carcase – allowing professionals to choose quickly the best muscles and create new quality products.”
The Beef Muscle Guide complements the award winning Meat Education Programme, designed to provide knowledge to people working in the meat industry.
As well as the muscle guide, AHDB has produced posters for use in development kitchens and food colleges with easy to use tables.
They breakdown the forequarter and hind quarter muscles, detailing the type of muscle grain and the cooking method they’re best suited for – from sous vide through to cuts suitable for mince and burgers.
