According to GOST, meat semi-finished products are divided into categories depending on the amount of muscle tissue. The higher the percentage of muscle tissue, the higher the category of meat, and with it higher and its nutritional and biological value.
There are five categories:
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Category A – more than 80% of muscle tissue
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Category B – from 60 to 80% of muscular tissue
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Category B – 40 to 60% muscle tissue
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Category D – 20 to 40% muscle tissue
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Category D – less than 20% muscle tissue.
Categories D and D are kebabs with extremely high content of fat and connective tissue, its biological value is lower, primarily in terms of the content of complete protein, essential amino acids, B vitamins, iron and zinc. That’s why it’s better to give preference to category A and B. When choosing a kebab in the store, first of all, pay attention to the date of manufacture. Especially if you’re not planning to cook meat all at once, and it’s hard to ensure a stable storage temperature. The date should be as close as possible to the moment of purchase.
During long-term transportation it is better not to choose kebab in “white” sauces, for example on the basis of mayonnaise, because the risk of food poisoning increases in this case. The label of the marinated kebab should also contain complete information about the product and its manufacturer. It is better to give preference to kebabs packed at a meat processing plant or meat factory, and on the package look for the inscription that the semi-finished product is meat and not meat.
Remember that when buying sliced and marinated kebab, the size and weight of the pieces inside the package should be as uniform as possible so that the kebab will evenly finish until cooked. Uniformity of cooking is essential to obtain a safe and tasty finished product.
If you marinate meat on your own
Unsalted meat prior to cooking should remain at a temperature of 0 to 4 ° C, and salted and marinated – at a temperature not exceeding 6 ° C. This is because meat is an excellent medium for the growth of microorganisms. So you need to chop it as quickly as possible, put it in a pot, add salt, pepper, onion, vinegar and stir. Then cover and refrigerate.
Cooking shashlyk on coals should be done without tongues of flame, which signal that there are carcinogenic substances in the smoke. They get into the meat first, and then into the body. From this point of view the safest way of cooking meat is baking it in foil, which protects the product from carcinogenic substances produced during burning
Can you provide some tips on how to avoid making a mistake when selecting a marinated kebab?