Meat, Poultry and Game Fabrication and Cookery
This domain tests muscle structure, fabrication, doneness, resting and cooking methods for meat, poultry and game. Expect questions on collagen, carryover cooking, brining and trussing.
Structure and cookery
Muscle fibres shorten with heat; collagen dissolves into gelatin with moist, slow heat; elastin does not dissolve. Tough cuts therefore suit braising, stewing and slow roasting, while tender cuts suit grilling, sautéing and roasting. Aging improves tenderness and flavour in beef. Larding adds fat to lean cuts; barding wraps them.
Fabrication
Know primal and subprimal cuts, seam cutting, trimming, portioning and trussing. Poultry can be trussed for even cooking or spatchcocked for faster, even heat. Brining adds moisture and seasoning.
Doneness and resting
Poultry should reach 74°C in the thigh. Whole-muscle pork, beef and lamb are cooked to 63°C with a 3-minute rest. Ground meat needs 71°C. Carryover cooking raises the internal temperature after removal, so remove large roasts slightly early. Rest meat to allow juices to redistribute.
Worked example
A 1.8 kg chicken is roasted at 200°C. The thigh reaches 74°C and the breast 71°C. The cook removes it and rests it for 10 minutes. Carryover may raise the thigh to about 76–77°C, which is acceptable, while resting keeps the breast juicy. Cutting immediately would lose juices.
Traps that cost marks
Testing only the breast; cutting before resting; cooking from cold without tempering; using high heat for tough cuts; and failing to truss or tie a roast for even cooking.
Key points
- Collagen dissolves with moist, slow heat; elastin does not.
- Poultry 74°C; ground meat 71°C; whole muscle 63°C plus rest.
- Carryover cooking continues after removal.
- Rest meat to redistribute juices.
- Tough cuts suit braising; tender cuts suit dry heat.