Verne Maranda & Son Inc.

It may surprise you what is the biggest day for beef sales. A common guess would be that the most beef is sold for the Fourth of July, but this isn’t the case. The Fourth of July is actually tied with Labor Day as the second biggest day for beef with Memorial Day taking the top spot.

Rendering is any type of process that transforms animal tissues into other products that require the fat separated from the protein for use, such as lard, bone meal, protein meal and others.

What’s a butcher’s steak? The term refers to the hanger steak, a cut unfamiliar to many Americans. This grainy portion of the steer was traditionally used for ground meat or taken home by the butcher for braising, roasting or pan frying.

There are four basic major or primal cuts into which beef is separated. There are chuck (chuck roast), loin (top loin steak), rib (beef ribs), and round (round steak). Generally chuck and round cuts are less tender and thus should be cooked with moist heat, such as braising.

Remove the organs during field dressing to cool the carcass down. This slows decomposition and allows for airflow inside the cavity. The organs can be stored separately and consumed later.

Did you know that there are four basic cuts into which pork is separated? These are the shoulder (shoulder butt, roast, or steak), side (spare/back ribs and bacon), loin (tenderloin and sirloin roast), and leg (ham).

If steak is your passion, there are four quality cuts you really must try. Ribeyes are tender, juicy and generously marbled. Strip steaks are tender, meaty and classic. Tenderloins are lean and buttery. T-bones combine the best features of strip and tenderloin steaks.

When roasting, grilling or frying our fine meats, be sure to cook them to more than 140 degrees. This prevents any bacteria from growing, and kill existing bacteria. We recommend always using a meat thermometer to test proper cooking temperature.

Some hunters believe letting the meat age on the bones gives it flavor and improves the meat. Other hunters believe the meat should be deboned and processed immediately after the hunt. This is a personal preference.

When making hamburgers, the best meat-to-fat ratio is about 83 to 87 percent. If you use ground meat with a lower fat content, the final product will be dry. If there is more fat, there will be too much loss due to shrinkage, and the burger will be greasy.

A very important step is often skipped by many home cooks when preparing a cut of meat. Before placing your meat in the pan to sear, it’s very important to have the meat at room temperature and as dry as possible. Any moisture in the meat could cause the cut to steam rather than brown and thus miss out on adding extra flavor.

The protein found in beef is complete and high in quality. It provides all of the essential amino acids which the body requires to build and repair body tissues. Essential amino acids are ones which you cannot find in other food sources.

Discard any carcasses that have discolored or foul-smelling organs. This indicate disease that renders the meat inedible. Cooking spoiled meat will not render it safe to eat.