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Age before beauty
The current emphasis on healthy eating always raises the issue of fat, usually in conjunction with meat and meat products. Over the past twenty years, Scottish farmers have gradually produced leaner meat which appeals to the eye of the consumer. As readers will be well aware, it is the fat in meat that holds the flavoursome qualities, and eating quality has become ever more important.
Margaret Stewart dishes up some research to help balance healthy eating with a healthy dose of flavour…
Scotland has been hugely successful in producing lean pork that contains less fat than a portion of chicken. Marinating and quick cooking methods with sauces add the flavour to many popular dishes, but it is the traditional roast that is the real test, and this is where some recent surveys have produced some encouraging results.
Of 120 consumers who took part in recent pork-tasting research, there was a significant preference for one particular roasting joint over others tested. The specification for this product was slightly different, in that it had more fat cover and was a deeper colour than other samples. While it was not highly rated on appearance, it was a clear winner as far as taste, texture and moistness were concerned. The comments on colour were also interesting; some respondents thought that various samples were too pale, and a lack of colour had a knock-on negative impact on popularity.
Similar results were achieved when tasting loin steaks, and it appears that taste is still an important factor influencing meat purchases. It is relevant for beef, lamb and pork which is good news for the industry in general, as it can be used as a key point of difference over our competitors.
In food service, this is also relevant where pork is used as a value dish, sometimes overcooked and occasionally very bland indeed. Here, where the end consumer does not see the raw product, there must be an opportunity to introduce a higher specification product that can deliver taste, tenderness and consistency.
Maturation, too, is not just for beef. A bit more fat cover will enable pork to be matured for up to two weeks, and this could make a huge difference to taste and texture. This, however, places the emphasis on specification and ensuring that you state exactly what you want.
Breeders are also paying more attention to eating quality. There appears to be a growing number of smaller pig-producers who are using traditional breeds that are fatter and slower-growing, and which consequently provide better flavour. Some are going even further by crossing domestic breeds with wild boar to introduce a gamey element to the taste; an ideal trick for the specialist caterer who may only require small volumes. For those with greater demand, the commercial producer can also make a difference. Larger, heavier pigs, will often have more fat cover and will respond to longer hanging - factors which should help to retain moisture in cooking and therefore produce a better taste.
This more succulent pork, in turn, could take you right back to the healthy eating issue. By providing tasty, juicy meat it may no longer be necessary to add the calorie-rich sauces and accompaniments to which we have become accustomed. In a price-sensitive market, the cost of demanding a higher specification of pork from your butcher will be balanced by cutting out the cost of flavour-enhancing extras. The argument for age before beauty just got a whole lot more interesting…
This article has been edited from its original version. For the complete feature please see Catering in Scotland magazine May/June 2007.
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