Experiment 48

To determine the effect of various factors upon the palatability of ground meat.

Meat loaf. Recipe:

Ground lean beef

Butter

Egg, beaten

Milk

Salt

1/4 pound

1/2 tablespoon

1/4

1/4 cup

1/4 teaspoon

113 grams

7 grams

12 grams

61 grams

1 gram

Ground suet Bread crumbs Pepper

14 grams 25 grams 1/16 teaspoon

Mix the ingredients lightly with a fork. The meat loaf may be baked in individual casseroles or even in pyrex custard cups the same weight being put in each dish. Bake in the oven, putting a right-angle thermometer into each sample, the thermometer being suspended by the horizontal arm on a rack above the meat loaf. Ground meat from the retail market may be used for A and B and the suet omitted.

A. The temperature to which the meat loaf is cooked.

1. Bake in an oven at 160°C. (about 325°F.) until the interior temperature reaches 75°C.

2. Repeat (1) but remove from the oven at 80°C.

3. Repeat (1) but remove from the oven at 85°C.

4. Repeat (1) but remove from the oven at 90°C.

B. The temperature of the oven.

Bake to the interior temperature found best under A.

1. Bake at 150°C. (about 300°F.).

2. Bake at 160°C. (about 325°F.).

3. Bake at 175°C. (about 350°F.).

4. Bake at 185°C. (about 365°F.).

C. Effect of fineness of grinding of the meat.

Bake to interior and at oven temperatures found best under A and B.

1. Grind meat once, using a coarse knife in the grinder.

2. Grind meat once with a medium knife.

3. Grind meat once with a fine knife.

4. Repeat (2), putting meat through the grinder 4 times.

5. Repeat (3), putting meat through the grinder 4 times.

D. The effect of increasing the fat.

Bake to interior and at oven temperatures found best under A and B. Grind to the degree of fineness found best under C.

1. Add 7 grams of ground suet. (If desired butter may be used instead of the suet.)

2. Add 14 grams of ground suet.

3. Add 21 grams of ground suet.

4. Add 28 grams of ground suet.

Compare the flavor, moistness, and texture of the various meat loaves.

Hamburger. Recipe:

Ground beef

Egg Salt Pepper

1/4 pound

1/4 teaspoon 1/16 teaspoon

113 grams 12 grams 1 gram

Mix the ingredients together with a fork. For uniformity of temperature the hamburger may be baked in custard cups according to directions given under meat loaf. It may also be made into patties and seared, then cooked slowly as is the usual practice.

1. Repeat section A under meat loaf.

2. Repeat section C under meat loaf.