Lesson 2 meat physical structure

1.Read and memorize the following words:

cut [kʌ t] шматок

e.g. This is a nice cut of beef.

fat [fæ t] жир

e.g. Fats consist of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, though the proportion of oxygen is lower.

bone [bə ʊ n] кістка

e.g. If fish bones are eaten, these are good sources of calcium and phosphorus.

fibre ['faɪ bə ] (US=fiber) волокно

e.g. Some foods, particularly cereals and some fruit and vegetables, contain large amounts of “dietary fibre”.

to alter ['ɔ: ltə ] змінювати(ся)

e.g. He altered his decision after long thinking.

locomotion [ˌ lə ʊ kə 'mə ʊ ʃ (ə)n] переміщення

e.g. Muscles take part in locomotion.

artery ['ɑ: tə rı ] артерія

e.g. Blood is carried along the arteries to the different parts of the body.

vein [veı n] вена

e.g. Veins are the part of circulatory system.

marbling ['mɑ: blı ŋ ] “мармуровість” (вкраплення жиру)

e.g. Good beef should have small flecks of fat on its lean (red) areas which are called ‘marbling’.

2.Match the words with their definitions.

3.Read the following words. Remember the pronunciation.

Myofibrils [ˌ maı ə ʊ 'faı brı lz] міофібрили, collagen ['kɒ lə ʤ ə n] колаген, gelatin [ˌ ʤ elə 'ti: n] желатин, matrix ['mæ trı ks] матрикс (міжклітинний матеріал), subcutaneous ['sʌ bkju(:)'teı njə s] підшкірний.

4.Read and translate the following text.

“Meat is the flesh of animals used for food” – Webster’s International Dictionary.

A typical cut of meat is made up primarily of skeletal muscle, connective tissue, fat, bone, and a small amount of smooth muscle such as arteries and veins. Skeletal muscle is made up of muscle fibres. Each muscle fibre consists of rod-shaped myofibrils. Myofibrils and connective tissue are the main structural components of muscle. They have the greatest effect upon meat tenderness. Many of the meat-processing procedures tenderise these components.

The connective tissue of muscle is composed mainly of collagen and elastin. As animals age, the molecular structure of the collagen is altered and becomes more difficult to change into gelatin when the meat is cooked. Muscles containing more connective tissue are less tender. Muscles that are involved in locomotion, such as in legs, contain more connective tissue than those muscles in the back, which serve as support.

Meat fat exists in three ways: in marbling, as deposits between bundles of muscle fibres; as intermuscular fat; and as subcutaneous fat on the surface of muscles. These fat deposits consist of fat cells held in a matrix of connective tissue. Lipids in fat cells contribute to the flavour and juiciness of cooked meat. Thus marbling within muscles makes meat more flavourful and juicy. Flavour is also affected by the age and feeding of the animal.

5.Answer the questions.

1.What is a cut of meat made up of?

2.What does each muscle fibre consist of?

3.Are myofibrils and connective tissue the main structural components of muscle?

4.What does meat tenderness depend on?

5.What are the three ways of meat fat?

6.What is the flavour of meat affected by?

6.Give the English equivalents:

шматок м’яса, скелетні м’язи, сполучна тканина, гладкі м’язи, м’язові волокна, міофібрили, пом’якшувати, колаген, молекулярна будова, існувати, пучки м’язів, міжм’язовий жир, підшкірний жир, смак та соковитість.

7.Match the attributes with the nouns.

8.Speak on the physical structure of meat.