WHERE’S THE BEEF

or

FROM PASTURE TO PLATE
Developed by Berton F. Stengel

Summary

            The primary purpose of this module is to acquaint students in the selection of beef and beef products for consumption and to develop problem solving skill in judging beef quality and retail identification.

Connection to the Curriculum

            This module will stress critical thinking skills, math skills, and reading skills. Students will participate in judging contests that will require approximately 2000 critical decisions in a time limit of less than three hours. It should be noted here that this is designed for teaching and coaching judging teams, either 4-H (middle school through high school and/or FFA (high school). May be used as classroom instruction without the judging events as an Ag-Sci unit. 

TEKS Alignment 

            Science             7.1, 7.2, 7.3, 7.4
                                    8.1, 8.2, 8.3, 8.4
            Biology             1a, 1b, 2a-d, 3a-f
            Plant and Animal Production    1a, 1c, 1e, 4a-d, 4f
            Reading             1a, 2c, 3a, 3b, 4a, 5g, 5h, 6c, 7d
            Math                 8.2a-d, 8.8a-c, 8.9b, 8.10a, 8.14a-c

 Time

            In class - 10 class periods of 50 minutes.
            For judging teams - 2 days a week after school for 1.5 hours each session x 3 months. 

Season

            Spring semester beginning mid January and running till the end of April to coincide with contest season.

Materials

            Meat evaluation handbook
            Guide to identification of meat cuts
           Wholesale/retail cuts coding list
            USDA marbling photographs
            Beef chart (graphic)
            Marbling, maturity, and carcass quality guide
            Yield grade chart (graphic)
            Meat identification slide set
            FFA Yellow Pages - consumer questions and answers about meat and poultry

            Videos

                        Introduction to Meat Judging
                        Beef Retail Cut Identification
                        Oral Reasons

            Personal items

                        Hardhat
                        Hair net
                        Earplugs
                        Lab coat
                        Rubber-soled shoes or boots
                        White cotton gloves
                        Coat
                        Clipboard
                        Pencils, #2’s 

Objectives

•         Identify retail cuts including species, wholesale cut, and retail name.

•          Will be able to place classes of carcasses, wholesale cuts, and retail cuts.

•          Will be able to quality grade beef carcasses.

•          Will be able to yield grade beef carcasses.

•          Answer written questions on placing classes to justify placing.

•         Answer general questions on nutrition, selecting and buying beef, storage, and cookery.

Procedures

            1.  Introduce students to meat judging using video and discuss the format of a judging contest. Students will relate raising beef cattle for show to what the                    consumer expects in the supermarket.
            2.  Begin student instruction with the wholesale/retail cuts coding list. Review the Guide to Identification of Meat Cuts. To be successful the coding list                  must be committed to memory.
            3.  Using identification videos and photographic displays begin learning the retail cuts of beef.
            4.  Begin judging classes by discussing quality and yield grading. Quality being the palpability of  a cut and yield being the trimness of the cut. Relate quality                    and yield to profitability in the market place.
            5.  Using videos and practice contests to learn quality and yield grading of beef carcasses. Practices contests are held at the San Antonio Live Stock Show,
                 Houston Live Stock Show, TSU Invitational Contest, and TAMU Meat Science School.
            6.  Using videos and photographs of placing classes practice written questions. Students must be taught note-taking skills that includes personalized shorthand.
            7.  Classroom activities to include reviewing FFA Yellow Pages on nutrition, selection, storage, and preparation of beef and beef products.
            8a. High School - FFA meat judging team to compete in Area Contest in meat judging
            8b. Jr. High - 4-H intermediate team to compete at district level in meat judging.

Questions

•         What is the goal of the beef industry in the United States?

•       Who benefits from a safe and profitable beef industry?

•       How can an informed consumer improve product?

•       What are the 6 quality grades and 5 yield grades?

•      How do you identify the age of a beef carcass?

•       How do you determine the sex of a beef carcass?

•       What quality and yield grades are you likely find in a supermarket?

•       Who pays for waste on a beef carcass?
  

Evaluation

Results of practice contests and area and/or district contest for team and individual standings. Winning is not a measure however, but team and individual

            improvement from contest to contest and a students willingness to make a decision and defend that decision is final goal.

Expanding the Lesson

            Ag extension - Raising livestock.
                                  Selection of show stock.
                                  Livestock shows.

            Math extension - Marketing and pricing of beef, wholesale and retail.

Resources

           Books
                        Meat Evaluation Hand Book, National Live Stock Meat Board, 1987.
                        The Guide to Identifying Meat Cuts, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, 1998.
                        Yellow Pages, American Meat Institute Foundation, 1994.
                        Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards, National Live Stock and Meat Board, 1995.
                        Texas 4-H Meats Judging, Leaders Manual, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, 1985. 

            Other materials

                        “Official USDA Marbling Photographs,” National Live Stock and Meat Board.

                        Retail Meat Cut Identification flash cards and slide sets, Vocational

                        Agriculture Service, University of Illinois.

            Web sites

                       http://www.texasextension.tamu.edu
                       http://www.texas4-h.tamu.edu 
                      http://www.colostate.edu/Depts/COOP/4hylist.html
                     http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/~vo-ag/vas.htm#subs