Chicken, Pork and Fat Content

[kokopuffs]

Not long ago I had a yen to make French pate and needed some pork fatback, the unsalted layer of fat akin to unsalted bacon fat. It's cut into large sheets to line the terrine and provide fat (mositure) and therefore smoothness to the pate mixture. In contacting a meat packing plant near Denver, the representative told me that in Colorado pork and chicken nowadays contain 20% less fat than 20 years ago. This fact probably accounts for the difficulty in procuring fatback.

Here in Colorado I've noticed that phenomenon with chicken; it really tastes drier than chickens I'd gotten elsewhere like in GA and CA. Anyone had a similar experience with dryness?

IMHO fat flavors food, moistens it and provides a feeling a fullness among additional healthful benefits like insulation against cold and cell membrane synthesis.

[phatch]

I'm reading a book by Bruce Aidell's and he mentions that a pork chop today has the same amount of calories as a skinless chicken breast with only 1 gram more of fat. There were a few other qualifiiers in that claim, but you get the point.

Yes, modern meat is leaner. Even Beef where the Prime designation was revised for leaner beef. I concur fat adds flavor, thus my favorite cut of pork is the inexpensive shoulder which you can roast or butcher further into other fun cuts.

Overall, this is probably a healthy trend for the general eaters of the world who don't cook and eat carefully. And for the meat industry, we are not as profitable a group to cater to.

Phil

[chefboy2160]

Yes , the trend now with poultry and pork is a much leaner product than we grew up with . Take the skin off of the poultry , and cut the fat out of the pork and you can sell it as healthy .
But , think about the best beef steak youve ever eaten . Ill bet it was marbeled with fat . this is what gives that silky feeling in your mouth and helps to hold the moisture between the layers of meat .
This is what makes meat taste ( except for bacon crispy and jerky ) . As far as health goes well for some people it helps to controll these fats and for others it just does not matter . I have been a cook for 25 years now and I use cream , butter , olive oil and pork fat in my cooking and at 44 years old my cholesteral is 134 . For many of us it is in the genes to be able to
have this . For others , they can watch there fats and diets and they still run high cholesteral levels .
All we can try to do is the best we can with our foods . But if I can say , please put the fat back into pork !!!!
Peace , Doug..............

[phatch]

Even if the pork were fattier, it never marbled like beef does. A bit, yes. But pork just carries fat differently than beef which is why it wasn't and isn't graded on the same criteria.

Phil

[chefboy2160]

Yes phatch , you are so right . But is not the advertiseing trend to say lower fat ?
And is not the trend in pork to go the same way to keep up sales ? The other white meat ? My favorite pork roast is the pork butt , bone in for flavor .
My opinion is if you wish to eat something then make sure you eat the best you can!
all else is mediocraty and that is like luke warm tea to me ! The Devils own brew !
Love ya man , Doug..................

[scott123]

IMHO fat flavors food

I concur fat adds flavor

This is what makes meat taste ( except for bacon crispy and jerky )

You guys are 100% correct. Fat IS flavor. Food scientists have been doing experiments on the impact of fat on flavor for some time. The leaner meat gets, the more difficult it is to detect which animal it comes from. Studies have shown that extremely lean beef, chicken, pork, lamb (or just about anything else) tastes exactly the same to taste testers and cannot be differentiated.

Fat, besides being responsible for flavor, also is essential for texture. Melted fat acts as a lubricant, preventing protein fibers from bonding, just like fat keeps the proteins in flour from bonding in flaky pie crusts.