The Fastest Three Weeks

I'm shocked at how quickly time is flying. Tomorrow is already our last day of Meat & Seafood Identification and Fabrication. I've grown from a timid squid dismantler to a cutting queen who can slice and dice up shoulder clod, tunnel bone a leg and thigh of a chicken, truss a pounded out piece of tenderloin, and grind and case my own sausage. I can't believe tomorrow is the final and I will admit I'm a bit nervous for it. We've covered so much. Maybe I'll have a culinaria dream tonight to help with reviewing it all.

Meat & Seafood final: what to know:

• Know the process and definition of Inspection.
• Know the definition of Quality Grade.
• Know what Yield Grade is.
• What is the name of the overfeeding process of ducks that is used to make Foie Gras?
• Know rib separations for beef and lamb.
• What primal are pork back ribs a fabrication of?
• Know the different classifications of all birds (sex, size, age, etc.).
• Be able to identify feathered game birds.
• Know the different types of fish - round, flat, lean, fatty.
• Know, in detail, the five different types of crab.
• Know beef, lamb and pork charts that identify loins from chucks, foresaddles from hindsaddles, and everything in between.
• Know the different types of grades in which meat can be purchased.
• Identify all types of meat cuts.
• What does the acronym NAMPS stand for?
• Know meat grinder equipment parts.
• Know the size and how many ounces you can get out of a hotel pan, a third pan, and a ninth pan.
• Out of the 100 parts of seafood, meat and poultry we've viewed over the past week, 12 will be on the exam for you to identify.
• And while you're at it, make sure you know every piece of equipment in the entire classroom.
• And review all past quizzes and homework. Just about every question from those will be on the exam!

Thank God for Friday late-night happy hour!

Cheers, ~JF