The University of the West Indies (UWI) had an intriguing exhibit for the patrons at Agrofest to enjoy.
Three expert butchers gave a live demonstration of how to cut select pieces of meat.
What made the session even more fun and fulfilling was the prizes to be won. Once you answered a question correctly you got a slab of meat.
Director for the Agricultural Research and Innovation Centre at The UWI, Cave Hill Campus Dr Michele Singh said the purpose of the live demonstration was to help farmers improve their production and give consumers a better understanding of meat cuts.
“What we are doing over the next two days will be a live demonstration on carcass fabrication and cheese making and it’s aimed particularly at building capacity in this sector so that farmers are able to earn or generate higher incomes from their produce. So, the more skills that a farmer has in developing high quality cuts and value addition of products, it means that they have the potential to earn more income for their families,” she said.
Singh added that it was important to know what type of cut you desired based on the meal you were preparing. She said it was also critical to purchase meat from certified vendors.
“You want to make sure that there is a veterinary public health stamp, which means the animal has been inspected and approved for human consumption. That being said, you are then going to identify the method of cooking that you desire. So, if you’re going to do a stew, which is traditionally what is done in the Caribbean, then any old thing will work. However, if you are looking at developing a rack of ribs, a leg roast or whatever, then you want to look for the amount of fat, intramuscular, fat and what we call marbling. The more marbling a meat has, the better it’s cooking quality and the better it’s flavour.”
During the demo, the butchers asked those gathered around the booth a few questions and the people who got the answers right received a portion of meat.
“This is the university, so it’s also a teaching and demonstration moment to ensure that the public is aware of what they purchase, the cooking qualities of what they purchase and [we want to] help households make better decisions to purchase meat based on the type of cooking that they wish to do.”
Singh is also a licensed butcher and animal scientist.
(SZB)
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