When it comes to delicious and nutritious beef and mutton, people often think of them as a winter specialty. Is it really easy to get "heatiness" from eating beef and mutton in the summer? In fact, this is merely a misconception influenced by traditional dietary concepts and the common cooking methods for beef and mutton in our country.
As delicious, protein-rich, and nutritious foods, beef and mutton, like other animal proteins, can be consumed all year round. The key lies in mastering scientific cooking methods. In the summer, it is advisable to choose the currently popular method of stewing beef and mutton. This method involves washing fresh beef and mutton, placing them in boiling water, then discarding the water after it comes to a boil. Fresh, clean boiling water is then added, along with only a small amount of salt, green onions, and ginger. Beef and mutton prepared this way are delicious and not greasy. Moreover, because they do not contain pungent and heating seasonings, they provide nutrition and allow people to enjoy the delicious food without worrying about getting "heatiness" after eating.
How to identify the quality of beef and mutton in the summer? First, smell it. Fresh meat has a normal smell, while inferior meat has an ammonia-like or sour odor. Second, touch it. First, check for elasticity: fresh meat is elastic, and the indentation from a finger press recovers immediately; inferior meat has poor elasticity, and the indentation recovers slowly or not at all; spoiled meat has no elasticity. Second, check for stickiness: fresh meat is slightly dry or slightly moist on the surface and does not stick to the hand; slightly inferior meat is dry or sticky on the surface, with a newly cut surface that is moist and sticky; spoiled meat is very sticky and extremely dry on the surface, but some heavily water-injected meat may also not stick to the hand, but its surface appears wet and is not firm. Third, look at it. Look at the skin: meat without red spots is good, while meat with red spots is spoiled. Look at the muscle: fresh meat is shiny with an even red color; inferior meat is slightly darker in color. Look at the fat: fresh meat has fat that is white or pale yellow; inferior meat's fat is dull; spoiled meat's fat is green.