Meat Grades...

Beef

When shopping for beef, it’s harder to see the quality in a brisket than it is to see the quality in a steak. But if you know how steaks are graded, you’ll have an easier time selecting your next brisket. With beef, safety inspection by the USDA is mandatory, but grading is optional. The top three grades are prime, choice and select. Usually only prime and choice are graded and marked at the retail level. Prime is usually reserved for the nicer restaurants but can be found occasionally in upscale meat stores. Choice is the grade found in most grocery stores and discount warehouses. Select is a lot leaner cut of beef and it is what is sold in the big discount retail grocery stores. “No roll” beef is beef that has not been graded by the USDA. Usually beef that has never been graded would fall into the “select” grade. So, when selecting the best brisket for slow smoking, look for a well marbled piece of meat.

Here are some good web sites which show the differences in marbling...

http://www.ams.usda.gov

Another way to select great beef is to buy the Certified Angus Beef brand (CAB). Remember that this is only a brand name and not certified by the USDA. CAB grades as USDA prime or the top 35% of USDA choice. So... just look for the CAB brand and your shopping will be a lot easier because you know you will be getting good quality meat. Visit their web site for further info...

http://www.certifiedangusbeef.com

Chicken

Chicken is a little easier to shop for because there are only three grades - A, B, and C. Grade A is usually the only grade sold in grocery stores. Grade A chicken has no defects, is meaty, full breasted, firm, no broken skin, and no broken bones. Anything else will be grades B or C. Sometimes you’ll find that the “on sale” chicken will be grade B or C. For more information, visit...

http://www.ams.usda.gov/poultry/standards/AMS-PYST-2002.htm#70-220-Start

Pork

Pork is sort of like chicken... there are only four grades 1, 2, 3, & 4 and most of the pork sold in grocery stores is grade 1. So your choice is fairly simple. Look for pork that is firm, grayish pink in color and has a good degree of marbling. I always buy the full racks of spareribs. The best ribs are “2 and under” but they are harder to find. 3.5 and under are more common and do just as well. Buy 4 and under if you have to but stay away from the “hogzilla” 5 lb spareribs. Remember, this is for the full untrimmed spareribs - not the loin cut, St Louis cut, or baby backs. To see how to trim your spareribs St Louis Style, visit...

http://www.bbq-book.com/news2006/html/october_2006.html

For a pork grade chart, visit...

http://www.ams.usda.gov/lsg/stand/slaughterswine.pdf

Contaminated food poses a significant health hazard - one that we all must be careful to avoid. Harmful microorganisms and bacteria which can grow on virtually any food item can cause stomachaches, illness, or even death. Although there is no absolutely foolproof way to prevent exposure to these dangerous germs, practicing good food safety can greatly reduce your risk of being a victim of food poisoning.

Wash Your Hands

One of the simplest rules for food preparation is to wash your hands thoroughly and frequently. To do this, wet your hands under warm, running water, lather with soap for at least 20 seconds, and rinse thoroughly afterwards. Make sure to clean inside skin creases and under fingernails; these are prime places for germs to hide. Though mundane, washing your hands helps prevent food poisoning in several ways. First, it prevents you from transferring any bacteria or harmful substances you may have accumulated on your hands onto your food. Second, by washing your hands frequently and between steps of food preparation, you can avoid cross-contaminating your food.

Cook Thoroughly

Meats, poultry, seafood, and eggs are some of the best places for bacteria to thrive. Raw meats are particularly notorious for containing any number of harmful germs. The best way to kill off these germs is by cooking all meat thoroughly; extreme heat will be able to destroy most germs. The best way to tell if meat has been cooked well is with a meat thermometer. Some rules of thumb: beef and pork should be cooked to 160 degrees, Poultry to 180 degrees, and ground meats to 165 degrees. Of course, not every has - or wants to buy - a meat thermometer. In this situation, color is often a good indicator - meats which are pink should be considered undercooked.

Avoid Cross-Contamination

Though fruits and vegetables are far less likely than meat to harbor dangerous bacteria, they are not 100% safe. Furthermore, if different types of food are mixed, bacteria can "jump ship" and cross-contaminate both foods. Blood and juices from raw meat, for example, contain large numbers of bacteria. If fruits or vegetables are exposed to this liquid, they can be contaminated as well. To avoid this, be sure to keep different types of food well separated. Cook in stages, and don't cut raw meat and vegetables on the same cutting board without washing it first.

Keep a Clean Kitchen

A popular set of statistics shows that kitchen counters, sinks, and surfaces are home to far more bacteria than the typical bathroom. One study showed that the kitchen cutting board - yes, the same board where you slice your meats, vegetables, fruits, and more - may have some 200 times the number of bacteria on the toilet seat. All these disgusting numbers show one thing - it is absolutely vital that you keep your kitchen clean. Don't allow garbage or leftovers to pile up. Wash dishes frequently and well. Replace worn or dirty cutting boards, cleaning rags, and sinks. The neater and cleaner your kitchen is, the less places germs can hide, breed, and wait to jump into the food you eat.

The menu could possibly be the single most important element of the Italian restaurant. After all, it is what is on the menu that keeps the customers coming back again and again. Careful consideration should go into planning the menu; this includes not only what foods you will serve, but also the layout and wording as well.

The first thing on your agenda when planning an Italian food menu is what type of food you will be serving. Are you serving just pizza and Italian sandwiches or will your menu feature a larger variety of dining options?

Next on your menu planning schedule should be to find several similar restaurants and study their menus. Pay attention to the variety of dishes that they offer, and how their menu is arranged.

Unless you already have your heart set on exactly what it is you will be serving in your diner, you may want to consider trying some of the most successful Italian restaurants in the area and incorporating some of their best dishes into your own menu. Some of the best Italian restaurants offer authentic foods from Italy, as well as some American versions.

Another point to keep in mind is that some of the best eating establishments have a signature dish that is all their own. You may want to create a taste that is unique to your restaurant. This is a sure way to keep the customers coming back.

Divide your menu into sections that include appetizers, drinks, lunch, dinner, salads, sandwiches and desserts. Now you are ready to fill your menu with the many wonderful and tasty dishes that you have planned.

Planning your menu includes much more than simply deciding what foods you will serve. Proper layout of the menu is also important. Again, study the menus of your competitors. How do they have their menu arranged? What are the menu's advantages and disadvantages?

By taking careful note of these aspects of the menu, you will have a good idea of how to best layout your own menu. Generally, appetizers and salads, along with soups appear first on the menu, followed by sandwiches, lunch selections and finally dinner plates.

Another extremely important factor that should not be overlooked when planning your menu is the color scheme and theme of your menu. The colors and graphics of your menu should reflect the overall theme of your establishment.

Don't forget that you will need quality graphics to represent the many wonderful dishes that you will be serving. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. People are visual and want to see what their food will look like. Last but not least is menu selection description. Use very descriptive and flowing language when describing the selections that are featured on your menu.

Once you have settled on your menu items, you'll be one step closer to your dream of opening a successful Italian restaurant.