interlaced roast –Two or more Frenched rib sections are joined and tied. Two racks tied together are into a circular form are called a “crown roast.”

Ibérico pig – A very old strain of black-skinned pigs with very little hair. The adult has slender legs and a very long snout. Ibérico pigs also have a high fat content. The large amount of fat covering each ham, enables the meat to be cured for a much longer period, resulting in a much more complex, intense flavor.

industrial livestock pigs – Pigs raised on large-scale, industrial farms. They are raised mostly indoors on a commercial feed, and have a considerably shorter life span.

Irish bacon – Cured pork loin, including the overlying fat, that is sliced thin and fried like common bacon. It is sometimes called “back bacon.”

inbreeding – Production of offspring from parents more closely related than the average of a population. Inbreeding increases the proportion of homozygous gene pairs and decreases the proportion of heterozygous gene pairs. Inbreeding increases prepotency and facilitates expression of undesirable recessive genes.

independent culling levels – Selection of culling based on cattle meeting specific levels of performance for each trait included in the breeders selection program. For example, a breeder could cull all heifers with weaning weights below 400 pounds and yearling weights below 650 pounds.

IBP – One of the three largest beef-packing companies.

immunity – Ability of an animal to resist or overcome infection.

intake – The amount of feed consumed by an animal per day. Intake is usually expressed as a percent of bodyweight or in pounds per day.

integrated resource management (IRM) – Multidisciplinary approach to managing cattle more efficiently and profitably. Management decisions are based on how all resources are affected.

integration – Bringing together of two or more segments of beef production and processing under one centrally organized unit.

intensive grazing management (IGM) or intensive rotational grazing – Grazing management where a grazing unit is subdivided into subunits (paddocks) with grazing periods of typically less than 5 days.

intermuscular fat – Fat located between muscles. Also called “seam fat.”

intramuscular fat – Fat within the muscle. Also called “marbling.”

intersemating – Mating of animals within a defined population. Literally to mate among themselves.

ionophore – Antibiotic that enhances feed efficiency by changing microbial fermentation in the rumen.

Jaccard tenderizer – A device with a series of symmetrically arranged narrow, chisel-like blades used to tenderize meat. The blades are arranged offset so small bundles of muscle fiber are cut into short sections while leaving the entire muscle still intact. Versions are available for home cooks, restaurants, and commercial meat producers. Produced by the Jaccard Corporation in New York State.

Jamaican jerk seasoning – A dry seasoning blend originating in Jamaica used primarily in the preparation of grilled meat. The ingredients can vary, depending on the cook, and often are a combination of chilies, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, garlic and onions.

jambalaya – One of Creole cookery’s hallmark dishes Jambalaya is a versatile dish that combines cooked rice with a variety of ingredients including tomatoes, onion, green peppers, and almost any kind of meat, poultry, or shellfish. The dish varies widely from cook to cook. It’s thought that the name derives from the French jambon, meaning “ham,” the main ingredient in many of the original jambalayas.

jambon – (French) ham. Jambon fumé is smoked ham and jambon cru is “cooked” ham.

jambon persillé – (French) A molded dish of strips or cubes of cooked ham and minced parsley held together with a gelatin.

jambonneau – (French) The lower leg of a pig, usually without the knee or ankle joints attached.

jarret de veau – (French) veal shank.

jerky – Also called jerked meat, jerky is meat (usually beef) that is cut into long, thin strips and dried, traditionally by the sun. Jerky was a popular staple with early trappers, just as it is with today’s backpackers because it keeps almost indefinitely and is light and easy to transport. It’s quite tough and salty but is very flavorful and high in protein.

joue – (French) cheek.

jugged hare – A classic English preparation that begins with cut pieces of rabbit that are soaked in a red wine-juniper berry marinade for at least a day. The marinated meat is well browned, then combined in a casserole, traditionally a heatproof crock or jug, with vegetables, seasonings and stock, and baked. When the meat and vegetables are done, the juices are poured off and combined with cream and the reserved hare blood and pulverized liver. The strained sauce is served over the “jugged” hare and vegetables.

jus – (French ) juice. Can refer to fruit and vegetable juices, as well as the juices exuded from cooked meat.

kafta – (Lebanese) ground meat patties, usually prepared by mixing the ground beef with onion, parsley, allspice, black pepper and salt. See kofta.

kalbi, galbi (갈비) – (Korean) marinated and grilled pork or beef short ribs.

kassler, kasseler – (German) A salted (cured) and slightly smoked cut of pork. Pork necks and loins are the most often used although ribs, shoulders and bellies can also be used.

kebab, kabab – A wide variety of meat dishes originating in the Middle East and later on adopted in Turkey, Southern Europe, South Asia, and Asia Minor, that are now found worldwide. In English, kebab with no qualification generally refers more specifically to shish kebab (Armenian) served on the skewer. In the Middle East kebab refers to meat that is cooked over or next to flames; large or small cuts of meat, or even ground meat; it may be served on plates, in sandwiches, or in bowls. The traditional meat for kebab is lamb.

keech – An early 20th century term for a mass or lump of fat rolled up by the butcher. The term is no longer in use. It is derived from the early 19th century Scottish informal term for excrement.

keslop – The stomach of a calf prepared for rennet.

kheyma – (Armenian) (Also called kibbah in Arabic or Lebanese.) Uncooked ground lamb or beef mixed with parsley, onions, tomatoes and spices and eaten with romaine leaves or Armenian pita bread.

kid – A young goat of less than five months old.

kidney – One of the edible internal organs of an animal. They are essential in the urinary system and also serve homeostatic functions such as the regulation of electrolytes, maintenance of acid-base balance, and regulation of blood pressure (via maintaining salt and water balance). They serve the body as a natural filter of the blood, and remove wastes which are diverted to the urinary bladder. They must be thoroughly cleaned and trimmed before cooking.

kielbasa , kołbasa, kobasa, kovbasa, kobasi, kubasa – A smoked sausage of many varieties originating in Eastern Europe.

kinilaw – (Visayan ) A Philippine dish referring to fresh, uncooked fish briefly marinated in vinegar until translucent.

kip – Very young veal, often round three days old at the time of slaughter.

kipper – A whole herring that has been split from tail to head, gutted, salted or brined, and cold smoked. The term is sometimes used as an adjective to describe other fish prepared in the same manner.

kishke – (Yiddish, also Slovene: kašnica; Belarusian кішка, kishka; Polish: kiszka; Romanian chişcă; Silesian krupńok; Hebrew קישקע; Russian Кишка ) Refers to various types of sausage or stuffed intestine with a filling made from a combination of meat and meal, often a grain.

klobása – (Slovene) A small sausage generally served whole.

knacker – (British English) A person in the trade of rendering animals, especially horses, that are unfit for human consumption. A knacker’s yard or knackery is different from a slaughterhouse, where animals are slaughtered for human consumption.

knackwurst – Refers to a variety of sausage types, depending on the geographical region. In the United States, it may refer to a short, plump sausage originating from the Holstein region in Germany that contains ground veal, ground pork, and fresh garlic stuffed into hog casings.

knish – An Eastern European snack food made popular in America by Eastern European Jewish immigrants. It consists of a filling covered with dough that is either baked, grilled, or deep fried.

knuckle – See “peeled knuckle.”

Kobe beef – Beef harvested from an ancient stock of cattle called “kuroge wagyu” (black haired Japanese cattle). It is raised exclusively in Hyogo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital. Kobe beef is considered the most exclusive beef in the world. True Kobe beef is not available outside of Japan due to Japanese export restrictions.

kofta – (Albania: qofte; Arabic: كفته (kufta in standard Arabic & most dialects; Azerbaijan: küftə; Bangladesh: kofta; Bosnia and Herzegovina: ćufta; Bulgaria: кюфте; Croatia: ćufta; Greece: κεφτές; Hebrew: כופתה; Romania: chiftea; Serbia: ћуфтa or ћуфтe (ćufte); Turkey: köfte) A Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball or meatloaf. They consist of balls of minced or ground meat, usually beef or lamb, mixed with spices and or onions. They are often shaped into meatballs which are prepared with a mixture of ground meat, rice, leeks and some other ingredients.

Kosher – When used in reference to meat, means meat that is butchered and processed according to the Jewish religious law of kashrut (כַּשְׁרוּת).

kreplach (קרעפּלעך) – (Yiddish) Small dumplings, filled with meat, potatoes, or cheese and served in soup.

kromeski – (Russian) Chicken, game, or veal cut into small pieces, creamed and wrapped in thin slices of bacon, dipped in fritter batter, and deep-fried.

kugel (קוגל) – (Yiddish) A baked, savory “pudding” made with potatoes or noodles and sometimes meat and vegetables.

Kutteln, Kaldaunen, Flecke – (German) Mostly beef, but sometimes lamb or veal, tripe.

lagniappe – Used primarily in southern Louisiana and southeast Texas, the word refers to an “unexpected something extra.” It could be an additional doughnut, as in “baker’s dozen,” a free “one for the road” drink, and an unanticipated tip for someone who provides a special service or possibly a complimentary dessert for a regular customer.

Lancashire hot pot – A version of hotchpotch that contains mutton, sheep’s kidneys, and, when available, oysters, all covered with a layer of potatoes.

lardo – (Italian) a type of salume made by curing strips of fatback with rosemary and other herbs and spices

ligamentum nuchae – See “back strap.”

linguiça – (Portuguese) A form of smoke-cured pork sausage seasoned with garlic and paprika.

liver – The organ in invertebrates responsible for blood detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion. Liver is rich in iron, protein and vitamin A.

llama – A domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since pre-Hispanic times.

London broil – A poorly defined North-American beef cut fabricated from either the flank or a thick cut from sirloin tip, bottom round, or top round.

loukániko (λουκάνικο) – (Greek) A common Greek word for pork sausage. In English, the term refers to a Greek sausage seasoned with orange rind, fennel, and other dried herbs.

Maillard reaction – A form of nonenzymatic browning resulting from a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring heat. High temperature, intermediate moisture levels, and alkaline conditions all promote the Maillard reaction. The reaction peaks at 154 °C (309 °F).

mammal – Members of class Mammalia, air-breathing vertebrate animals characterized by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young. Most mammals also possess sweat glands and specialized teeth. The largest group of mammals, the placentals, have a placenta which feeds the offspring during gestation. The mammalian brain, with its characteristic neocortex, regulates endothermic and circulatory systems, the latter featuring red blood cells lacking nuclei and a four-chambered heart.

mandolin – A mechanical slicer that can be fitted with various cutting blades to produce consistent slices and strips.

marbling – Small, visible streaks of intramuscular fat. Marbling improves meat juiciness and flavor.

marinate – To steep food in a marinade.

marinade – A liquid, normally savory and acidic, in which a food is soaked to enrich its flavor or to tenderize it.

marrow – See “bone marrow.”

marrowbone – Sections of beef femur or humerus cut to expose the marrow on one or both ends. The marrow may be cooked in the bone or extracted and cooked separately.

maw – The mouth, throat, or gullet of a voracious animal.

mechanically separated meat – A paste-like meat product produced by forcing bones with attached edible meat under high pressure through a sieve or similar device to separate the bone from the edible meat tissue.

medallion – A small round or oval slice meat.

melt – A pig or calf spleen.

mesentery – Membranes and fat that support the intestines and provide paths for blood vessels that service the intestines.

middle meats – Cuts from the rib and loin section of an animal.

mignon – See “filet mignon.”

mince – A food preparation technique in which food ingredients are chopped in small, irregular pieces.

minestra – (Italian) A thick soup of meat and vegetables.

minute steak – See “cube steak.”

moist-heat cooking – Cooking a covered pot in the oven, on the range, or in a slow-cooker so that the heat transfer mechanism is liquid. It is used for tougher meat cuts.

mortadella – (Italian) A smooth-textured pork sausage with large pieces of fat dispersed through the body of the sausage.

moussaka (μουσακάς) – (Greek) A dish consisting of layers of minced lamb or beef, sliced eggplant, tomatoes, and béchamel sauce, that is baked in an oven, and is common in the Balkans, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Middle East.

mulligatawny – (Tamil) A curry-flavored soup of Anglo-Indian origin.

muscle – A soft tissue of animals. Muscle cells contain protein filaments that slide past one another, producing a contraction that changes both the length and the shape of the cell. Muscles function to produce force and cause motion.

museau de bœuf – (French) Beef snout.

mutton – The flesh of mature sheep used as food. The definition of mutton varies from country to country.

myoglobin – An iron- and oxygen-binding protein found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates in general and in almost all mammals. nabemono (なべ物) – (Japanese) A general term referring to dishes prepared in one pot. Ingredients are cut bite-size and cooked in broth in the kitchen or at the table.

nanny goat – Another term for a female goat. Also referred to as “doe.”

nap – To completely coat food with a layer of sauce.

navarin – (French) A stew of mutton or lamb and vegetables.

neat – An archaic term that refers to a member of the bovine family, such as an ox or a cow.

nephric – Of, like, or pertaining to kidney.

New York strip – A steak cut from the muscles lying dorsal to the lumbar spine. Also called a New York steak, shell steak, club steak, Kansas City strip, or sirloin steak.

Newcastle disease – A highly contagious disease effecting poultry. It is transmissible to humans.

nidor – (Latin) Strong smell or fume of an animal being cooked.

nimono (煮る) – (Japanese) A general term for a simmered dish.

noisette – A small round piece of meat, especially loin or fillet of lamb, veal, or pork

nuggets – A small, batter-fried piece of chicken or fish. offal –Animal organs or extremities that can be used for cooking. Often referred to as variety meats.

oligopsony – A commodity market where there is a small number of buyers that gives the buyers a strong advantage over the sellers.

olla podrida – (Spanish) A rich, seasoned stew of meat and vegetables, usually including sausage and chick-peas.

oleic acid – An unsaturated fatty acid found in natural fats and oils.

omega – A fatty acid found in meat.

omnivorous – Feeding on both animal and vegetable substances.

ossobuco – (Italian) A dish made from veal shanks cross-cut into slices and braised in olive oil, white wine, stock, onions, tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, carrots, celery and lemon peel. Traditionally garnished with gremolata and served with risotto.

ox – A domestic bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated males.

oyster – The small mass of muscle contained in the dorsal concavity of the pelvic bone on each side of a fowl.

ozoni – See zōni.

panaculty – A dish originating from the northeastern England. It is a form of canned corned-beef hash, but started out as any left over meat from Sunday dinner that was served the next day.

partridge – Medium-sized birds from the pheasant family.

pašticada – (Croatian) A stewed beef dish, popular in Croatia.

pasty –A folded pastry case filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, often associated with the Cornwall region of England. Also called a Cornish pasty.

pastrami – Highly seasoned, smoked beef, typically served in thin slices. Raw meat is brined, seasoned with various herbs and spices, smoked, and steamed.

pâté – (French) A mixture of usually ground or pureed meat and fat cooked in a terrine.

patty – A small, flat cake of minced or finely chopped food, especially meat.

pemmican – A mixture of dried and pounded meat mixed with melted fat and other ingredients, originally made by native North Americans.

pepperoni – Beef and pork dried sausage seasoned with pepper. It is characteristically soft, slightly smoky, and bright red in color.

pepper steak – A steak covered with crushed peppercorns, pan-broiled, and served with brandy-butter sauce.

pickled pigs feet – Hog’s feet cooked and preserved in a hot vinegar brine.

pink – Another term for “rare” when referring to degree of doneness during cooking.

pluck – An archaic term for the heart, liver, lungs, and trachea of a slaughtered food animal.

pork – The meat of a pig, from the Latin porcus.

porterhouse steak – A steak cut from the lumbar region of the spine containing portions of both the loin and the tenderloin. See also T-bone steak.

pot pie – A savory pie with a top crust and sometimes a bottom crust baked in a pie tin or deep dish.

pot roast – A dish prepared by slow-cooking large cuts of meat in a covered pot, originally on top of the stove but now often in an oven.

poultry – Meat from domesticated birds, such as chickens.

prime rib – A roast cut from the seven ribs immediately ventral to the loin with some portion of the ribs and associated vertebrae.

prosciutto – (Italian) Cured and dried ham typically served in very thin slices.

protein – Any of a class of nitrogenous organic compounds that consist of large molecules composed of one or more long chains of amino acids.

pulled pork –It is a method of preparation in which pork, usually shoulder, is slow-cooked until tender and then separated into small pieces. In some parts of southeastern United States, the term “barbecue” refers to pulled pork. ender - The process of extracting fat from an animal tissue by using heat.

Regular Liver – Liver usually taken from older beef animals.

Refiner – A processing unit that refines lard into vegetable oils and shortenings.

Rough cuts – Less popular cuts e.g. shank, navel, flank, brisket.

Rib Fingers – Thin strips of beef that are removed from between individual back ribs.