MEAT TECHNOLOGY: TYPES OF MEAT
Diagram
Two red meats from two animals
Beef
Meat from cattle. It is the darkest of the common red meats, with a strong flavour and fat that sits in seams and marbling.
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Pork
Meat from pigs. It is a red meat too, but it is paler and milder than beef, with softer fat under the skin and through the meat.
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Same science
Both are red meats from mammals, so both hold myoglobin. The difference is the animal, the colour, the fat and the flavour.
Figure 1: Beef comes from cattle and pork from pigs: both are red meats, but beef is darker and stronger in flavour. Drawn in our own style from the meat composition discussion in Toldra, Lawrie’s Meat Science, 9th ed., chapter 19, and the species articles in the Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences.
Introduction
Beef and pork are the two most common red meats, sold side by side as steaks and chops, but they come from different animals and they eat and cook differently. Beef is meat from cattle, and pork is meat from pigs. Toldra covers meat composition and nutritional value in chapter 19 of Lawrie’s Meat Science, and the Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences covers each species in its own articles.
The core difference is the animal: cattle are large grazing animals whose muscle holds a lot of myoglobin, so beef is dark and strong in flavour, while pigs are smaller animals whose muscle holds less myoglobin, so pork is paler and milder.
Quick comparison
Table 1: Beef compared with Pork
| Aspect | Beef | Pork |
|---|---|---|
| Source animal | Cattle | Pigs |
| Colour when raw | Dark red | Pale pink to light red |
| Myoglobin | High, so the meat is dark | Lower than beef, so the meat is paler |
| Flavour | Strong, pronounced beef flavour | Mild, sweeter flavour |
| Fat | Firm fat, often in seams and marbling through the meat | Softer fat, often in a layer under the skin |
| Typical cuts | Steak, roast, brisket, mince | Chops, loin, belly, leg, shoulder |
| Cooking | Often cooked to a range of doneness, from rare to well done | Usually cooked right through before eating |
| Processed products | Corned beef, beef jerky, beef sausages | Ham, bacon, pork sausages, salami |
| Tenderness | Varies a lot by cut: tenderloin is tender, shin is tough | Usually tender across the common cuts |
| Use in the kitchen | Steaks, roasts, stews, mince dishes | Roasts, chops, stir fries, cured products |
Scientific explanation
Definition
Beef is meat from cattle, and pork is meat from pigs. Both are red meats, because both come from mammals and both hold myoglobin in their muscle. The Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences treats each species in its own articles, and Lawrie’s Meat Science covers the composition of meat in chapter 19.
Pork is sometimes called the other white meat in advertising, but by the science it is a red meat: the pig is a mammal, and pork muscle holds myoglobin, even though it holds less than beef muscle.
Working principle
The colour difference comes from myoglobin, the pigment that stores oxygen in muscle. Cattle are large animals that graze and walk all day, so their muscles work steadily and hold a lot of myoglobin, and beef looks dark red. Pigs move less and their muscles hold less myoglobin, so pork looks paler.
The flavour difference follows the same cause: more myoglobin and more iron give beef its stronger flavour, while pork fat is softer and milder, which gives pork its sweeter, milder taste.
Apparatus
The books used for this article name no single standard apparatus for telling beef from pork: the distinction is made by the species, the cut and the colour. In a laboratory, species can be checked by protein or DNA tests, and myoglobin by spectrophotometry, but no such instrument is part of the everyday definition.
Measurement procedure
There is no standard measurement procedure for this comparison in the books used here. In practice the meat is identified by its cut and its label, and its colour is judged by eye on the freshly cut surface. Where the species is in doubt, a laboratory test on the proteins or DNA of the meat settles it.
Factors affecting readings
The age of the animal matters: older cattle and older pigs both give darker meat. The cut matters too: a hard working muscle is darker than a little used muscle from the same animal. Diet changes the fat and the flavour, and the time since slaughter changes the colour, so two pieces of the same meat can look different.
Formulas and calculations
The books used for this article give no formula for this comparison, so none is given here. The comparison is qualitative: it rests on definitions, materials and method, not on a calculation.
Industrial applications
- Beef is used for steaks and roasts, where its dark colour and strong flavour are the point.
- Beef is used for mince, burgers and stews, where its flavour carries the dish.
- Pork is used for chops, roasts and belly, where a mild flavour and tender meat are wanted.
- Pork is used for ham, bacon and sausages, and pork is the main meat for most cured products.
- Both are used in ready meals, with the choice set by flavour, cost and the dish.
Advantages and limitations
- Beef, advantage: strong flavour and dark colour, so it suits steaks, roasts and slow cooked dishes.
- Beef, limitation: some cuts are tough and need long cooking, and it is usually dearer than pork.
- Pork, advantage: mild, tender and versatile, and it cures very well into ham and bacon.
- Pork, limitation: paler and milder, so it does not give the strong beef flavour some dishes need, and it must be cooked right through.
FAQ
Is pork a white meat?
No, by the science it is a red meat: the pig is a mammal and pork holds myoglobin. The other white meat phrase is advertising, not a scientific classification.
Why is beef darker than pork?
Because cattle muscle holds more myoglobin than pig muscle. Myoglobin is the pigment that makes meat look red, so more of it means darker meat.
Can beef be eaten rare but pork cannot?
In common practice, yes: beef steaks are often served rare or medium, while pork is usually cooked right through. That is a kitchen rule built on safety practice, not a difference in the meat’s colour.
Which is fattier, beef or pork?
It depends on the cut, not the animal alone: a fatty beef brisket is fattier than a lean pork loin, and a pork belly is fattier than a lean beef steak. Judge by the cut, not by the species.
Why is most bacon made from pork?
Because pork cures very well: its mild flavour takes the cure, and its fat stays soft and pleasant in ham and bacon. Beef is cured too, as corned beef, but pork is the usual meat for bacon and ham.
References and further reading
- Fidel Toldra, Lawrie’s Meat Science, 9th ed. Woodhead, 2022 (Google Books page read)
- Carrick Devine and M. Dikeman (eds.), Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences, 2nd ed. Elsevier, 2014
