Last week the Year 11 Food Technology students looked at how food changes from paddock to plate. In line with this and food product development, it’s an important element when looking at where their food comes from, and why hygiene is taken so seriously in the Australian Food Industry.
They donned their most stylish blue gloves and got to work emaciating some fresh beef and pork cuts. Following this seemingly easy task, they weren’t prepared for what was next.
I had pre-loaded the sausage attachment and the hog casings were there ready to both show to them and test out. A little put off at first, they hesitantly had turns understanding the logistics of the speed and support needed for the skin as the meat comes out; but they were expert sausage handlers within no time at all.
The sausages were cooked a few days later on the barbecue grill, and the boys found a much more interesting appreciation for the work that goes into sausages, as well as noticing the taste differences when made with ingredients you know and understand are being put in.
As the world of food gets more and more processed, it is hoped that these small activities exploring household methods to replicate processed/industrialised food can help students understand what does go into their food, and maybe more price-efficient ways to prepare meals at home as they grow up and move out on their own.
