Red Seal Cook exam · Area I
Meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats
16 of the 150 questions on the Red Seal Cook exam. Meat, game, poultry, and variety meats: fabrication, cooking, and doneness.
What this area covers
In the Red Seal Occupational Standard for Cook, meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats is major work activity I. Its 3 tasks carry these shares of the exam, according to the official exam breakdown:
I-24 Meats and game meats
8 questionsBeef, veal, pork, lamb, and game: primal cuts, grading, and cooking methods.
- Tender cuts suit dry heat; tough cuts suit moist or combination heat.
- "Prime rib" is the name of a cut, a standing rib roast. It is not a grade.
I-25 Poultry and game birds
6 questionsClasses, fabrication, trussing, safe cooking, and doneness.
- These are Health Canada's safe internal temperatures, the same values used in the food safety lesson.
I-26 Variety meats
2 questionsOffal: identification, preparation, and cooking.
- Variety meats spoil faster than most muscle cuts because they are moist and hold more blood. Keep them at 4°C or colder and use fresh offal within a day or two.
- Rule of thumb: the harder a part worked in the living animal, the longer it needs to cook.
Free meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats practice questions
Try these exam-style questions, then open each one to check your answer and read why it is right.
Question 1 · Task I-24
A cook needs a cut of beef for a slow braise that will be served fork tender. Which cut is the best choice?
- A.Tenderloin
- B.Striploin
- C.Brisket
- D.Rib-eye
Show answerHide answer
Answer: C. Brisket
Brisket is a hard-working forequarter muscle full of collagen, which turns to gelatin during long, moist cooking. Tenderloin, striploin and rib-eye are tender, costly cuts meant for dry heat; they have little collagen and only dry out in a long braise.
Question 2 · Task I-25
A line cook is making turkey burgers from ground turkey. What internal temperature must the patties reach?
- A.63°C
- B.71°C
- C.74°C
- D.82°C
Show answerHide answer
Answer: C. 74°C
Ground poultry must reach 74°C because grinding spreads surface bacteria such as Salmonella through the whole patty. 71°C is the standard for ground beef and pork, not poultry, and 82°C is for a whole bird.
Question 3 · Task I-26
What are sweetbreads?
- A.The brains of young calves and lambs
- B.The thymus and pancreas of young animals
- C.The kidneys of young milk-fed lambs
- D.The testicles of young bulls and rams
Show answerHide answer
Answer: B. The thymus and pancreas of young animals
Sweetbreads are the thymus and pancreas glands, taken from young animals such as calves and lambs because the thymus shrinks as the animal ages. Testicles are a different item and are not sweetbreads, despite a common mix-up.
Question 4 · Task I-24
A case of beef carries the CFIA meat inspection legend. What does the legend tell the cook?
- A.The meat passed inspection for safety and wholesomeness
- B.The meat is Canada AAA grade or higher
- C.The meat has been aged for at least 21 days
- D.The meat is certified organic
Show answerHide answer
Answer: A. The meat passed inspection for safety and wholesomeness
Inspection confirms the meat was processed in an inspected establishment and is safe and wholesome. Grading is a separate quality assessment shown by a grade stamp, so the legend says nothing about AAA, aging or organic status.
Question 5 · Task I-25
Which class of chicken is mature, full of flavour but tough, and best suited to long, moist cooking such as soup or stock?
- A.Stewing hen
- B.Rock Cornish hen
- C.Capon
- D.Broiler or fryer
Show answerHide answer
Answer: A. Stewing hen
A stewing hen, or fowl, is an older laying hen with lots of flavour and tough meat, so it needs long, moist cooking. Cornish hens, capons and broilers are young, tender birds that suit dry heat such as roasting.
Red Seal Ready Cook Course
Master meats, game, poultry, game birds and variety meats for the exam
The course has a full lesson for every task in this area, a practice set with an explanation for every answer, and a timed unit test with the same number of questions as the real exam. One topic in every area is free to try.