Meat is animal flesh (mainly muscle tissue) used as food, sometimes with the exception of fish, other seafood, and poultry. Originally, the word meat meant simply "food".
For the most part, meat for human consumption comes from mammals, most commonly from ungulates (hooved animals: cattle, goats, sheep, pigs) domesticated for the specific purpose of providing human food. The use of other meats, such as venison, the meat of small game animals and a few other mammals, and even the meat of certain reptiles and amphibians, is not uncommon. The use of meat from other mammals is much less common, although nearly every animal that lives has probably been used for human food at one time. What meats are used and the way they are cooked depends on the availability and cuisine.
In recent years, forms of imitation meat have been created to satisfy some vegetarians' taste for the flavour and texture of meat, and there is speculation about the possibility of growing in vitro meat from animal tissue.
The above list of meats includes the meat of animals that are eaten in some cultures but never eaten in other cultures. The list includes domesticated animals, wild animals, and even endangered species. Some of the animals, even those not endangered, are protected by law. Some cuisines (vegetarian) include none of the animals in the list. The list is not complete.
Fifty pounds of beef, three pounds of coarse salt, one ounce of saltpetre, three-quarters of a pound of sugar, two gallons of water. Mix the above ingredients together and pour over the meat. Cover the tub closely.
