What’s the real beef?
I know, I know, after reading the blog for The Informed Shopper on Meat, you know what to look for in appearance and grading, but what about the cut? That information doesn’t help much when you’re standing in front of the meat counter in the supermarket staring at a vast array of different cuts. Well to get you started, there are some general facts about butchered meats that may make understanding the differences simpler. Of course, it would be great if you have a set of meat charts for reference because every discussion is easier with illustrations. Anyway, here goes—–
Meat is muscle, and the more a muscle is used, the more flavor it may acquire, but the tougher it becomes and the courser the grain of the meat. On any animal, the front section, the shoulders, forelegs, called shanks, and chest, is the one that gets the most exercise and is the leanest but the least tender. Traditionally cuts from here were long cooked in liquid. The rear section, called the rump, has larger more rounded muscles and though they get plenty of exercise, they are better able to assimilate it and become firm, yet stay more tender with a finer grain. It yields roasts. The underside or belly has the least muscle and the most fat. The slab cuts, bacon, plate and briskets, short ribs, and ground meat are a few that come from here. The mid section along the spine, called the Loin or Top Loin, is always the most desirable in any type of meat. The muscles get just the right amount of exercise to be very tender, there is the right amount of fat to keep the meat moist in cooking and the flavor pleasing. This section has the steaks and rib cuts and is the most expensive. You can always ask a butcher to tell you the location of a cut of meat, and using this information as a guide, decide which cut to buy, but it’s more reliable to learn more about individual cuts from the different types of meat.
Beef is the most complicated to master because beef has been the most available and most popular meat in the U.S. since the West opened. As with anything popular in the melting pot of America, regional dishes were developed, with different ethnic origins and the cuts of meat used were dubbed with local names. In addition, supermarkets, even restaurants occasionally name cuts they feature. An example is the Delmonico Steak, also called a Rib Eye. This can confuse a consumer new to an area, because regional names are not on standard charts.
However, if you know the names on the meat charts, and memorize the areas the cuts come from, you can always ask for a specific cut, or the best alternative, and the butcher will know exactly what you want and be able to help. Moreover, you will be able to rate the advice and make the best choice.
Another source of confusion is the growing practice over the past several decades, of injecting hormones to insure tenderness. This allows many cuts, especially beef, to be served in ways for which they would have been rejected as too tough fifty years ago. Traditionally, London Broil was flank steak, a lean, tough, course grained, but flavorful flat piece of meat, which when quickly grilled and deli cut on the diagonal was exceptional. Now it’s disappeared, not only from the grill menu, but the flank cut is rarely seen in the market as such. In the 1970s it was replaced by the Top Round London Broil, actually a thick slice of the round roast, previously thought too tough to be treated as steak .It’s often served in slices billed as a “Open Finger Steak Sandwich”, or on a platter for two as was the old Chateaubriand. In the past twenty years the “Shoulder London Broil”, formerly called “Arm Steak” for pot roasting, has appeared. Personally, I find this still needs a tenderizing marinade and is best in kabobs when cooked on a grill or broiled.
In any case, the story of London Broil illustrates, especially with beef, how the meat industry has opened the door to a wealth of alternative uses for various cuts. I didn’t realize how many until I looked in a cookbook of my Grandmother’s the other day. All the cuts were listed on the charts but the recommendations for their uses were so different from what we can do today.
1) Chuck was limited to pot roasts, stew and grinding. Now we have the “7”Bone oven roast, so named for the shape of the bone, and the chuck steak. I still prefer them marinated to tenderize, and have listed recipes below, but frequently serve both.
2) I’ve become very fond of the Bottom Round Roast. I choose it over the Top Round roast or Rump. It’s less expensive, and treated correctly, just as flavorful and tender, as long as it’s carved across the grain. I usually buy a large one to serve as a roast and have enough left to freeze and make a pot roast later. My recipe for this is also below.
3) I often cut a Top Round London Broil crosswise into fillet like pieces. I treat them as fillets, making sure to serve them rare, or they will toughen.** When buying a London Broil of top round, try to get an “Oyster Cut”. It’s the kidney-shaped piece located nearest the sirloin, and therefore, the most tender.
4) Ground Beef is another story. Gone are the days when my Mother and Mother-in-Law could argue over the merits of round vrs. Chuck. Now you take what you get in supermarkets. Try to aim for under 25% fat content, but the 90% lean may not have the flavor on the grill you crave. More fat means more shrinkage but it also adds taste.
A) Meatloaf, the way they made it with pork, beef, veal, and no breadcrumb” fillers”, just egg binding, is a budget breaker, not helper. However, if you are wondering what to do with a “family pack” of several pounds, the 21st century, affordable meatloaf is the answer. Get a roll of minced turkey, add an equal amount , or more, of ground beef, and proceed as you would for any meatloaf recipe. Don’t forget, leftover meatloaf makes wonderful sandwiches—with soup a second meal, perhaps?
B) Beware the plastic wrapped logs of any type of ground meat. It may be fine in sauces, or as an addition to a meatloaf, but it’s too finely ground, minced really, to provide an acceptable texture for patties or any dish that features ground meat as such. The exception is sausage.
5) Swiss Steak is another illustration of the new ways beef cuts are used. Originally, it was a slice of round, pounded with a mallet to break the fibers and tenderize it, but still requiring at least an hour’s simmering according to most recipes. Now round is the new London Broil, and a butcher recently told me flank steak is the new Swiss as labeled in the counter. So while the old recipe may still be valid, don’t follow the directions and buy top round if you’re preparing to “Swiss” the meat yourself. Actually, those cuts switched places. Bottom round may still be a good choice though.
The informed shopper, who knows the various cuts of meat and the recommended ways to prepare them, may discover more alternatives for using different pieces. It’s important to remember that alternatives are not just for financial economy. They can provide saving of time, energy and space. For the couple or single person who likes pot roasts and stews, but doesn’t want to eat the same thing for a week, a chuck steak or a couple of slices of bottom round are perfect substitutions for larger roasts and take much less cooking time. Having to buy the” Family Pack” to get the price on ground beef isn’t such a storage problem if you make meatloaf for two dinners, and only have to find room in the freezer for half the original amount. Incidentally, I separate and wrap ground meat into individual balls of about 1/3 lb. each. It’s easy to take out just what is needed that way—no waste.
I have to note here, that for my personal food marketing, I practice what I preach to the busy person short on time. I draw up my menu, make out my list and shop once a week. If I’m not going to use meat within two days I freeze it. If I see a piece of meat that I can definitely plan to use in the near future, I may buy it to freeze. Consequently, most of the meat we eat at home has been frozen. It’s one thing for T.V. chefs, who are supplied fresh daily, to state that meat should be brought to room temperature prior to cooking, but it’s quite another for the home chef to comply. When a piece of blood meat freezes, the molecules in the natural water content and those in the blood join, and when the piece thaws they drain out together drying and toughening the meat. I know several personal chefs who refuse to supply clients with dinners containing raw meat, for grilling say, before the day of its planned use. The answer is to cook the meat frozen, making sure to sear the outside quickly to seal in the juices and retain tenderness. It does add to the cook time though, anywhere from 5 mins. for a steak to 8 mins per pound for a roast. This takes some experimenting on your part, checking and adding more time as needed, but it pays off.
Once again I’ve reached the normal limit for a posting, but you have most of the generalizations and some pointers to go on. I still have to leave room for the recipes I promised, so we’ll talk about the other meats next week. That seems fitting since two of those; ham and lamb are associated with Easter dinners.
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Recipes for Beef Roasts:
Beer Marinated Chuck Roast;
3-4 lb. 7 Bone chuck roast, well trimmed—-can also use round or rump
12 oz bottle dark beer
1 small onion chopped
1Tbs. honey
1 tsp. Dijon or spicy brown mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp paprika
5 black peppercorns
2 bay leaves –optional
Mix all marinade ingredients. Pour over roast in a zip lock bag. Refrigerate overnight.( I freeze it now for a later date. The time to freeze and to partially thaw is sufficient to marinate the beef but thaw only long enough for the marinade to become liquid again.) Pour the marinade into a small pot, and place the roast in a pan. This can be grilled but I prefer it in the oven with the rack set on the third level down. Roast at 350 degrees, according to size as per oven directions. If still frozen, add 15-20 mins to cooking time, checking often after original time is up. Baste often with marinade. Heat remaining marinade and serve with roast.
Chip’s Chuck Roast—This can also be made with a round roast.
Devised by a friend of my Father’s who was affiliated with a college and regularly hosted buffets in his home for upwards of 50 after every game, this dish was much anticipated. No one ever thought of it as an economy. My Mother cut the recipe down to family size, from the large amounts in the original and I include it in my cookbook Dinners With Joy because it’s just soo good.
2-3 lbs. chuck roast
1 cup flour
¼ cup or to taste spicy brown mustard
water to make a paste.
Trim the roast very well, and cover it completely with the paste. If necessary make more paste, but leave no bare spots. Put the pan with the roast in a preheated 350 degree oven, with the shelf on the third level down, and cook 15 mins per pound for rare- 20 if frozen. The crust will be golden and crisp, Slice through it and serve with the beef, This dish cannot be grilled.
Spicy Round Roast
1 round or rump roast—amount of seasonings needed depend on size of roast
Dry Cajun Rib Rub—I like hot, you may prefer mild
Finely ground black pepper
1 tsp white sugar—more for a roast over 3 lbs.
Generously rub the meat all over with the Cajun seasonings Be sure most of it adheres to the meat. Sprinkle liberally with the pepper patting to help it stick. Distribute the sugar evenly, but sparingly over the top. The sugar won’t change the taste but will melt, sealing the other spices, and caramelize to help form a nice dark crust. With shelf at lower level, cook in a preheated 350 degree oven 15 mins. per pound fresh, 20 if frozen for rare. Check to make sure of doneness. Do not grill. The sugar will burn.
