| With
so many delicious steak cuts out there, how
do we ever find the perfect barbecue steak?
Do the various steak cuts confuse you? Well,
just read on as I try to sort it out . . . |
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Knowledge
is power, so they say. The aim
of this article is to try and help you sort out
the confusion behind the different cuts of beef,
and to help you pick the right grade and cut of
meat for you. Once you know what to look for and
to expect, you will find it even simpler to pick
out the best cut for a delicious steak or roast
meal.
Insights
to finding the perfect beef cut:
Beef
Grade: The grade is your main guide
to the quality of the meat, in terms of marbling
and age. The age of the animal and marbling determine
the grade of the meat, and is usually determined
by a governmental agency. In the United States,
this is the US Department of Agriculture. In the
US, grades are Prime, Choice and Select. Prime
is the highest quality level. Lower grades are
usually not intended for general distribution,
and are usually used as by-products in the meat
industry.
Marbling
is also an important factor in meat grading and
steak selection. The degree of marbling is dependent
on the amount of fat in the particular cut. The
less fat, the leaner the cut and usually more
tender, but it also is less flavorful, making
the task of finding the perfect steak somewhat
visually synonymous with walking a high wire.
Well, I'm kidding here, but you know what I mean.
When you check the marbling, though, you're looking
for thin streaks of fat - thick lines mean that
the cut has a lot of connective tissue, a sure
sign that it will be tough. Another important
aspect is the color - the steak should be a lovely
bright red, the fat creamy white and evenly distributed
throughout.
Beef Cut: Finding the right cut
of beef is probably the most important part of
the selection process.
Cuts
of steak can be broken down into three main sectors.
The rib, the short loin and the
sirloin (Sections 2, 3 and 4 on our beef
cut chart) are located between the upper and
mid-back. The rib section is the least tender
of the three, and contains cuts such as the Rib
Roast, Rib-eye steak and back ribs. For additional
beef cuts, see our chart.
From
the short loin we get the delicious T-bone, Tenderloin
and Porterhouse. Strip steaks are cut from the
T-bone section. The most tender cut of beef is
the Tenderloin, and it is from that section that
we get the Filet Mignon, Chateaubriand and tournedos
cuts. For additional beef cuts available from
this section, see our chart.
From
the Sirloin we get the Sirloin Steak and the Top
Sirloin. Other beef cuts, such as chuck, round
and flank come from those respective areas, and
are tougher beef cuts, more suited to slow cooking
rather than grilling.
Beef
cuts from the Tenderloin are tender, but are much
less flavorful than beef cuts from the such as
the rib-eye and sirloin, which is less tender
but very flavorful.
So
there you have it. All you have to do is go down
to the butcher and choose the cut you prefer.
Or, you can even save time and do it from the
comfort of home - order great
grilling cuts online right now! Try it here.
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