Know Your Beef!

When it comes to which cuts of beef to use, these “Steaks of Summer” are the best for the grill. A steak grilled with your favorite marinade or just salt and pepper is not just a pleasure, its a manquest! A true meat man will search for the cut that suits his taste the best. So which ones are the best? We’ve narrowed down the Top 5 most flavorful and most tender cuts on the market.

Steaks Of Summer – The Best Beef Steak Cuts for the Grill
	Rib Eye A favorite of many beef lovers. a.k.a Delmonico or Spencer Steak, this cut is well marbled and tender. Offering a robust, bold, almost buttery flavor it draws from the combination of various muscles and the melted connective tissue that once held them together. Get them bone in for extra flavor and something to gnaw on once the steak is gone.
	Strip Steak This classic is our personal favorite. Commonly known as New York Strip, Kansas City Strip, or Manhattan Strip, this cut from the loin is lean but not quite as tender as a rib eye or filet. What you give up in tenderness, you get back in full, rich beef flavor.
	Porterhouse or T-Bone The best of both worlds. For a steak with tender and flavorful beef, the T-bone shape separates this cut into two portions. You have a lean, flavorful Strip Steak on one side and a tender Filet Mignon on the other. Whats the difference between Porterhouse steak and T-bone steak? They are both cut from the short loin, but it depends from where on the short loin. In general a Porterhouse will be thicker, less bone, more marbling and a larger filet portion.
	Filet Mignon Many call this the King of Steak, known for its lean, buttery texture. This elegant cut is compact, usually thick and round in shape and is also the most tender.
	Flat Iron Second only to Filet Mignon in tenderness, this cut is relatively inexpensive and tasty. Flat Iron Steak is a big cut, much like London Broil and usually serve 2-3 people

USDA Grading Scale

Common Cuts Of Beef

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11/2/09USDA reports possibility of tainted meat sold in the form of meatloaf or patties. Voluntary recall by Fairbank Farms, Asheville, NY

Distributed by: Trader Joes, Price Chopper, Wild Harvest, BJ’s Giant Foods

Meat Dated Oct 7, 2009
Identifying code: EST492

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Retail Beef Cuts and Recommended Cooking Methods

Free PDF

Common Butcher Cuts of Beef Chart

Beef Made Easy

This free PDF handout is an 8.5 x 11 version of the Beef Made EasyCuts Poster andis made available to you by Cattlemens Beef Board & National Cattlemens Beef Association.

Click on this link for full size PDF: Beef Made Easy

Additional butcher cuts of beef Poster size PDF’s Available: Beef Cut Charts

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Source: www.sizzleonthegrill.com

Preparing a top round beef roast on the Char-Broil Outdoor Kitchen Stovetop & Smoker

Did you know that an equal number of slices of tasty lean roast beef can have fewer calories and fat grams than prepared turkey or chicken luncheon meat? Isnt that great news? If you have a little extra room on your grill or smoker over the weekend you can prepare that roast beef make it just the way you like it! Tasty roast beef sandwiches all week long!

Well that was my plan. These days I try to shave costs where I can. This week I was shopping at one of the grocery stores I frequent and as is my habit I checked out the Managers Specials section of the meat counter. You know what Im talking about. Its that place at the end of all the pretty displays of chicken, pork and beef where meat is placed when it hits the expiration date. I always stop by there and sometimes the prices are so good its impossible to not pick it up! Im skeptical of poultry and never buy fish that way. But pork and beef? No problem!

There is was a 1.6 lb Beef Top Round roast marked down. Upon seeing it I was inspired to take it home and make some roast beef for sandwiches.

Do you know about Top Round beef roasts on the grill? The BEEF Council describes the cut this way: Top Round is an economical boneless cut with no waste. Its lean, full-flavored and has an excellent nutrition profile. For best eating quality, cook only to medium rare doneness and carve into thin slices. A relatively large roast, ideal for planned leftovers for quick weeknight meals. I like that!

So I seasoned my little roast with McCormick sea salt and black pepper. (I am addicted to the grinders they sell because they are so useful in the kitchen or outside!) and prepared my propane powered Outdoor Kitchen Propane Stovetop & Water Smoker . You can use a charcoal or gas grill to cook this set up for indirect cooking and use wood chips or a smoker box to add flavor to the meat. I didnt want a heavy smoke and used a mixture of Apple-Cherry-Mesquite dry chips in the smoker tray. This combination doesnt make a smoke ring to speak of, but I like the mild flavors. Of course, you may prefer hickory, oak, pecan, mesquite or what every you prefer! I monitored the internal temperature of the roast and the smoke chamber using the Char-Broil Digital Remote Smart Thermometer because it gives me readings of the cooking chamber temperature (with an alarm if its too high or low) as well as internal temperature of the meat Im cooking. And theres a remote that I clip to my shirt sos I can do work indoors or elsewhere in the yard and not have to babysit the smoker!

I double check the internal temp using an instant read thermometer.I placed the meat in the tray to transport to the kitchen where it will be covered and continue to rest and finish.

If you truly smoke the meat plan on about 225F degrees for a few hours or until the internal temperature of the meat is about 135F degrees. USDA says that 145F degrees is Medium rare so I generally pull it before it hits the USDA mark to ensure it doesnt over cook. Placed in a tray I move it to the kitchen and cover with foil and perhaps a kitchen towel.

The rested top round beef roast is finished and ready for slicing. The color on the surface of the meat is from the smoke of a combo Cherry-Apple-Mesquite mix that I enjoy.

This resting step is always recommended as a way to finish cooking the meat using any residual internal heat. During the cool-down period the juices will redistribute and set so that when you slice into it they wont run out onto the cutting board and leave the meat dry.

TIP: When resting meat after cooking, use caution about tightly sealing with foil, plastic wrap or a cover because larger roasts will have more heat and moisture which can steam cook and actually overcook the meat while on the counter. And if you prefer crispy skin on roasts like turkey or chicken a loose cover is all that may be required, if at all, during the resting time.

Tasty thin slices loose some of the pinkness when the juices drain, but not so much as to make it dry. The salty-peppery-wood smoked crust is a perfect taste in every bite!

After about an hour of resting not necessary to wait that long, I was pre-occupied with other stuff I transferred the finished roast to my cooked meat color-coded cutting board and sliced it as thin as possible. Oh baby was it tasty. I made a sandwich with a few slices using stone ground mustard, horseradish and a fresh baguette Id picked up at the market. DEE-LISH-US!

I had some errands to run and called out to my strapping teenage son as I was pulling out of the driveway that there was some fresh sliced smoked roast beef in the fridge and to make himself a sandwich. Big Mistake! When I came home in a few hours the kitchen was a mess and the container in which Id stored my tasty sliced beef was empty, on the counter. I guess thats as good of a recommendation as I can get.

This is an easy enough roast to prepare on your grill using an indirect heat set-up and wood chips in a smoker box or such and I hope youll give it a try. Its the perfect thing to prepare on the grill or smoker right along side your regular meal this weekend. Youll enjoy tasty roast beef sandwiches all week long! unless you tell somebody its there! Happy Grilling!

Popularity: 3%

The Flat Iron Steak

I first discovered Flat Iron Steak about 2 years ago at my local Kroger supermarket. They had them on sale at the time for 3.99/lb. I had never heard of them before so I bought 2 to give them a try. They typically come as 2-3lbs similar to a london broil.

So what is a flat iron steak and why have I never heard of it?

The Flat Iron steak is a relatively new cut of steak. It is untraditional, in that it takes a more skilled touch while cutting, cooking, and serving. The Flat Iron is from the Top Blade, which is off the shoulder of the animal and since there are only 2 to 4 flat iron steaks per head of cattle, butchers have not traditionally displayed these cuts in the meat case.

In 2002, a muscle profiling study was commissioned by the National Cattleman’s Assoc. In this study, every major muscle of the animal was analyzed for flavor and tenderness to find better, more efficient cuts from the Chuck and the Round for both retail and food service uses. The results were surprising. One of the most surprising things the study found was that the Flat Iron is in fact, the second most tender cut of meat from the steer, after the tenderloin. This cut then became the center star in a new promotional push by the NCA entitled “Value Cuts”.

Normally this muscle is cross-cut into top blade or patio steaks. However, these steaks are tough and full of connective tissues (gristle). Instead, Flat Iron steaks are cut from the two layers of the top blade and have all of that connective tissue removed. When sliced thin, on the bias, incredible marbling is apparent.

Flat Irons show significant marbling

The Flat Iron steak is a versatile cut of beef. It takes to a marinade like no other, it’s tender beyond belief, and is incredible on the grill. Plus, it’s relatively cheap. You can grill it, broil it, use it for stirfry meat, use it for fajitas, braise it, panfry it. It is a great delicious cut that hopefully you will want to go out and try. If your butcher doesn’t carry it, ask them to do some for you. IF they dont know how, refer them to the NCA’s site, beef.org, or explain to them this article. It is well worth your time.

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Source: National Cattlemens Beef Association  Beef Quality Grades Beef Inspection The wholesomeness of the U.S. meat supply is ensured by meat inspection. All meat that is sold must, by law, pass inspection. Meat products are among the most highly regulated and supervised products in the food supply. Everyone pays for meat inspection through taxes. USDA Grading Meat grading is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Beef quality grades indicate palatability characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness and flavor. There are eight quality grades for beef which reflect the amount of marbling (fat within the lean), firmness, color and texture of the beef, and the maturity of the animal. Grading is optional and paid for by meat processors. More than half of the beef available is graded. Generally, only three grades are identified and sold to restaurants and at retail: Prime has the most marbling. It usually is sold to restaurants, although some specialty meat markets and supermarkets may carry it. Choice cuts tend to have a little less marbling. Choice is the most widely available grade in the market. Select has the least amount of marbling, making it leaner but often less juicy and flavorful than the other two grades.

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Source: www.sizzleonthegrill.com

Raw ground beef. Photo by Cobalt123 at Flickr

When I was a kid I can clearly remember my dad using a hand crank meat grinder that clamped onto the counter top. Hed feed chunks of beef into it and turn the crank, as bright red and speckled white freshly ground meat disgorged from the grinder hed take a fork-full and place it on a saltine, a good seasoning with both salt and pepper and wed gobble it up. My mom would shriek and we boys all thought we were getting away with something!

Fast forward 50 years.

These days if you prepare your own ground beef and are 100% certain of the quality of the source of the meat I would still advise against eating raw hamburger as we did. And especially if you purchase ground beef from the grocery store, either prepared at the store by the trained pros in the meat department or in those big tubes of ground meat. There is just too big of a risk that youll get some bacteria critter into your system and, just in case youve never had it, food poisoning is not a simple issue of discomfort. It can be life threatening!

Raw ground meat is not safe to eat. Hamburger is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160F degrees as measured by a tip sensitive meat thermometer. Color is an unsafe indicator of doneness. Wash your hands after touching raw meat and before touching ready to eat products like buns. Prevent cross contamination! (This also goes for storing condiments like mustard, ketchup, mayo and the veggies like onions (these are little petri dishes!) and tomatoes, cheese, etc. keep them covered and out of direct sunlight, cooled at or below 45F degrees!)

Personally Ive switched over to using frozen burger patties like Bubba Burgers and have pretty much stopped making my own. When I do make my own burger patties, I make them the night before, less than 1/2 inch thick, and I freeze them as well. The chance of cross contamination using frozen meat is pretty slim, but it does have its own set of precautions. I toss the meat on a hot grill directly from the freezer, and dont waste any time between freezer and grill! Cooking a frozen beef patty has some advantages, the outside will thaw on the grates and sear, while the moisture starts to travel upwards through the ground meat and begin to cook the center, I flip and sear the other side then hold in a pan on the grill without direct heat until they finish. This keeps them moist and cooked to the right temperature! You may recognize this as the Sear & Hold method I tend to promote that (I find) ensures the outside has tasty sear marks and the inside slowly cooks to done of 160F degrees while remaining juicy.

Take a minute to plan your outdoor cooking to ensure all food will be handled, prepared and stored safely. As Chef at your home, you are responsible for safe food practices!

Happy Grilling!

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