MEATS
Meat- Muscle portion of the animal. Excellent source of protein, (high quality), Vitamin B, minerals: Iron, Copper, Phosphorus.
Common Types of Meat-
Beef- cow, cattle
Veal- baby cow
Lamb- sheep
Pork- pig, hog, swine
Terms-
Marbling- streaks of fat that run throughout the meat. Provides flavor and moistness, BUT is saturated fat.
Collagen- white connective tissue, which is fairly thin and found between layers of muscles.
Elastin- thick yellowish connective tissue that is very rubbery.
Myoglobin- name of pigment in meat which makes it a red color. The more myoglobin the darker the reddish color of meat.
Grades of Meat- Graded by U.S.D.A.- U.S. Department of Agriculture
USDA Prime- contains most marbling, considered gourmet meat. Sold usually only in restaurants.
USDA Choice- high quality, fair amount of marbling. Mostly sold in markets.
USDA Good (select)- less fat & flavor, but, very nutritious because it contains more protein, less expensive, used for ground beef.
USDA Utility- tough cuts of meat, mainly used for making processed meats. Hot dogs, Bologna.
Categories
Tender- non-working sections of meat.
Less Tender- muscle meat, meat that does the work.
Cooking methods-
Dry heat- roast, boil, bake, grill, pan fry.
Moist heat- stew, boil, steam, braise.
Physical changes- during cooking
Protein becomes firm, fat melts, connective tissue softens.
8 wholesale cuts
Chuck, Rib Loin, Sirloin, Round, Flank, Plate, Brisket/Shank
The primal beef cuts
Beef is divided into several main sections, called the primal beef cuts. The primal cuts are the chuck, the rib, the short loin, the sirloin, the flank, the plate or short plate, theround and the shank or brisket. Each cut provides other smaller cuts and for each of the smaller cuts, a different cooking technique is required.
Rib cut: Meat from the rib section tends to be quite tender, juicy and flavorful.
Short loin cut, Sirloin cut: Cuts from the loin area are the most lean, tender and flavorful, but they are also the most expensive. The loin area provides cuts such as the tenderloin, porterhouse and sirloin steaks. According to steak lovers, steaks from this area should not be marinated and should be cooked medium rare, rare or very rare.
Flank cut: This is a muscular area that provides lean and very flavorful cuts. It is the source for flank steaks, skirt steaks and the classic London broil steak.
Plate cut: A cheap, tough and fatty cut that produces hanger and skirt steaks. Cuts from this area need to be marinated first, in order to become more tender.
Round cut: This cut is from the rear end of the animal. It consists mainly of muscles therefore it is rather tough, but it can be quite flavorful. Typical cooking methods from round cuts include moist cooking and roasting.
Shank / Brisket cut : The beginning of the leg of the beef and surrounding areas, suitable for stews, braising and pot roasting. Beef cuts from this area are full of muscles and therefore tough but can result in extremely flavorful meals.
American and British beef cuts
In the UK, beef cuts are a bit different. Most of the cuts have the same names and are taken from the same are of the animal, some have different names. The following table shows the British cuts corresponding to the American ones.American beef cut names | British beef cut names |
| Chuck | Neck & Clot, Chuck & Blade, Thick rib |
| Rib | Fore rib, Thin rib |
| Short loin | Sirloin |
| Sirloin | Sirloin |
| Round | Topside, Silverside, Think flank |
| Brisket | Brisket |
| Plate | Brisket |
| Flank | Flank |
| Shank | Shin, Leg |
Suggested cooking methods for beef cuts
Chuck beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Chuck arm pot roast | Pot roast |
| Chuck shoulder pot roast | Pot roast |
| Chuck eye roast | Pot roast |
| Cross rib roast | Pot roast |
| Chuck shoulder steak | Marinate and grill Marinate and grill |
| Chuck eye steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Chuck top blade steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Chuck mock tender steak | Marinate and grill Marinate and grill |
| Chuck blade steak | Braise |
| Chuck 7 bone pot roast | Pot roast |
| Chuck short ribs | Stew |
Rib beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Rib roast | Roast |
| Ribeye roast | Roast |
| Rib steak | Grill Broil |
Rib-eye steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Back ribs | Grill Broil |
Short loin beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Top loin steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| T-bone steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Porterhouse steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Tenderloin steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Tenderloin roast | Roast |
Sirloin beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Top sirloin steak | Skillet Grill Broil |
| Tri-tip steak | Grill Broil |
| Tri-tip roast | Roast |
Round beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Top round steak | Marinate and grill Marinate and grill |
| Round tip steak | Skillet |
| Eye round steak | Skillet Braise |
| Round tip roast | Roast |
| Eye round roast | |
| Bottom round roast | Pot roast |
Shank & brisket beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Shank cross cut | Stew |
| Flat cut brisket | Pot roast |
| Whole brisket | Pot roast |
Plate & flank beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Skirt steak | Marinate and grill Marinate and grill |
| Flank steak | Marinate and grill Marinate and grill |
Miscellaneous beef cuts | Suggested cooking method |
| Cubed steak | Skillet |
| Beef for stir-fry | Stir-fry |
| Beef for stewing | Stew |
| Ground beef | Skillet Grill Broil Roast |
Braising (Braise): To cook with moist heat, typically in a covered pot with some liquid (beef stock, chicken stock, water, etc). This method is the preferred method for meat cuts that are tough / tenderless.
Grilling (grill) : To cook using direct, dry heat with a device called grill or barbecue. Coals, wood, or a combination of the two can be used as the heat fuel for a grill. In this type og cooking, the heat is below the meat.
Broiling (broil): An alternative to grilling, broiling is cooking in the oven under intense heat. Proper broiling requires the door of the oven to be slightly open (this ensures that the proper temperature is maintained inside the oven) and the meat is cooked over a broiling pan (this will make sure that the meat is not cooked in its juices). Unlike grilling, the heat when broiling is above the meat.
Marinating: The process of soaking meat or vegetables in some kind of liquid (most of the times acidic), herbs and spices, before cooking. This process adds flavour to the ingredients being marinated. It also tenderizes the meat, when some kind or acidic liquid is used. Typical ingredients for marinates include lemon, vinegar or wine (for the acidic part), oil, salt, pepper, herbs and other spices. The marinate process can vary from a few hours to a day or more.
Pot roasting (pot roast): To cook meat (usually beef with some liquid, vegetables, herbs and spices) in a covered pot, in the oven or over medium heat. This process results in a moist, softer meat and is suitable for cheap, tougher meat cuts.
Roasting (roast): To cook meat or vegetables using dry heat. The most common way of roasting is using the oven. Roasting usually results in the caramelization of the surface being roasted, which adds an extra flavour to the dish.
Skillet: To cook using a skillet (frying pan). This method is ideal for lean, tender cuts of meat that require little cooking.
Stewing (stew): The process of cooking meat (together with onions and other vegetables) in water or other liquid, over low heat (simmer), for a long amount of time (longer than other cooking methods). The meat and other ingredients are served with the cooking liquid.
Stir-frying (stir-fry): A cooking method that is very popular in Asian cooking, stir-frying is the process of fast cooking meat, fish or vegetables over a high heat source while tossing continuously. The classic pan used for stir-frying by the Chinese is the wok, a round-bottom iron pan.
Typical cooking temperatures for beef
Internal temperature of the meat | Appropriate 'cooked' term |
| 115°F – 125°F (46°C – 52°C) | Very rare |
| 125°F – 130°F (52°C – 54°C) | Rare |
| 130°F – 140°F (54°C – 60°C) | Medium rare |
| 140°F – 150°F (60°C – 66°C) | Medium |
| 150°F – 160°F (66°C – 71°C) | Medium well |
| Over 160°F (>71°C) | Well done |
'Cooked' term details
Very rare : The meat has a blood red color throughout and is very juicy and tender.Rare: Beef cooked rare is red in the center, gray on the outside, juicy and tender. True steak lovers eat their steak either rare or very rare as this cooking method provides the best possible beef taste, juicyness and tenderness.
Medium rare: Beef is pink in the center and turns gray towards the outside. It is often juicy and tender.
Medium: The beef here is pink in the inside and turns gray towards the outside. It is less tender and less juicy than medium rare.
Medium well: Beef is gray throughout, tougher and juiceless.
Well done: When cooked well done, beef is gray-brown throughout, is tough and juiceless.
Primal cuts, steak cuts and common steak names
Steaks from the Chuck cut | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Chuck 7-Bone Steak | Center Chuck Steak |
| Chuck Arm Steak | Arm Swiss Steak Chuck Steak for Swissing Round Bone Steak |
| Chuck-Eye Steak, boneless | Boneless Chuck Fillet Steak Boneless Chuck Slices Boneless Steak Bottom Chuck |
| Chuck Mock Tender Steak | Chuck-Eye Steak Chuck Fillet Steak Fish Steak Chuck Tender Steak |
| Shoulder Steak, boneless | Arm Swiss Steak Chuck Steak Cold Steak English Steak Long Broil Shoulder Steak Half Cut |
| Top blade steak, boneless | Boneless, Blade Steak Chuck Eye Steak Book Steak Butler Steak Flat Iron Steak Lifter Steak Petit Steak Top Chuck Steak |
Steaks from the Rib | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Rib Steak | Boneless Rib Steak, Delmonico Steak Market Steak Ribeye Steak, Spencer Steak |
Steaks from the Short loin cut | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Sirloin Steak, Top Sirloin Steak | Beef Loin Bottom Sirloin Butt Flap Steak Flat-Bone Steak Pin-Bone Steak Round-Bone Steak |
| T-Bone steak | Porterhouse Steak |
| Tenderloin Steak | Chateaubriand Filet Mignon Fillet Steak |
| Top Loin Steak, boneless | Ambassador Steak Boneless Cub Steak Hotel-Style Steak Kansas City Steak New York Strip Steak Strip Steak Veiny Steak |
| Top Loin Steak, bone-in | Chip Club Steak Club Steak Country Club Steak Delmonico Steak Shell Steak Sirloin Strip Steak Strip Steak |
| Tri-Tip Steak | Triangle Steak |
Steaks from the Round cut | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Round Steak | London Broil Steak |
| Round Tip Steak (thin cut) | Ball Tip Steak Beef Sirloin Tip Steak Breakfast Steak Knuckle Steak Sandwich Steak Minute Steak |
Steaks from the Plate cut | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Skirt Steak | Fajita Steak Inside Skirt Steak Outside Skirt Steak Philadelphia Steak |
| Hanger Steak | Butcher's Steak Hanging Tender Flank Steak Fillet Jiffy Steak |
Steaks from the Flank cut | |
Main steak cut | Steak names |
| Flank Steak | Flank Steak Fillet Jiffy Steak London Broil Steak |