With the holiday season in full swing, you may be thinking about some special dishes you'd like to cook up for your family and friends. Festive dinner tables will often include a beef dish. We've put together a quick guide to help you choose the best cuts.
The majority of beef sold here is originates in the US, with a small amount coming from Canada. It takes about 18 months to grow a calf into a steer (neutered male) that is then butchered. Each steer yields 400 to 500 pounds of meat.
In the past, cows roamed pastures and ate grass, which is their natural source of food. Today, the vast majority are grain-fed. This means they are grown in a factory and fed corn. Sometimes the label will state "grain-finished". The resulting meat is fatter, with higher levels of saturated fat compared to "grass-fed" or "grass-finished" beef.
Most Americans are content with grain-finished beef because fat marbled beef tastes good. Grass-fed beef is leaner and has a gamier flavor.
Every country has a different tradition of butchery. In the US, a carcass is divided into 9 "primal cuts":
These cuts are further divided into the names we are familiar with. For example, tenderloin comes from the loin area. The cuts vary in marbling, muscle use, and amount of connective tissue. These factors play into the optimal cooking method. The rule of thumb is that the leaner the meat, the less cooking so it won't "dry up".
the USDA defines 8 quality levels of beef based on tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. Cynics will say that these 3 factors boil down to the amount of marbling, hence the higher the fat content, the higher level the beef cut.
Prime grade is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (broiling, roasting, or grilling). Less than 5 percent of beef qualifies as Prime.
Choice grade is the most common grade found in supermarkets. it is less marbled than Prime but still quite fatty. Choice roasts and steaks are taken from the loin and rib. They are tender, juicy, and quite flavorful. They also do well with dry-heat cooking.
The less tender Choice cuts, such as those from the rump, round, and blade chuck, can easily dry up if overcooked. They are better off “braised” - roasted, or simmered with a small amount of liquid in a tightly covered pan.
Select grade is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than Prime or Choice. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades. Only the tender cuts (loin, rib, sirloin) should be cooked with dry heat. Other cuts should be marinated before cooking or braised to obtain maximum tenderness and flavor.
Standard and Commercial grade beef is frequently sold as ungraded or as “store brand” meat. Standard is for beef from animals slaughtered at a younger age compared to commercial.
Utility, Cutter, and Canner grade beef are seldom, if ever, sold at retail. They are used to make ground beef and processed products.
Beef cuts can be either dry aged or wet aged. Dry aged beef means that for one to six weeks, the beef was hung to dry in a special fridge at low temperatures and humidity. The beef loses some of its water content and flavors become more intense. The beef you buy in shrink-wrapped vacuum packages is wet-aged.
Angus are a breed of small stature cows, not a measure of quality. The American Angus Association claims that "certified black angus" steaks are more marbled, tender, and flavorful than others. That's for you as a consumer to decide.
Organic beef meets stringent requirements, including:
The USDA defines natural beef as minimally processed, without any additives. If the cut you buy has no artificial flavoring, coloring, preservative or any other artificial ingredient, the USDA considers it Natural. Please note that natural does not mean organic.
(image: verdefarms.com)
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