Cuts of steak?
(12 posts) (10 voices)-
bpm
MemberHi all,
I found a great butcher near my work that has a lot of grass-fed beef, and am excited to try my hand at cooking it... but I've actually never cooked steak. I was a vegetarian and then pescetarian for many many years, and while I cook a ton, I've just never cooked red meat (until about 18 months ago when I started eating meat again).
My question to the knowledgeable carnivores out there: What cuts of beef are moderately priced and great for a Paleo diet? I've heard hangar steak is a good option, but am totally ignorant of others. There may be a blog post here on this, but I couldn't find it so I apologize if that's the case. If not, I would love to hear favorite daily cuts (not super high end, but interested in that too for special days) and also favored cooking methods. Any thoughts?
Posted 9 months ago # -
SerialSinner
Memberbpm congrats for switching to proper omnivorism.
The "best" (aka most expensive) meat cuts tend to be the ones that can be thrown directly into the grill and are tasty + tender at the end.
However, I am starting to realize that many of the "non-premium" cut's are terribly underrated and can be delicious if cooked the right way, like roasted, in stews, etc.
I only know how to cook in a grill or a frying pan though, and would love the feedback of others in this respect as well.
Posted 9 months ago # -
I'm interested in responses to this as well. I have no clue what to buy and it seems the steak I buy must be poor quality or not the right cuts. That coupled with the fact that I'm probably not cooking them right either. They come out tough and bone dry.
Posted 9 months ago # -
bpm
Memberin answer to my own question (was thinking there might be some folks on the board with opinions that were primal-specific):
https://www.wesabe.com/groups/10-frugal-foodies/discussions/338-best-cuts-of-beef
an interesting conversation about this topic.
and, another:
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2007/01/19/making-the-most-of-cheap-cuts-of-beef/
Posted 9 months ago # -
Tarlach
MemberI get great grass-fed steaks from our butcher. I buy t-bone (not real cheap) or rump (slightly cheaper).
I get pretty good results on the BBQ, so I can tell you what I do...
It is important to 'seal' the steak to trap the moisture in. This keeps them juicy.
I have a grill section and a plate section. I turn both on full and throw the steaks on the flame. When they go just grey I turn them and do the same on the other side. By this time the hot plate should be pretty hot. I put some lard on it and put the steaks in the sizzling lard for a few seconds each side. These two steps get the outside of the steak very hot and this stops the moisture from escaping. I then put the steaks back on the flame and cook them to the level I want.
I may be able to refine this process, but I get just what I want, so I'm scared to change it!Hints:
• Good quality grass-fed beef from our butcher seems to cook a lot better than supermarket beef ever did.
• Fresh meat will always be better than meat that has been frozen.
• Do not defrost meat in the microwave. That big puddle of moisture it ends up sitting in should be in the meat. Put meat in the fridge overnight to defrost.
• If you cook inside, you can get your pan very hot, seal both sides quickly and then put the pan and steak in the oven to finish cooking (don't use a plastic handle pan ;)
• Apparently rubbing a bit of sea salt on the outside of your steak can help a lot in sealing it (I don't eat salt, so I can't verify this).Check this link out for more hints:
http://www.lobels.com/recipe/PerfectSteak.htmPosted 9 months ago # -
timconradinc
MemberI think it's just something to experiment with - buy some different cuts and try them out.
I like flank steak quite a bit, it's not as fatty and makes some nice jerky, as well. But, it's a thinner steak, and doesn't have a bone.
I'm a pretty big fan of hangar steak, as well, though.
Any meat having bone in it changes the cooking characteristics, as well. I, uh, don't remember how, just that it does.
These days, a lot of the 'cheaper' cuts of meat aren't as cheap as they used to be. I generally just sort of look for what's on sale, and beyond that, just sort of pick something and try it out.
One concept to think about, as well, is the concept of 'marbling.' Marbling refers to the fat that runs through the meat. More marbling = better flavor and more moisture. This is why filet mignon is a terrible cut of meat (and often why it's wrapped in bacon or topped with some sort of sauce) - there's just no fat in it for flavor.
I'm not that picky, though. So, YMMV.
Posted 9 months ago # -
SerialSinner
Member"Apparently rubbing a bit of sea salt on the outside of your steak can help a lot in sealing it "
That's exactly what I do, and it works very well. I add no lard though. I seal the meat on both sides, put it on slow fire, and as soon as it bleeds, I turn it on the other side for a some minutes and it's done (medium-rear to medium). Delicious.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Miriam
MemberI find the cheaper cuts of meat (roasts, corned beef, topside) tend to work better in the slow cooker either as whole pieces to be carved, stews and curries and the more expensive cuts (striploin, tenderloin, cube roll)are best just pan fried in butter with salt and pepper. Though to tenderize cheaper meats I would marinate in apple cider vinegar or red wine with salt and pepper for at least 20 minutes, preferably overnight. When ready to cook bring the meat to room temperature before putting in the pan or grill and you have to hear lots of sizzle otherwise the pan is too cold and it then tends to stew, also let it sit for a few minutes before serving.
One of my favorite ways of cooking steak is to seal it quickly in a hot pan and then take it out and thinly slice it and put it back in the pan to finish off cooking for a few minutes (bit like a stirfry), for some reason it makes cheap meat taste great and expensive meat taste even better!
Posted 9 months ago # -
Nick
MemberI generally find that grass fed cuts of steak aren't as good. Obviously vendors charge accordingly, but they're simply not as fatty as grain fed meat, which lowers their appeal somewhat, especially in terms of marginal cost/benefit analysis.
I had some grass fed ribeye last night that was just super lean and chewy (I cooked it using the butter steak method -- the swiss chard I cooked in the meaty cooking butter was the highlight of the meal). Ribeye is supposed to be one of the fattier cuts of steak. It was good, just not superlative.
For that reason, if I were going to spend money on steak cuts, I'd probably go for one of the cuts that's supposed to be more lean. Filet mignon might actually be better, since it's said that in grass fed meat the flavor is in the muscle, instead of in the fat like grain fed.If you want a good cut that straddles the steak and budget categories, take a look at a tri-tip sirloin. It's generally priced like a roast (so $5/lb or so). I cooked one the other night that was highly wife-approved by giving it 40-45 minutes in the oven at 425. If I had let it come up to room temperature beforehand, it likely would've been at an acceptable internal temperature earlier, like 25 minutes, but at 25 minutes the middle was at..93 degrees F or so. I just watched it with a probe thermometer (get one if you're going to cook any thick roast cuts) until the internal temp was 125, then let it rest for 10 minutes so the internal temp could come up to 135 for "rare". I made a coconut milk/garlic/ginger/curry paste/tamarind reduction sauce for it in order to add some fat and make it tasty.
I have another in the fridge right now that I'm going to try cooking slower -- probably treat it like a brisket and give it 6 hours at 225-240 in the dutch oven. Never tried that before with that cut, though.I have to second the comment about some of the cheaper cuts getting much more expensive. I think fajitas became super trendy some time around the mid to late 90s, and skirt and flank steak have routinely been at least $5.99/lb at any store I've been to. Trivia time. Back in the 1920s, when fajitas were invented by Mexican ranch hands on the Texas border, the skirt steak cut (or faja, if you will), was given to them as payment in lieu of cash, because it was otherwise not a saleable cut. It had a thick membrane on it as well. The workers would heat up large stones very hot in the fire, and throw the meat onto the stones membrane side down, which quickly cooked the meat and separated the membrane, then cut up the result and then put it in a tortilla smeared with guacamole -- the only ingredient in an original fajita. Flank steak is just a pretender and not authentic.
Steak is all well and good, but on the whole I really love slow cooking roast cuts, particularly brisket and chuck. Less experience with bottom round roast, but I had good luck with it in the past.
Posted 9 months ago # -
Just about any steak can be good if prepared properly. Marinades help out a lot on the cheaper cuts. Round steak gets me a lot of bang for my buck. I will usually marinade one in a dry wine and olive oil, with rosemary, garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. I then place it on a pan and place it under a broiler for about five minutes and then flip it and let it cook for another three.
*Here's a crucial step. When a steak is done cooking, set it on a plate and tent it with tinfoil. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat.
I then cut small strips at an angle. What I don't eat (which on a big round steak is quite a lot) I use for the next couple of days in a huge salad. Once its cooked, its real easy to just throw a few cold slices in the bowl. The marinade on the meat also blends well with a vinegar and oil salad dressing.
Posted 9 months ago # -
marci
MemberThanks to everyone for their tips & to BPM for asking this question which is one I had myself (switched from veg to pesca to omnivore recently myself). I've only had grass-fed sandwich steaks from the Farmer's Market guy- and we totally overcooked them. However, they were still delicious- I could not believe how much I lked it.
Recently I tried beef carpaccio at a fancy resturant and was delighted. So good!Posted 9 months ago #
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