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Offline Hub

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BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #-1 on: March 26, 2012, 05:27:38 PM »
BASICS:  Steaks 101, Part One – Choosing the Meat

This is the first of a two-part post on one of the most popular foods for outdoor chefs.  Grilling a great steak isn’t as easy as just flipping burgers or heating up some weenies for the kids.  A great steak cookout takes some planning, some equipment, and a little knowledge of the bovine critter and how it gets cut up vis-à-vis how you like to eat it.  How to COOK IT, as opposed to how to pick it out will be the next post.

This post will deal with the various types of steaks and their grading – in short, how to get off to a good start by selecting the best cut for your use, budget, and tastes.  First, I’ll cover the most common steak cuts, their source, and their characteristics.



TYPES OF STEAKS

There’s an old saying that goes something like, “if you want the best meat, stay away from the feet”.  That’s logical in some respects but what it actually translates to is avoiding the parts of the critter that handle locomotion.  The front quarter consists of the chuck, brisket and shank – all “walking muscles” that get a lot of use and, thus, are relatively tough.  Remember, we’re talking STEAKS for GRILLING here.  Brisket and chuck, properly cooked are wonderful but they’d be awful if you tried to carve off a chunk and grill it.  They need roasting, braising, and/or  slow smoking to bring out the best of their flavors and textures.  You can get chuck “steaks” at some stores but these are best used for braising like in Swiss Steak or Country Style (stewed in gravy) Steak. 

The back quarter of the beef is similar to the front in terms of “grillability” and is usually called the “round”.  Steaks cut here are flavorful but not very well fatted and are best braised, manually tenderized into “cube steak” or slow cooked.  Round roasts can be cooked medium or medium rare but then need to be sliced very thinly across the grain for tenderness.  Again, not the best territory for steaks, but there are folks who grill top round and say it’s good (I respectfully disagree).

Amidships, we find our subject cuts for grilling.  There’ll still be a significant variation in tenderness but there are ways to deal with that.  Here, in the portions most often called rib, plate, flank, loin, sirloin, and tenderloin are the best potential slices for cooking over the fire.

There are some geographic differences among types and styles of beef butchering.  For instance, a Riibeye steak is sometimes called a Delmonico in certain parts of the U.S.A. and in some areas part of the tenderloin may be marketed as a Chateaubriand instead of cut into filets.  In this discourse, I’ll try to use the most popular names and terms. 

Here are the most popular steaks for grilling:

T-Bones and Porterhouses

With a bone that roughly resembles a “T” shape, these steaks come from the loin section and can be both flavorful and expensive.  A Porterhouse is a T-Bone with a relatively large cut of tenderloin on one side of the bone (the larger side is the Strip Steak if deboned).  It is up to the butcher to make the call on where the T-Bone stops and the Porterhouse starts but you’ll typically pay more for a Porterhouse pound for pound no matter what.

In choosing one of these steaks look for good marbling (streaks of fat in the meat – more about this later) and at least some fat left untrimmed around the edges and not cut away.  Generally, the smaller the bone the higher quality the cut – larger boned pieces may cost less, though.

The larger “Strip” side of the steak will be the tougher of the two meat sections but in good grades will still be quite acceptable for knife and fork eating.  The tenderloin side or “filet” is the tenderest but may not have as much beefy flavor.  Put the two sides together, though, and you’ve got a considerable steak experience!  I always like to eat a T-Bone or Porterhouse at home instead of in a restaurant because, when I’m through with my knife and fork I can pick up the bone and gnaw on it – some of the best tasting meat is right next to that bone!

Ribeyes and Clubs

These are variations on the same theme.  They come from underneath the ribs and are known for good flavor, good tenderness and a modicum of fat content (helps with flavor).  If the bone (part of a rib) is left on, it’s called a Club in some parts of the country.  In others, it’s called a bone-on Ribeye.

If you buy a rib roast you’re getting a long section of this delicious meat.  Cut the ribs away and you have Prime Rib which I consider a slice of roast and not a steak (although it is served like one).

Ribeyes tend to be a favorite steak of folks who aren’t averse to seeing and even tasting some fat on a steak.  There are fatty strips in a Ribeye that contain great flavor by themselves and that also impart extra juiciness and flavor to the steak.

Strips

These are cut from along that T-bone in the loin discussed earlier.  Usually, they are oblong and may have a little fat on one side.  Sometimes there will be a line of gristle on one side but it is easily cut away.

Strips are typically moderately tender with excellent beefy flavor and good meat density.  Often, people who don’t like Ribeyes because of their fat streaks will do well with a Strip because all of the fat (and usually there isn’t much in modern cuts) will be in one place, highly visible.

Sometimes you'll see these titled as "New York Strips" or more simply "New York Steaks".

Filets

These tenderloin cuts are the tenderest meat on the critter and are typically the most expensive cut at the meat counter as a result.  They are small in diameter and are often cut thicker to make a more sizeable steak although thinner ones can be delicious on sandwiches and as breakfast steaks.

Folks who are very averse to fat on their steaks often choose the Filet because of its visible leanness.  That lack of fat can create a cooking problem, though.  Steaks need moisture from fat (both internal and external) to remain juicy and to provide something to drip onto the coals for flavor when grilled.  That’s why you’ll often see filets wrapped with a slice of bacon.

As to flavor, I think Filets are okay but not the greatest.  From good grade beef they’ll be succulent enough not to need marinating, certainly, but there are other cuts with more “beef” to them.  Filet fans love the tenderness and often describe the flavor and texture as “buttery”.

Sirloins

My favorite steak in the whole wide world is a medium-thick Sirloin that hasn’t been trimmed too close and has a rim of fat about an eighth of an inch thick or so around the edges.  These have to be special cut because the modern trend is to remove all the fat (sirloin fat is delicious!!!).

The Sirloin isn’t the tenderest steak by a long shot, but it does yield nicely to a knife and fork and has a fantastic beefsteak flavor found in no other cut.  There are some variances in tenderness and appearance between the top and bottom sirloin areas but both are excellent for steaks (the bottom Sirloin may have some gristle depending on how cut).

Fortunately, you’ll usually find Sirloins priced significantly lower than the rib and loin cuts and that just adds to their great value proposition! 

Flanks, Skirts, etc.

These cuts can be wonderful for grilling but are, essentially, working muscles and can come out tough if you don’t treat them properly.  Study any recipe book and you’ll often see these cuts marinated then seared and sliced thinly for use in fajitas, salads, sandwiches, stir-fry cooks and the like.  The flavor is meaty and great, but how you slice them makes a lot of difference.


GRADES OF BEEF

How a beef carcass actually gets graded is a very exact science that takes lots of different factors into account.  There are not only general fat content sub-grades, but also relative aging and potential yield grades along with other measurements that weigh in.  Complicated stuff.

For us meat customers, looking to get the best steak we can for the money we’re willing to spend for it, grading is much easier.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture has four classifications of marbling (fat content of lean tissue) that we can generally discern or inquire about depending on how the meat market or department labels things:

Prime

Available from specialty meat markets and from Internet sellers specializing in expensive and very tender steaks and roasts, Prime beef is expensive stuff.  It is so expensive, as a matter of fact, that most popular grocery chain meat sections don’t carry it or carry very small quantities.  There isn’t enough demand for it.

The marbling (visible, tiny “veins” or streaks of fat in the lean parts of Prime) are either “abundant”, “moderately abundant” or “slightly abundant” but, nonetheless, it is gorgeous stuff.  Even the tougher cuts of Prime, like the Sirloin, Round and Chuck will be mighty tender and the classically tender hunks like the tenderloin will be drop-dead “cut it with a fork” tender.

Flavor?  Oh yeah – that entwined fat creates not only tenderness but also breaks down during the cook to yield a succulent result.  This is great stuff!  But, at a price.  Just to have a couple of examples I priced USDA Prime Ribeyes and Sirloin.  On a good day you’ll be paying well over $20 per pound!

Choice

This grade, still with decent marbling, used to be the mainstay of grocery butcher counters and still is for the more upscale stores.  The marbling in a Choice cut sub-classifies into “moderate”, “modest”, and “small” but is still there and usually still highly visible.  Choice steaks look good and are good.  Honestly, if I can get Choice steaks that are not over trimmed (too much fat removed) I like them just as much as Prime and the cost is lower – running in the $15 per pound range at one Internet merchant I checked.  You might be able to find a better price shopping sale flyers.

Select

This is the “workhorse” grade of grocery markets (no pun intended, yuk).  The marbling will be slight but there will still be some, particularly in the better cuts like the loin and rib areas.  Tenderness won’t approach Choice level and certainly not Prime, but it is usually at least acceptable, particularly if you know how to handle it during the cooking and any subsequent carving.

If you love beef and are willing to take some time to shop carefully for it, then cook it properly (next post will be on that subject) there’s nothing to be ashamed about serving Select grade.   

Standard

“Traces” to essentially “no marbling” are the norms for Standard Grade beef.  Much of this grade winds up either ground into hamburger or designated for special uses like canning or  institutional kitchens where it is cooked down for soups, stews and mass food service.  I have seen it offered for sale in the meat section of one big box store – it even looked tough!

Extreme Beef

You may have heard the term “wagyu”.  This is a breed of cattle originated in Japan and prized for their predisposition to a high marbling percentage in the meat.  An area name like Kobe or Mishima may appear in addition or along with the wagyu label.  Prepare to take out a second mortgage for this stuff – Kobe Ribeyes sell for $60 per pound plus or minus a tad on the Internet.  You can get free shipping if you shop around, though  :o

Organic

I hate the term “organic” because it is so misused, but in buying beef it usually applies to a speciality type that has been range or grass fed as opposed to the more typical lot feeding for the finish.  Usually, this beef isn’t subject to the USDA grading process because it is sold only via specialty butchers but you might find it graded if you look hard enough.  Most often it is relatively lean and only lightly marbled if at all.  To some (including me) it has a game-like flavor reminiscent of elk or buffalo.  This isn’t always bad but I don’t find it as tasty as a well finished Choice selection.  Prices tend to be similar to Choice, however.  If your conscience demands some “health food” aspect to your steak or you eat lots and lots of beef as a constant menu item go for this.

Veal

Extremely popular in Europe, veal doesn’t get a lot of play in most of the USA and some consumer groups target it specifically for protest.  Basically, veal is very young beef, usually a calf of less than 600 pounds that has been specially fed.  At best the beef is humanely treated and butchered young and at worst veal calves are pent up, force-fed, and not allowed to move.  Do your own research – this isn’t an editorial or a value judgment.  I like veal and I’m no friend of PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) but there’s a line there somewhere.  Veal is tender and expensive for obvious reasons.  I like older critters.


BEEF AGING

An interesting fact of life in the beef world is that letting it sit for a while after it is butchered actually adds to the flavor and savor of the product!  It sounds counterintuitive, but it is really true – a steak fresh off the steer won’t taste as good as one that has been aged, even for a relatively short period.

There are two types of aging – wet and dry.  Wet aging takes place, at least to some extent, for a lot of beef sold today.  It occurs during the wrapping/packaging process and doesn’t result in any loss of beef weight or moisture.  The natural chemicals and enzymes in the meat “break down” or flavorize/tenderize the meat as it waits for a period of days or weeks, typically.  Occasionally wet aging may be done for longer periods under specially controlled conditions.

Dry aging is done only for the best grades of beef, most usually Prime.  It won’t work on lesser grades because that marbling or fat graining talked about earlier is required for it to work.  It also requires very precise temperature control and a precise humidity level.  In dry aging the meat enzymes go to work to break down connective tissues and create a deep, rich, beefy flavor while they are tenderizing, too.  Add some significant dollars to that already outrageous price of Prime beef for the aging process.  It takes a while (time is money) and, typically, the meat is reduced in volume (weight) by about a third.

Dry aged beef is most often the bailiwick of high-dollar steakhouses.  They have special coolers devoted to producing and maintaining an inventory of aged prime steaks.  The chefs monitor the process and know how to cook it at just the right time.  If you’ve ever had an aged Prime steak you’ll well remember the experience.  The flavor is intense!  Cost?  Well, make sure you’ve got lots of cash or headroom on your credit card if you go to one of these steakhouses.


CONCLUSIONS

What it boils down to when choosing steaks might be something like this:

Grade – How’s your bank account?

1.    Check your wallet and your ego.  If both are fat, go for Prime.
2.    If you’re a little flush and want to impress, go for Choice.
3.   If you are price conscious, shop for good looking Select.

Cut – How much visible fat do you want and what size steak?

1.    If you or your guests aren’t averse to a little fat on the steak, go for Ribeyes or T-Bones or Porterhouses.  These     can be BIG steaks!  Porterhouses are often served huge and intended to be shared.
2.   A fat appearance compromise that works well is a Strip.  Lots of lean, pretty meat.
3.   Sirloins are super flavorful but only moderately tender.  But oh, that flavor!
4.   Filets are super tender and expensive and have no visible fat band.  Often, they are small but thick.

Special Needs

1.    If you can afford wagyu, go for it and please invite me to your party.  I'll bring wine and promise to spring for the ten dollar stuff  ;D
2.   For thin slicing uses (stir-fry, salads, sandwiches, etc.) save some money by using flank steak, London Broil or another “belly” cut and keep it tender via the way you cook it and slice it.
3.   If you see a type of steak not covered here (and there are some) take the time to look it up to see where it came from.  If it came from one of the tougher areas on the chart above, deal with it appropriately – it may not be suitable for grilling!

The next post in my “BASICS” series will be how to cook your selection.  Anyone can grill a steak, but few can grill one perfectly. 

Hub
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Offline smokeasaurus

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« on: March 26, 2012, 05:48:37 PM »
Once again Hub.......Thank You.....more good steaks have been ruined out at the grill...........this will be a great help to us all!!
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Offline teesquare

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2012, 06:00:10 PM »
A great one indeed Hub!
THANKS!!!!
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Offline TentHunteR

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2012, 06:40:23 PM »
Wow, good... no I mean GREAT write-up!

Everyone should take time to learn this. They'd eat better steaks.

One more note on grading:  Unlike inspection, grading is NOT mandatory. It's done on a voluntary basis and is paid for by the meat processor. So, depending on where the beef you buy was processed, it may not even be graded.

This doesn't mean its bad. It's just all the more reason to understand the various cuts FIRST, like Hub explained, and then grading comes into play. If it's not graded, then you'll just have to look at the marbling and judge for yourself.


Like Hub, my favorite cuts are Sirloin cuts.  In fact, the grocery stores can keep their expensive Filet Mignon; I'll take a good bottom sirloin or tri-tip over a Filet any day of the week.  I just think they taste better.

BTW - for those who aren't familiar with it, Tri-tip is cut from the very bottom of the bottom sirloin.


Again great write-up Hub!

« Last Edit: March 26, 2012, 10:46:17 PM by TentHunteR »
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Offline LostArrow

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2012, 07:39:33 PM »
Thanks again Hub!
I think we all owe you a beer for your work!
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Offline ACW3

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #4 on: March 26, 2012, 08:38:01 PM »
Great job, Hub!  There is no test on this, is there?  I don't test well.  I do eat well, however.

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Offline Ron D

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #5 on: March 26, 2012, 09:46:36 PM »
Great post Hub....also be on the lookout for "enhanced meat" Wal-Mart has a lot of its beef listed as this as it is injected with a brine to make a lower cut more tender....I for one do not buy any of that meat....if I want to inject it I will do it on my own
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Offline africanmeat

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #6 on: March 27, 2012, 06:46:51 AM »
Thanks it is good info
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Offline bbqchef

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Re: BASIC STEAK SELECTION for the beginner
« Reply #7 on: November 04, 2012, 07:35:13 AM »
Great post! Thanks for creating it.
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