Any butcher in the house ?

[oz]

With all the choices at the supermarket what kind of beef do I buy for a juicy and tender steak ?

What do I look for ?

I get confuse with all the choices out there.

There's Chuck; Round; Rib-eye; T-Bone, Rib-steak and Loin ?

Then there's the grades of Select and Choice and so on, which is better ?

What about labels like Enhanced? Natural? Organic, etc.

[crzy4reefs]

my husband used to work at a meat market when he was in highschool and through college, i'll show him this thread he's great at picking out great meat.

[JayS]

Eat steak- eat steak- eat a big ole steer- eat stake eat steak...... (I hate that commercial)

emm steak, I'm a filet guy myself but its hard not to get a good cut in TX...

[Travis L. Stevens]

I was a meat cutter about 2 years ago. Look for side notes at bottom

Meat Cutting 101
Loin and Rib Meats

Here is your text book:


Loin Meats: T-Bone, KC Strip, Porterhouse, Filet Mignon, Ribeye, and Top Sirloin. All of these meets come from where the spine reaches the shoulder (Ribeye end) to all the way down to where the spine meets the hip area (Top Sirloin End) If you could take a cow's Loin (hip to shoulder) and do cross sections of one half of the spine you would start from the shoulder getting Ribeyes, T-Bones, Porterhouses, and then Sirloins.

Ribeye - Located on the loin near the shoulder. Names after the eye of fat that is located in the middle of it. Great tenderness and flavor (My favorite cut). Bone In and Boneless cuts of meat. Bone In adds extra flavor. When a Bone In Ribeye has the ribs taken out, what you have left is a Boneless Ribeye and rack of beef Ribs. Bone In is cheaper in bulk, so if you buy a whole cut, you can get many steaks and get good beef ribs for a fraction of the cost of a boneless ribeye

T-Bone - Located in the mid-front section across the ribs. A T-Bone with the ribs chimed is a Bone-In KC Strip. Named after the shape of the bones. Great tenderness and flavor. You pay for the weight of the bone, though.

Porterhouse - Located in the mid-back section across the spine. A Porterhouse is a T-Bone with a large amount of Tenderloin on the bottom side. Best of both worlds. You get a great steak on top and the best steak on bottom. You pay for the bone.

Top Loin - Also called Strip Loin, KC Strip, and NY Strip. Located on the top half (towards the skin) of the loin. It is the larger, top section of a T-Bone/Porterhouse. Great in tenderness and flavor. Bone In and Boneless versions. Bone In is a rip-off in my opinion.

Tenderloin - The sacred Filet Mignon. This is the bottom half of the loin located on the inside of the spine. This is Excellent in tenderness and flavor. Only found Boneless.

Sirloin - Many variations of sirloin. Located on the hip. Good Tenderness and great flavor. Cheap price. First choice in feeding multiple people. Bone In and Boneless versions available. Whole Sirloins also have the remanents of KC Strip and have the largest portions of Tenderloin. Top Sirloin is the more commonly found cut. Well worth the price. Bottom Sirloin is rather tough.

To be continued...

*Preference in marble is up to the consumer. Health conscience should stay away from heavy marbling, but it makes the meat tougher. A juicy, tender steak would have heavy marbling, but isn't as good for your health.

[Paintbug]

i believe that sums it up Travis L. Stevens!

[Travis L. Stevens]

That's only the tip of the cow. Figuratively speaking I'm gonna edumacate these peep-holes on BEEF!!! Well, for those that want to listen/read

[dc]

The kind you like the best! Rib eyes for me!

[Crusty Old Shellback]

(with a Texas draw) Fill-it Mig-non for me!

[oz]

Sorry I have small brain. What the heck is a marbling exactly ?

Is it the fat ?

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by dc
The kind you like the best! Rib eyes for me!

Beef Eater's Tip 1: On a budget? Looking to save some cash? Looking for a cheap alternative to a Ribeye for multiple people? Look for the "Poor Man's Ribeye". It is also called Chuck Eye Steak. This is a steak with similar tenderness and marbling of a Ribeye. The flavor might not be as great, but it is good. It tastes slightly more like a Chuck Roast then a Ribeye. But you can soak them in beer overnight to get a lot of that Chuck flavor out and make them even more tender. Toss on the grill and add your favorite spices, and you will never know the differece.

Beef Eater's Tip 2: Still on that budget after saving huge on Poor Man's Ribeye? Buy Cow Tongue in place of brisket. Taste is very similar as is texture. You'll need a recipe. Preparing the tongue is key. I don't remember off the top of my head, but I think you boil it and peel the skin off.

Beef Eater's Tip 3: Brown Meat? Ewww! Actually, beef is the opposite of Apples. When apples are exposed to oxygen they oxidize and turn brown. When beef is deprived oxygen, it turns brown. For example. The next time you buy a ground beef, take the brick and cut it in half. You will see the inside is brown. So, don't be afraid to buy brown beef.

Beef Eater's Tip 4: Toucan Sam said it best, "Follow your nose!" This couldn't be any more true. If your beef makes you want to gag when you smell it, it is definitely bad. Beef has a destinct smell. And at certain stages, the smell changes. Often, the meat just smells funny, but when it smells bad, toss it. If the packaging is puffed with air beyond a normal amount, it most likely is bad. Becareful though, if the meat was packed warm when it went into the cryovac bags (for whole pieces, not cuts) then when you open it, it will have a smell. Brisket often smells funny when you first open it. If it's green, toss it. If it has a green sheen, cut it out.

Beef Eater's Tip 5: Want extra tender meat? You have to know what you are doing and to notice when it is too late, but buy old beef. The older the beef is, the more it has broke down. When you buy it, take it home and freeze or cook it immidiately. **Not responsible for those that get sick from eating rancid meat.

[oz]

Oh and another thing, what color of beef is best or freshest ?

Is it purpleish ? cherry-red or brownish red ?



I try to look for the "best before date" labels but I think they cheat sometimes.

[crzy4reefs]

marbling is the fat in the meat...i believe........

[thehedge]

Rib-eyes all the way...

Oh my, I am getting sooo hungry reading this thread.

Marbling is small slivers of fat in the red, meaty section of the steak. You want to see little white fat lines running through the red section...it makes the steak juicy and flavorful. MmMmMm...I make a curry steak with garlic salt, garlic, pepper, curry powder, oregano, and olive oil. Marinade for a couple hours and slap it onto a grill. I didnt have breakfast this morning so I am getting really really hungry.

[Travis L. Stevens]

Marbling is the "stripes" of fat that run between the muscle tissue. You know how people inject their turkeys with stuff? Consider the marbling natural pre-injected flavoring. The grades of meat also are determined by marbling. Prime beef has more marbling and is juicy, tender, and full of flavor. Choice is the more common beef and is the middle grounf, but still a good grade. And Select is not found often anymore. Mainly because of profitability is low since consumers demand more top of the line beef. Select has very little marbling and is tough and dry compared to Prime beef.

Prime Grade Beef


Choice Grade Beef


Select Grade Beef


Beef Eater's Tip 6: Choose the right meat for the job. For example, when making something such as a stew, choose something with the least amount of fat and/or marbling. This will keep the stew lean and you won't have a greasy layer of fat to skim off the top.

*** Ironically when I googled an image search for "beef marbling", the third picture was from Reasor's. That is where I worked!

[Travis L. Stevens]

Originally posted by oz
Oh and another thing, what color of beef is best or freshest ?

Is it purpleish ? cherry-red or brownish red ?



I try to look for the "best before date" labels but I think they cheat sometimes.

It is actually difficult to tell unless you know what to look for. All in all, your best bet is finding a place that you trust and/or will cut the meat in front of you. Also, it is illegal to change the dates on the meat. Now, they can change the price, but they must leave the same date. Color wise, when you first cut a fresh new piece of meat right out of the package, the meat will be a brick red in color in the middle. Given exposure to air, it turns that beautiful red. Lack of air, causes it to turn brown. You can usually get it to turn back red if you leave it exposed to the air for a while. The only thing you need to watch out for is a greenish-grey look. Sometimes it has a green sheen to the meat. This means it is either older, turning, or already rancid. Very rarely will you get a properly handled package rancid. Occassionally, it may look fine, but you never know when some bag boy left it sitting on a shelf or counter for a few hours and then someone else returns it without consulting the meat cutters. Usually you can spot packages by the way they are placed. Consumers will "dig" through the packages and they often stack to the right since most people are right handed. But if the person returning it is lazy and not consult the meat cutter, they just literally toss it on the pile. Also, always feel your meat. Make sure that it is cold to the touch and not warm before you buy it. If you think you have found a piece of meat that is questionable, be kind and take it to the meat cutter. We would rather be safe than sorry. Another kind gesture when looking through the packages is put them back the way they were. When looking during rush hour, it never seems sorted, but all meat departments keep their meat in order. Usually the more expensive stuff is placed where the consumer first sees it so they take an impulse buy instead of actually budgeting how much it would be.