Affordable & Succulent Meat
Many butchers have raised their eyebrows at me over the years, after asking me how I was going to prepare the beef that I was buying.
Cheaper cuts of beef, that are considered to be "tough," can work just fine with the proper preparation.
One of the first things I look at when considering beef, is the fat content.
I do not buy "marbled," as the culinary world insist is the best choice.
I want a uniformed piece of beef in size, color, and texture, with no flecks or streaks of fat running through it - like these below.
"""Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox, or of sheep,
or of goat" Leviticus 7:23
Muscles are meat and the more exercise they receive, the tougher they become.
Hard-working muscles, like the legs and shoulders, have more collagen, which holds the muscles together and keeps them attached to the bone.
Muscles also toughens with age, so the younger an animal is, the more tender it's meat will be.
Muscle tends to have the most tender texture between 120° and 160°F.
But connective tissue doesn’t even start to soften until it hits 160°F, and it needs to reach 200°F to completely break down. By the time connective tissue is becoming edible, the muscle has completely overcooked.
The preparation is the key, not the cut.
Tough cuts: Chuck roast Shoulder roast Shank Brisket Rump roast or steak Top round Bottom round Eye of round Short ribs
Tender cuts: Rib-eye steak Standing rib roast Tenderloin (filet) Strip steak Strip loin T-bone steak Porterhouse steak Sirloin steak Tri-tip
I do want to make this one point here. When grilling, do not use those large forks that come in the grilling kits. You do not want to puncture the meat. This releases all the juices and you will have a dry result with little flavor. Always use tongs or a metal spatula.
Grilling takes a little practice and when achieved, does provide a savory meat.
It is my preferred method of cooking, when possible, as the flavor is so delicious.
Many people resort to marinading. Some culinary cooks declare that using marinades to produce tender beef is a misconception.
This is rarely my method of choice. I lean towards maximizing flavor and tenderness, without over shadowing the "essence" of the meat.
Tenderizing & Optimizing Flavor Options:
1. Marinating in an acid base: Acids assist in breaking down proteins, while enzymes relax and break down proteins.
Papaya or pineapple base marinade - papaya contains a natural meat tenderizer called papain, while pineapple contains enzymes called bromelain. Vinegars and citrus marinades work well also.
*Do not let the beef soak in the marinade too long, or it will become mushy as the acids can digest the meat.
From 30 minutes to 2 hours should be sufficient.*
These work best for thinner cuts of beef.
Ginger also contains a proteolytic enzyme that breaks down protein and tenderizes meat.
If you are using thick pieces of beef or lamb for kabobs, then if you are concerned about the tenderness, I would suggest marinading. This is one of the times that I would use that method.
2. Pounding with a mallet or rolling pin: breaks down tough muscle fibers.
Place meat between two sheets of saran wrap or wax paper to do so.
Pounding also flattens the meat, which allows it to cook more quickly.
The longer a steak spends over the heat, the drier it gets.
* Do not pound too much, or the beef will become mushy.*
3. Slicing the beef thinly, across the grain - meaning the direction of the muscle fibers. This causes muscle and tissue fibers to be shortened and makes the meat more tender.
For an affordable and delicious steak, a London Broil is a good option.
Grill to a medium doneness and and then let it rest.
**Then cut it very thin across the grain.
This is where you can use a cut of beef that is not considered tender and yet, enjoy it as a steak or beef satay (thin kabob slices) and achieve a tender, flavorful result. **
It will cook a little more, after slicing. So, take that into account for how done you would like it. It has no waste of cutting out sections of fat or throwing a bone away (that had to be weighed and paid for).
4. Slow cooking: low-temperature heat over a long period of time, which breaks down the tough fibers, collagen and connective tissues, tenderizing the meat. This starts to happen when it's heated from 160 degrees up to 180 degrees.
The moist heat technique - braising. The meat is immersed at least partially in broth or some sort of liquid, which is then cooked for a long time period that is sufficient to break down the collagen. This allows the connective tissue to break down into soft, silky gelatin, which gives the braised meat a desirable “falling-apart” texture. The dissolved collagen and juices add succulence.
** You ever eat a roast that was made in a crock pot and came out tough?
A big mistake is not adding broth. It must have broth. The longer a meat cooks, the more moisture it looses and will become tough.
So, braising is needed for cooking beef in a slow cooker or dutch oven.**
Crock pots are so easy to use with little effort and are such great time savers.
5. Searing meat is about optimizing flavor - Maillard reaction.
Sear-roasting works with any full cut of meat you find at the butchers - flat cuts of meat & poultry, at least 1/2 inch thick.
The sear produces a flavorful caramelized browned exterior crust with a moist, juicy interior.
Using an oven proof pan, heat up your pan over high-heat. Use a good oil that has a high smoke point.
Place the meat into the well heated pan. Once the meat hits the surface, just let it be. Don't fuss with it. After a minute or two, then turn over, using tongs - not a fork. Sear for another minute or two.
Then transfer it to a 425 - 450 degree oven, where the constant temperature will finish cooking the meat evenly.
Press down on the meat, and if it feels firm, but still has some bounce then it’s about done. The more tender it is, the rarer it is; the firmer it is the more well-done it is.
About 8 to 14 minutes for steak - depending on how well done you prefer. Set aside to rest for about five minutes.
If you are wanting to just sear the meat and not roast it, such as beef bites or stripes, and want to add a sauce to the meat then you need to deglaze the pan.
As the meat sears, a sticky brown glaze will start to build up on the inside of the pan — this is called the "fond."
Once you have finished searing, transfer all the meat to a warm pot or pan. Pour 1 cup of liquid of choice, such as broth, into the pan.
This will immediately start dissolving the glaze. Scrape the inside of the the pan with a wooden spoon to thoroughly deglaze the pan.
If you are making a stew or braise, then transfer this glaze with the beef to the pot you will be using.
If continue to cook the glaze, then it will reduce and become thicker and can be drizzled over steaks or chicken cutlets.
Tip: Roasting chicken - 375 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes (without bone) and 30 to 40 minutes (with bone). This does depends on the thickness of the meat. Chicken needs to cook to 165 degrees.
6. Resting period: let your beef rest after cooking and before slicing. This allows the fibers to relax and allows the water to be reabsorbed back into the meat fibers, therefore retaining moisture and tenderness. If you cut into the meat too soon, after grilling or roasting, then you will lose the juiciness. ** This goes for any meat or poultry, including burgers. Always let it rest about 10 minutes before consuming.**
7. Carryover cooking: When you remove the meat from high heat, it will
continue to cook as it rests and cools down. For a roast, you should
remove the meat from the heat source 10 degrees before the goal
temperature.
8. Salt is also frequently used in marinades to aid in moisture retention
and help break down muscle proteins.
** A good healthy salt, such as Himalayan, Celtic, or Sea salt -
Before cooking, pat a coating of salt on the meat - let it sit salted for an
hour per inch of thickness. Then rinse the meat under cool water and
pat dry.
**Warning and Advising against**
9. Dry aging: During the dry aging process, mold and bacteria forms
on the outermost layers of the beef which must be cut off and thrown
away.
*This green toxic mold is bacteria that "tenderizes" the meat, but also
adds toxins to the meat.* Bottom line - this is rotting meat!
Once the dry aging process is complete, the beef is butchered into
specific cuts and put on store shelves for immediate consumption or
frozen.
They actually want people to pay a premium price for this too!
Beef will spoil at temperatures above 40 degrees. The only way to stop
the aging process is to freeze the beef.
Note: I also do not advocate eating cheese with molds on top or
throughout the cheese, such as brie or blue cheese.
Putting this article together really made me hungry!
A quality, savory meal can be achieved, without spending a fortune, with just a few tips in preparation.
I hope this was beneficial to you. My goal is to help provide the information that you need to make wise lifestyle choices.
Ramona