Are You Finished or Done?

For those who know me, I will correct you if you use "done" or "finished" improperly.  Steaks get done, people get finished.  This is an ongoing battle I seem to have with those around me regarding proper grammar.  And I'm sure you are now asking wth the hell does the English language have to do with my food blog.  So, let me tell you.

I was thinking about the different cuts of beef out there.  Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines (domestic cattle).  Beef is a main source of protein in many cultures, including Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia, Argentina, and the United States.  In some countries beef is taboo, such as India (ever hear of the Sacred Cow of India?).  The US, China, EU, and Brazil are the biggest consumers of beef.

But I didn't bring up beef to provide you the statistics.  I thought discussing the different cuts of beef would be a useful culinary tool.  There are basically 8 different cuts, known as primal cuts; 4 from the upper part and 4 from the lower part.  These seem like they are complicated,  but really they aren't so complicated when you break it down by the upper cuts and the lower cuts.

Note, there are many uses for other parts of cattle.  That discussion is probably best left for another blog.  Things like oxtail, tripe, tongue, and glands (known as sweetbread), and the liver, testicles, and kidneys are used to make all sorts of soups, stews, sausages, and other culinary delights.

Upper half cuts consist of the chuck, rib, loin, and round:

• Chuck — one of the most common sources for roasts and hamburgers.  This can be ground for burgers, meatloaf, and chilis; or you can have a chuck bone or eye roast, top blade roast, or a chuck shoulder roast. 
• Rib — short ribs, rib eye steak, and prime rib.  These are some of the fattiest pieces of meat taken from the rib area.  Best way to cook is by grilling.  Although for a Prime Rib you can bake in the oven.
• Loin — includes 1) Short loin — from which T-bone steaks are cut; 2) Sirloin — less tender than short loin, but more flavorful, further divided into Top sirloin and Bottom sirloin, and 3) Tenderloin — the most tender, from which filet mignon is served, can be removed separately, or left in for T-bone and Porterhouse steaks.  These are tender and flavorful cuts, good with grilling, pan frying, broiling or sautéing. 
• Round — lean cut, moderately tough, lower fat marbling, and requires moist cooking or lesser degrees of doneness (such as a crock pot or dutch oven).  This includes the botton round roast, top and eye round roast, and the botton round rump roast.   Best ways are broiling (cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat), braising (cooking in fat in a closed pot with minimal moisture), or crock pot cooking.

Lower half cuts consist of the brisket, shank, plate and flank.

• Brisket — often associated with barbecue beef brisket or corned beef; this can be grilled, smoked, or put in a crock pot.  The basic idea here is low and slow.
• Shank — used primarily for stews and soups; it is not usually served any other way due to it being the toughest of the cuts.   Shanks are taken from the foreleg of the animal.  Cook in crock pot or dutch oven.
• Plate — produces short ribs for pot roasting and types of steak such as the outside skirt steak for, say, fajitas and hanger steak. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat.  Best when marinated and grilled, or thinly sliced and pan fried.
• Flank — used mostly for grinding, except for the long and flat flank steak, best known for use in London broil. Many flank recipes use marinades or moist cooking methods such as braising.

Beef is considered 'red meat' because the animal's muscles need so much oxygen as they work keeping the cow upright and moving it around. Myoglobin is the molecule that transports oxygen around the body; it is red in color, therefore the muscles which are used a lot contain a lot of myoglobin and are deep red.  The meat of cows, buffaloes, sheep, and horses are considered red.  Same with duck and goose.

Chicken and pork are considerd white.  Meat from baby mammals such as calves, sheep, and pigs are considered white meat as well.

Check out my upcoming recipe link to find recipes for all these different cuts of meat.  And always, if you have any questions let me know.