Beef
From ArticleWorld
Beef is the overall stock from bovine, most commonly from cows. The meat that is sought after is from the younger and more tender cows. It is cut from sections to make certain types of grade beef.
Contents |
United States Beef Grading System
The grading system is subject to two criteria. The age of the cow and the amount of fat on the meat. These grading criteria is often disregarded if the meat is considered as standard or leaner. Supermarkets typically sell graded choice or select.
Cuts of beef
Beef is divided into primal cuts or base cuts. These are sections from which steaks, ribs, pot roasts are cut from. The short loin and the sirloin are typically considered the same.
The most tender meat is going to be the furthest away from the hooves as the hooves and the muscle in that area are where most of the work is done when cows move.
Chuck
This is the area where hamburger is derived from. It is in the neck and front shoulder areas. The meat is removed then ground into a meat grinder which expels the ground meat, or hamburger. How lean the hamburger is will be dependant on how much of the fat was ground with the meat.
Steak types
Steak meat come from two areas of the cow: the short loin and the sirloin. The shot loin is where the more tender meat is and is the spot for cutting porterhouse steaks and filet mignon. This are is found in the upper back area just in front of the hips.
The sirloin is more tough and the short loin, but that is made up for with the richer flavor. The most famous steak from this area is the T-Bone steak. This area is found in the upper back area right in the general area of the hips.