Know Your Cuts and How to Cook Them

Thanks to America’s beef producers, there are beef choices to satisfy all tastes, schedules and budgets. Don’t let choosing the right cut become confusing. This helpful chart can serve as your guide to find the best cut for your needs, whether it’s a weeknight family dinner or a special celebration. Above all, matching the correct beef cut to the appropriate cooking method is the key to moist, tender and flavorful beef.

Ground Beef
	Fresh ground beef may vary in color during its shelf life. If exposed to oxygen through the permeable plastic wrapping, a package of ground beef may appear bright red on the surface, while the interior remains purplish-red. With extended exposure to oxygen, beef's cherry-red color will take on a brown color. These color changes are normal, and the ground beef remains perfectly wholesome and safe to eat if purchased by the "sell by" date on the package label.
Steaks
	Most tender steaks come from the center (rib and loin sections) of the animal and are usually cooked by dry-heat methods. You can find tender steaks at different price points. Premium steaks, such as strip (top loin), T-Bone, Porterhouse, ribeye, rib and tenderloin, usually have a higher price per pound, but you can also find tender steaks that are a good choice for family meals such as ranch (shoulder center), top sirloin, flat iron (shoulder top blade), chuck eye and round tip. Less-tender steaks are from the more exercised fore- and hindquarters of the animal and benefit most from moist-heat cooking. These cuts include full-cut round, eye round and bottom round; chuck shoulder, chuck 7-Bone, chuck arm and chuck blade; flank and skirt.  Some of these less tender cuts, including top round steak, may be cooked with dry heat after tenderizing in a marinade.
Oven Roasts
	A roast is a cut of beef, thicker than two inches, that is suitable for cooking by dry heat on a rack in a shallow open pan in the oven or in a covered grill (indirect heat). Premium oven roasts, including rib, ribeye, top loin and tenderloin are typically more costly, but ideal for holiday entertaining and other special occasions. Plan to order the type and size of roast you’d like ahead of time to ensure you get your first choice. For everyday family meals, casual gatherings, and for the health-conscious, the round and bottom sirloin cuts are leaner and economical. Moderately priced roasts include tri-tip, round tip, rump, bottom round and eye round. Consider a boneless roast for large parties or buffets as it will streamline carving and serving.
Pot Roasts
	Pot roasts also come from the fore- and hindquarters of the carcass. These muscles are more heavily exercised and contain more connective tissue, making them less tender. Moist-heat cooking takes more time, but the results are worth waiting for. The beef becomes fork-tender and develops a savory depth of flavor unique to slow-cooked beef. Pot roasts from the chuck have more fat, and thus more flavor, than those from the round, but many beef chuck and round cuts can be used interchangeably in pot roast recipes, requiring only slight adjustments in cooking times. Take advantage of this fact when the cut specified in a recipe is not available, when certain cuts are on special or to accommodate family preferences.
Beef Brisket
	Beef brisket is a boneless cut from the breast section, the underside of the forequarter. Available as a fresh cut, it is best prepared by using braising or stewing techniques. Brisket is also processed into corned beef, a technique that brines the meat. Corned beef is also prepared using moist-heat cookery. There are several cuts of brisket available, including whole brisket, point half/point cut brisket, flat half/flat cut and middle cut. The point half is sometimes also called thick cut. The flat half, often referred to as first cut is less fatty and is often the most popular for making braised beef brisket. All the cuts have a layer of fat that can be trimmed, but adds to the flavor and tenderness of the final cooked dish.
Stir-fry Beef
	Your goal when stir-frying beef is to have uniform size pieces to ensure even cooking. You may save time by purchasing packages of pre-cut beef, but it may more economical to slice your own. Almost any tender beef cut, such as sirloin, top sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, top loin or tenderloin may be trimmed and cut into the appropriate size strips for use in beef stir-fry recipes. Even some less tender cuts, such as flank, top round and round tip steaks, are suitable for stir-frying. Remember this cook’s tip, too:  Place meat in freezer for thirty minutes and it will be easier to cut into thin slices.
Beef for Stew
	One of the homiest comfort foods, beef stew practically cooks itself as it slowly simmers on the stove.  Beef for stew is boneless, pre-cut cubes, typically from the chuck or round. The ideal size for uniform cooking is about a 3/4 to 1-1/2 inch cube. If you prefer to cut your own cubes, any chuck or round cut -except top round - may be used. Trim the excess fat and cut into the appropriate size for your recipe.
Beef for Kabobs
	Kabobs are a great crowd pleaser, whether you grill them outdoors or broil them indoors. You can turn a party interactive, by having your guest prepare their own skewers with their choice of vegetables, Beef for kabobs is usually cut into 1 to 1-1/2 inch boneless pieces from the sirloin or round. Cubes cut from the round will benefit from a tenderizing marinade. Look for packages that have the most uniform size pieces. You can trim any tender cut into the appropriate size cubes, taking care to keep the piece size as uniform as possible.  Top sirloin or tenderloin are especially good choices.

Types of Steak

• Tenderloin: The tenderloin is a cut of meat that is the most tender (and therefore usually the most expensive). On a cow or pig the tenderloin is found in the middle of the back between the sirloin and the rib. The tenderloin is extremely tender because the muscles that make up the tenderloin are rarely used. The elongated muscle can be separated from the bone and is sold as a tenderloin roast. When the tenderloin is cut into pieces, it is called fillet mignon steaks.
• T-Bone:The T-bone is a bone-in steak from the short loin. This cut has a T-shaped bone that separates the tenderloin section from the larger portion of the top loin. These steaks are not as tender as the porterhouse steak.
• Porterhouse: The Porterhouse steak is a large steak from the thick end of the short loin containing a T-shaped bone and large piece of tenderloin. Porterhouse steak is one of the most popular types of steaks.
• Strip or Top Loin: Porterhouse or T-bone steaks that have been stripped of the choice tenderloin portion.  Top loin steaks are usually expensive.
• Club: Club steak are triangular. Club steaks are s cut from the short loin, next to the rib end.
• Rib-Eye: The rib eye or ribeye is a beef steak from the beef rib. When cut into steaks, the ribeye is one of the most popular, juiciest, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is tender and fattier than other cuts of beef. This extra fat makes ribeye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorful. The rib-eye steak is also called Scotch Fillet
• Sirloin: The sirloin is near the rump. Sirloin steaks are tougher than cuts from the loin or the rib.  There are several different sirloin steak cuts,
• Flank:Flank steak is a beef steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow. Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil. The flank steak is much tougher than the loin and rib steaks. Many recipes for flank steak use marinades or braising. Flank steak is best when it has a bright, red color. You can tenderize flank steak by marinating it in a tenderizing liquid, including acids like tomato-based products, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, pineapple or ginger.
• Skirt: The skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the belly primal cut. The skirt steak is a long, flat cut that is flavorful, but tougher than most other steak cuts. Most people use skirt steak to make fajitas.

How to Choose the Right Steak or Cut of Beef

There are several different types of steaks out there. Which one should you choose? Is there one cut that is better for a certain occasion than another cut? This guide will discuss cuts of steak, anatomy of the cow, price, tenderness and marbling, elegant or casual, right for the occasion or wrong for the occasion, in attempts to help you choose which is the perfect steak for you.

Filet Mignon

Our leanest, most tender cut of beef.  The cut comes from the Tenderloin of the cattle, a small internal muscle in cattle that is quite frankly, never used. This creates beef that is supreme in tenderness and has a tendency to melt in your mouth. The filet is the leanest of steaks, and also contains less marbling. Since the tenderloin is such a small muscle, and the Filet is so highly demanded, the price is typically very high. This steak is perfect for an elegant occasion or romantic evening. It screams luxury and beauty. The Filet usually takes to marinade very well, so limit the marination time, and limit grilling time. This steak is best enjoyed medium-rare, as overcooking will especially dry out this cut.

Boneless Strip Steak

Exceptionally marbled and tender.  This steak is cut from the Strip Loin. It is probably the second most popular steak in America. It is a great size (average is about 12 oz), has moderate marbling and tenderness, is easily marinated, and has a terrific and abundant flavor. It is recommended that you grill to medium or rarer, to retain moisture. This is the steak of choice for everyday grilling and casual meals. It is more price efficient and delivers quite a bang for the buck.

T-Bone and Porterhouse

Decades of unsurpassed quality from the heartland.  Put the two previous steaks together (Filet + Strip), and keep the T-Shaped bone separating the two, and the result is a T-Bone Steak. When cut with a more generous filet, you have a Porterhouse. The name of this steak is derived from the shape of the bone separating two delicious types of beef, strip and tenderloin and the main difference between a porterhouse and TBone is the size of the tenderloin. When grilling, keep in mind that the tenderloin will cook slightly faster than the strip, and the beef closest to the bone will be rarer than the rest of the steak. Utilizing the hotter edge of the grill to cook the Strip, and the relatively cooler edge of the grill for the Filet should even things out a bit.

Ribeye

If it’s a bone-in Ribeye Steak, chances are its being called a Cowboy Steak. This name was given to the steak for its boldness, style, and tremendous flavor. The Ribeye is highly marbled and less lean than the filet, creating an exceptionally juicy and flavorful piece of meat. This steak is cut from the beef rib. Many beef connoisseurs say that this is their steak of choice. Best when grilled on high. Can be grilled to medium while still retaining moisture and juices. Save this hearty steak for a cookout at the football game, or impress the neighborhood gents. Prices are moderate.

Sirloin

Bursting with bold flavors.  This muscle is typically worked more than other muscles of the cattle. This cut, in general, is less tender, but go with the Top Sirloin and you won’t be disappointed one bit. The Top Sirloin is more tender than cuts from the bottom sirloin. Moderate prices, and retainment of flavor and tenderness makes the Top Sirloin a perfect steak for large gatherings and cookouts. Grill to medium or rarer. Marinate for a few hours for added flavor.

Steak: Grades & Cuts

A tasty grilled steak begins with a good raw steak. But how do you tell a good steak from a regular steak? Most of us go to the butcher, whether it’s the corner meat market, supermarket or online store, and find what can appear to be an unending row of steaks. There are a couple of things to look for when buying a steak. First, there is the grade. The grade speaks about the quality of the meat based on marbling and age. The second factor is the cut. Different cuts have different qualities. Finding the right cut for what you want to grill is probably the most important part of an excellent steak.
Grades
Grading is typically performed by a third party organization or by a government agency, like the USDA in the United States. The age of the animal and the marbling of the meat determine the grade of the meat. Beef are graded whole, so you will find some variance in grades of an individual cut. In the United States grades are prime, choice and select, with prime being at the top and select being the bottom. Actually, the lowest rated meats are not for general retail distribution and become things like meat by-products.
Prime grade beef makes up about 2% of all the beef produced in the United States and typically ends up exported or sold to fine restaurants. What you will normally find on the shelves at the store is choice and select. Since prime is difficult to find, your best option is to purchase a choice cut. I suggest trying it because you will notice a difference. Since choice is superior to select you can buy a less desirable cut to compensate for the higher price.
One thing to remember about grading is that these designations are formulated to be friendly to the multi-billion dollar Beef Industry. There is a considerable amount of thought that goes into brand names and marketing that shows up on that label, on the meat, you so carefully read.
Marbling is an important factor in steak selection. To visually determine the marbling of a steak take a good look at the texture of the meat. If the meat is free of all fat then the cut has little or no marbling. Though, this is leaner and often more tender, it is not as flavorful. Small streaks of fat through the meat will produce a more flavorful steak. When selecting a steak always take a look at the marbling. Remember, the more marbling the less tender, but the more flavorful. This creates something of a balancing act to find the steak that is both tender and tasty.
Marbling should be thin streaks of fat. Thick lines of fat mean the steak contains a lot of connective tissue that will make it tough. What to look for in a good steak is the color. The meat should be bright red and the fat, a creamy white, evenly distributed throughout the meat.
Cuts
Cuts of steak can be broken down into three sections. Starting on the upper back and moving down to the mid-back you have the rib, the short loin and the sirloin. The rib contains cuts such as the Rib Roast, the Rib-eye Steak and the back ribs. This is the least tender section of the three. The short loin produces the T-bone, Top Loin Steak, Tenderloin and the Porterhouse. The Sirloin gives the Sirloin Steak, and the Top Sirloin. Other steaks like the chuck, round and flank steak come from those respective areas and tend to be tough cuts of meat. Strips steaks, like the New York Steak is cut from the T-bone portion.
The most tender cut of beef is the tenderloin. From this area you will get cuts like chateaubriand, filet mignon and tournedos. Though, these cuts are tender they are less flavorful. The rib-eye, or rib steak are less tender but far more flavorful. The same holds true about the sirloin cut.

5 Awesome Stuffed Burger Recipes

What could be better than a nice burger topped with cheese? How about a burger stuffed with cheese? Or chutney. Or bacon? We're beginning with the perfect juicy all-beef burger patty and pumping it up with five different fillings, so there's sure to be one to suit your style. While it's the stuffing we love, be sure not to overstuff or you'll lose all the goodness to the grates of the grill.
From spicy to cheesy, stuffed burgers bring your blasé backyard BBQ to a whole new level. Crank up the grill and grab something cold to drink. Your burgers and your buddies will thank you for it.

+ ENLARGE

Photo: snowpea&bokchoi on Flickr

It's what's inside that counts

 

Servings: 4 to 6 burgers

Ingredients

Basic Burger

1 1/4 pound ground sirloin, (at least 80 % lean, a.k.a. 80/20)

Salt and pepper, for seasoning

Chicken Curry Burgers

2 tablespoons mild curry

1/2 cup scallions (white and green parts), sliced

3/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons ginger, minced

3 tablespoons mango chutney

1 1/2 tablespoons Sriracha or chili sauce

Steak and Swiss Stuffed Burgers

2 tablespoons horseradish

3 tablespoons steak sauce

4 ounces Swiss cheese, cubed

Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Burgers

4 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed

4 slices bacon, cooked, and crumbled

Wild Mushroom, Blue Cheese Stuffed Burger

1 1/2 tablespoons hot sauce

6 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, sauteed and drained

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

BBQ Gouda Stuffed Burger

4 tablespoons barbecue sauce

3 ounces gouda, cubed

Directions: 

**Some of the stuffed burgers have ingredients that need to be mixed in with the ground meat as well so be sure to read the instructions for the stuffed burgers below before starting.
For all of the stuffed burgers you are going to season the meat with salt and pepper and form 8 to 12 patties (depending on if you want 4 larger or 6 smaller stuffed burgers). Place an indent with your thumb in half of the patties. That is where you will place the fillings.
Chicken Curry Stuffed Burgers Substitute ground chicken for the ground meat to make these stuffed burgers. Evenly mix the curry, scallions, cilantro, red bell pepper, and minced ginger into the ground chicken. Form the patties and evenly distribute the mango chutney and sriracha sauce on the indented patties. Top top each with another patty and press the edges together to form a seal. Cook on a hot grill for 6 minutes on each side.
Steak and Swiss Stuffed Burgers Mix the horseradish and steak sauce into the ground beef before forming your patties. Once you have formed your patties, evenly distribute the Swiss into the indents on half of the patties. Top each with another patty and press the edges together to form a seal. Cook on a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.
Bacon Cheddar Stuffed Burgers Evenly distribute the bacon and cheddar among the indented half of the patties. Top top each with another patty and press the edges together to form a seal. Cook on a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.
Wild Mushroom and Blue Cheese Stuffed Burger Mix the hot sauce into the ground meat to evenly distribute, then form your patties. Distribute the mushrooms and blue cheese evenly on top of half of the patties. Top each with another patty and press the edges together to form a seal. Cook on a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.
BBQ Gouda Stuffed Burger Evenly distribute the barbecue sauce in the middle of half of the patties. Top with the gouda. Then top each with another patty and press the edges together to form a seal. Cook on a hot grill for 3 to 5 minutes per side depending on desired doneness.
All burgers can be served on the bun of your choice. But toast them, they're better that way.

Level of Difficulty: 

Easy

Prep Time: 

15 minutes

Cooking Time: 

6 to 20 minutes

Video: White Cheese Chicken Lasagna

 http://allrecipes.com/video/1247/white-cheese-chicken-lasagna/detail.aspx

This yummy white lasagna is a tasty take on classic meat and red sauce lasagna. It stars leftover chicken meat, frozen chopped spinach, three types of white cheese, and a milk-based white sauce. It may look difficult, but it’s surprisingly simple to make. See how it's done! This is a must-make recipe for potlucks and family gatherings. Watch the video, then get Lisa’s 5-star recipe for White Cheese Chicken Lasagna. It's so cheesy good, you just might forget all about the tomato-based lasagna! See more comforting casserole videos >>