Beef | Premium Cuts of Steak

It seems like the basic is simple to understand but the conditions on how it is being done is very much depending on the variables such as types of frying pans construction. I have tried to cook steak on the dry heat method with a stainless steel pan with a clad bottom and a stainless/copper pan. The result is that with the clad stainless pan, it took a long time to reach the temperature where the water droplet forms a ball and the oil did not quite burn so easily. When I use the stainless/copper pan, which conduct heat much faster I end up burning the oil where the steak did not reach. My question is should I just oil the part of the pan where the steak will rest on which is what the video seems to show rather than spread the oil all evenly over the pan where the dry heat method lesson shown?

A pan's exposed surface area will continue to heat up, and so will any film of oil on it. This is why there are the right sized pan for every job, especially if constantly cooking for 1, 2, or 4 people.

That's a good experiment, by the way. Copper pans will conduct heat that much faster, and your instinct to only oil the steak's surface area is quite correct. Thank you for this observation, as it points to a very important culinary skill: common sense. Your observations pointed you toward the logical conclusion. In cooking, errors need to be observed and analyzed. Though science plays an important role in how cooking works, our common sense plays an even more important role is solving its mysteries. Hope this helps.

1. On the porterhouse , what is the small peice called that is found on the edge of the striploin section?
2. When buying a Stiploin, is it preferred to pick the one cut from the T-Bone or Porterhouse?

1. The small piece at the head (end) of the striploin is part of the sirloin which is further back on the steer.

2. I personally prefer picking New York Strip from the T-bone section (without the Sirloin) because there is a piece of connective tissue between the sirloin and strip that can be a bit tough to eat. Just personal preference but good question because it's always something I look for. You can actually see it in most Striploin packages.

Thanks Joe, this makes sense. On a Porterhouse, I guess its a small hardship in light of the huge piece of tenderloin you get!

One of my friends wants to change careers and become a butcher. He was telling me that Thompson Rivers University offers a 9 month "Retail Meat Processing Certificate" but I'm wondering if it is possible to apprentice instead of going to school, and stay in Vancouver?

Hi Mary...to be honest I am not sure if this would be possible. I think the best bet is for your friend to phone around to the all of the butchers in Vancouver, as they would be better equipped to answer this question.

One of my favorite butchers is Armando at "Armando's Finest Quality Meats".
He is located on Granville Island and the number is 604-685-0359.

Hope this helps...good luck to your friend.

I don't know if this helps but when I was in cooking school in Vancouver, I volunteered for a Butcher shop near where I live. I asked if I could volunteer and they were happy to help me with it. Unfortunately, I only volunteered for a day as I was busy volunteering in school. This is another option you can consider too.

I heard somewhere that beef feed on grain (or finished off with) developed more pronounced marbling.
They said, for example that English beef which are pretty much grass fed have a much lower marbling.
Your thoughts?

Generally, grain or lot-fed steers will not have the same pronounced flavor as outdoor grass fed steers. As for marbling, much depends on the breed and type of feed. Many grain fed breeds are those that naturally produce more marbling within their flesh. A grain diet can produce more fat in the body than a grass fed one, but the question will always be to what degree has that feed been modified. When "they" say something, the question will always be "their" justification. Suffice it to say that to produce well marbled beef that also tastes good costs good money!

The bottom line is that I'd opt for better tasting beef than one with more marbled. If cooked with care every key step of the way, I can still produce tender results. Again, technique gives me more options. I don't mind an extra chew for flavor. It also means an extra sip of really good wine. Hope this helps.

I buy a whole rib of beef. Cook half and freeze half. Can I age the beef in a refrigerator? Both the fresh beef and the frozen beef?

Absolutely. I'd especially age the frozen (thawed) piece to dry it well.

Many thanks! For how long can I age a 4 rib piece of beef?

Unless your fridege has a fan and plenty of space, no more than a week. But in a cool wine cellar or walk-in fridge, a few days longer than that. Make sure to turn it every day. But even 2-3 days of aging helps.

Thank you for the great lesson!

Other than the marbling and grain versus grass fed, does the breed of beef have a significant effect on the end result: angus, limousine, etc ... ?

Glad you liked the lesson. As for what are the differences, for now we are focused on teaching you the indicators of what to look for when choosing a quality steak, not about the different breeds. Now it is up to you to try different breeds to see if you notice a difference in flavor and/or quality. Everyone will likely have their own preference. Cheers!

Hi Rouxbe,

I'm wondering what the best way to store premium steaks in the refrigerator and freezer is. For the freezer, can I just put them in a ziploc bag, or should I do something to them or wrap them in something else first. As for the refrigerator, I'm trying to keep them for 2-3 days and I don't want them to turn. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Robert

To store steaks in the refrigerator, it is ok to air-dry them for a short time (as shown in the lesson on Prepping Premium Steaks for Cooking). If you need to store the steaks for more than 24 hours, you can then rub them with a thin coating of oil so the meat does not dry out. We don't recommend storing the steaks for longer than a couple of days.

If you need to freeze steaks, it is great if you can vacuum pack them. If you do not have a Food Saver, wrap each steak individually with plastic wrap. Place them onto a tray in a single layer (don't stack them) so they freeze as fast as possible. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag. Try to cook the steaks within 3 to 6 months. Hope this helps!

Hi all,

One of the benefits of aging beef (all meats?) is said to be that the meat loses moisture. Excess moisture is supposed to stretch the fibres and cause the meat to lose more than the difference in moisture during cooking resulting in a dryer piece of meat.

A benefit of brining is provided that the process adds moisture to the meat which results in a moister and more succulent piece of meat.

Can you please explain why these two explanations on what happens to meat due to the moisture content seem to contradict each other? Or have I missed something?

Thanks!

Usually, premium cuts of beef are aged (refer to the Premium Beef Cuts for Steak Cooking School lesson) and can still be very juicy. The moisture does not only come from the juices that remain within, but more importantly from the amount of marbling. This is how you determine one steak to be better than the other.

Brining is usually used for lean meats because they do not contain a lot of marbling/fat; therefore, they need some added moisture (refer to the lesson on How to Brine). Brining is not typically used for red meats or meats that containt plenty of marbling/fat/connective tissue because they will already be juicy. Hope this helps!

When I go to some restaurants I have received a steak that has a very distinctive charbroiled taste. I love this flavor. I cannot seem to replicate that flavor at home. Is there anyway to do this? I have tried cooing with wood chips and using steak spice but nothing comes close to that flavor. How is that achieved?

While this is a great question, it is beyond what a forum can achieve. Rather than precise methodology and a series of techniques, a forum is merely words which can create too many variables for the learner. This is why we use visual and auditory cues in our content to teach necessary skills and techniques.

Our focus is to help users by answering their questions and giving them feedback based on our content we have published to date. While we are sensitive to helping you with your culinary education, greater research and precise details are important to properly answer your question.

We recommend that you investigate further to find a trusted source on this subject. Unfortunately, the world of food is endless, so we cannot answer every question accurately in a forum context. Hope you understand. Cheers!

Hi there,

Absolutely loving the lessons.

Could you tell me what the difference is between these two cuts; sirloin and rump?

The rump is further back than the sirloin. Here are a few links to some beef charts. Cheers!

http://www.atlantasteaks2u.com/beefcharts.htm
http://members.shaw.ca/masterbutcher/meat_cuts.html
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/mcmancv/beeboe1e.shtml

There is also a site (I think it's an app) called "Ssk the Butcher". I have not used it myself but I have heard good things about it.
You can select the animal (lamb, cow, calf, pig) and then click on the section for more info. http://www.vicsmeat.com.au/askthebutcher/ask-the-butcher.html

I've experimented with aging individual ribeye steaks (best done with boneless!) in the frig until the surface is quite dry (4 - 5 days), then trimming the dry portion off. However, I've been told it's not necessary to trim this off, that it will reabsorb moisture as it cooks. Your advise? (Great lesson, BTW!)

Glad that you liked the lesson. As for your question, it really just comes down to personal preference. I have tried aged steaks with and without that dry portion and I much prefer to cut off any dried parts before cooking as I find it is still a bit hard even after cooking and I do not like the contrast in texture. The best advise I can give would be to say try it both ways to see which one you like better. Hope this helps. Cheers!

I would go into the store and try to buy a good steak and not know what to look for. I would get overwhelmed and just buy one. Now after watching this section I have more confidence to go to the store and buy me and my husband a good steak. Thank you so much.

I've often heard the term searing the meat and I am not sure how you achieve this tech. Any thoughts on how to do this?

A seared steak would essentially be a rare steak that is quickly "seared" on the outside. Also, keep in mind that people often use the wrong terminology, meaning that they could be referring to a "pan-fried" steak and not a "seared" steak.

You may also find it helpful to watch the lesson on "Searing" in the cooking school. Hope this helps. Cheers!

Very surprised to learn the more marbling in the beef the more flavor but as I watch the videos the more it stands to reason. I've been selecting the wrong cuts for years and it won't happen again. Thanks!!

I have tried several times to watch this part of the video, but it keeps cutting off after just 14 seconds. I don't want to take the quiz until I have seen the whole video. Is anyone else having this problem?

Linda there have been no reports of anyone else having this problem. It also seems to be working fine from our end. I will contact you offline to help resolve this issue. Cheers!

From time to time I get a tenderloin that has a slightly livery taste to it. Is there a reason for this taste?

Personally, I have not experienced this flavor. It could be the type of beef and how it was raised, fed, etc. Talk to your butcher and see what he/she says. If you aren't fond of the flavor, make sure to try different suppliers. The grades and types of beef that are in each particular area can vary greatly. Perhaps someone else has experienced this and will share their thoughts. Cheers!

I live in Denver Colorado. I am wondering if Whole Foods will be as good as a quality butcher? I did some research and the closest butcher is quite a ways from me. Can anyone recommend someone in the capitol hill neighborhood? For now I am going to try Whole Foods, they are just two blocks from my apartment.

Personally Jeremy,

I'm all about supporting local small businesses that put more care and attention to the products they serve you and your family.

They typically care more, give you more attention and be more knowledgeable about the products they are selling. For me there is no choice, I would look for a local butcher in Denver over any large pack and stack food warehouse.

I did a quick search and found this website that looked like a great shop in Denver and family owned. http://www.marczykfinefoods.com/

I have read a few articles and watched several documentaries about grain fed beef and how it is tied to the subsidized corn industry in the US. It seems that cows develop extreme acids by eating only grain. Grass by comparison is very alkaline. It seems that cows that are only grain fed are usually also raised in large crowded feed lots. This apparently keeps their muscle development low as they do not exercise a lot and also allows them to mature to market size rather quickly, reducing the costs of beef to consumers and seeing greater profits for the producers. Grass fed cows by comparison take longer to reach market size but are much healthier cows that need far less attention and medications to keep them well. Apparently grass also greatly reduces the amount of e. coli bacteria in the cows. After discovering this news I find myself looking for the more expensive and less common grass fed beef in my area. I envy those of you who still only know grass fed beef.

Hello, I bought the whole flank piece of beef, but it hasn't been aged properly by the butcher, so I would like to age it at home in the refrigerator. How do I do that? Shall I dry age it or wet age it? If dry age, shall I just leave it uncovered or shall I wrap it in cloth? If wet age, shall I put it in a plastic bag? I cannot vacuum pack it.
For how many days can I leave it in the fridge?
Thank you!

I do not recommend wet aging without the proper equipment and procedures to properly kill surface bacteria before vacuum sealing. Leave it to the industry for this one.

If dry aging a piece of flank at home, it is best if you can either use a hook or string through the steak and let it hang. I would not age it for more than two days as home refrigerators do not circulate air very well or at all. Also, flank steak is best marinated before being grilled or pan seared. For this cut I'd stick to marinating it, which will serve the piece better, instead of aging it.

Could I ask what level of circulation would be sufficient? Are there ways to convert a home fridge or models that come ready? And if proper circulation of air is achieved what amount of time would be correct? Sorry for the load of queations, maybe the subject deserves a video?

I have been eating only grass fed beef and other nafurally fed proteins for the last month, expensive, but the results are more veggies (organic) and I feel great! Thanka for the tips guys!

No home fridge is equipped to properly dry age meat for any length of time without some risk of spoiling the meat and absorbing off fridge aromas. The rest of your question is an engineering one. Cooks are crafty, and I've seen some old fridges even turned into smokers, but that's research you'll have to investigate.

My suggestion is to achieve the dry aging at the puchasing level. Sounds like you're picky about your supplier of meat, so make sure they do it for you. That's what a butcher's relationship should be all about.