Did you know that the U.S. ranks fourth globally when it comes to meat consumption per capita? In short, we love buying steak and consuming a lot of beef products.
Home cooks are getting more educated about the origins of their meat these days. What used to be specialty information only your local butcher would know, is now readily available. So, if you’ve been wondering how to tell if steak is good, no worries. You’ve come to the right place.
Keep on reading for our full breakdown of the key three things you need to understand to pick the perfect steak for your needs and recipes.
1. Buying Steak 101: Exploring the Different Steak Grades
The government or an agency engaged by the government performs the grading of steak and beef in general.
The grading process might be subjective, but there are three things that stay constant. The age of the animal, as well as the quality and quantity of the marbling. Grading is not done on specific cuts of beef, but rather on the complete or divided carcass of a cow.
Prime
Only 2% to 3% of beef on the market is U.S. Prime, which is the highest grade available. For personal use, this is the most costly option since it is often offered to high-end hotels and restaurants.
Marbling and intramuscular fatty acids make it more forgiving during cooking and provide a tasty, juicy dinner.
Choice
More than half of the beef sold to customers is of the U.S. Choice standard. Compared to Prime, Choice has a lot less marbling.
Even though it’s less forgiving when cooked, Choice is still one of the best options for barbecued beef.
Select
The term “good” refers to U.S. Select beef. However, it has the least amount of marbling but is still sold to customers, while being less sought for because of its leanness.
Despite the fact that the meat is still excellent, the marbling of fat will make these pieces perfect for marinating and smoking.
2. Understanding the Primal Cuts
There are eight primal cuts of beef that you need to be familiar with before making your beef purchases. They can be divided into forequarter cuts and hindquarter cuts.
Let’s take them one at a time.
The Forequarter Cuts: The Chuck and Ribs
With its shoulders and neck, it is known as the “chuck”. Muscles, fat, and connective tissue abound in the chuck.
Because of all these tissues, these cuts have a great deal of taste, but they may also be rough. As a result, these slices often have longer cooking times in order to achieve the desired tenderness.
As a result, chuck cuts are often less expensive. If you know how to prepare it correctly, cuts from this area of the animal may provide some of the most flavorful meat in the world.
There are also beef ribs. Since the ribs contain some of the most tender and marbled meat in the animal, they’re among the most costly cuts.
Dry heat grilling is ideal for steaks and roasts from the rib primal cut because of the meat’s inherent softness.
The suppleness and beautiful marbling of fat in the meat from this section of the animal are also used to produce delicate meals that need minimum cooking of the meat.
Other Forequarter Cuts: Beef Plate, Brisket and Shank
Depending on how it’s divided, the plate may be referred to as either a short or long plate, although the meat from both is flavorful and nicely marbled.
However, since it is difficult to prepare, careful consideration must be given to the best methods of preparation. Short ribs, skirt steak, and Philadelphia steak are all examples of cuts from the short plate.
Beef brisket is for those of you who like cooking slowly, you’ve probably heard of brisket, a popular cut.
The flesh surrounding the breastbone is what makes up the brisket, which is located just below the chuck.
Then, there’s the beef shank. This cut of meat is arguably one of the hardest on the cow. As you might guess, this is a muscle that has put in a lot of time and effort. Osso Bucco, a much-loved Italian traditional dish, may be made by braising it.
Hindquarter Cuts: Loin, Round, and Flank
If you’re looking to spend your hard-earned money, the loin is your best bet. Behind the ribs, this primordial cut is set at the top of the animal. The loin includes the short loin, the sirloin, and the tenderloin. Because the muscles of the loin are not frequently utilized, they remain sensitive.
Then, there is the beef round. The round is emitted from the animal’s hindquarters. The meat from this cut is tough since it is mostly made up of massive muscles. It is thus ideal for stews, ground beef, and reverse searing. As a consequence, it lends itself to slow cooking.
Also, there’s the beef flank. Only a little portion of the steer is comprised of the flank, which is located slightly behind the loin.
It has a strong taste, but it also has a lot of lengthy muscle fibers, which may make it difficult if overcooked.
3. Critical Factors to Consider When Buying Beef
There are a few things to look for when selecting your next piece of beef.
Without any brown staining, meat should be crimson or purple/red hue. The richer flavor is associated with darker hues. Try to get a whiff of the flesh, if you’re able to.
Keep searching if it doesn’t smell fresh. In order to avoid overcooking, the meat should be firm and cool to the touch when you remove it from the container.
There should be no water in the packing. Moisture will accumulate in the meat the longer it sits in the container. Marbling should be evenly distributed throughout the steak, especially if it’s a cut such as rib-eye that’s designed to be soft and juicy.
Also, you can always wear your perfect cattle ranch cap before you go out shopping. Look at various cuts if you are going to fork out some money for the most costly cut you can get your hands on, just in case.
How and Where to Get the Best Steak
If you’re new to the wide world of beef products, then things can be rather overwhelming. But, we hope that we’ve shed some light on the intricacies of buying steak in three points.
And, if you liked our article, then you’ll love our additional tips and explainers all in our food and lifestyle section.