What is the best cut of meat? Many of us are lost when we get to the butcher shop, or even the supermarket. This article identifies the different types and where they come from.
Rib-Eye or Chuck
Chuck and rib-eye are cut from the same muscle. The only difference is that the chuck is boneless and costs half the price. Season with salt and pepper and you’re ready to go on the grill! Rib-eye and chuck are cut from the 6-12 rib section. The trimmings and some whole boneless chucks are ground to make hamburgers. Rib contains short ribs and prime rib.
T bone steak and Porterhouse
T bone and porterhouse steaks are cut short. Due to their large size and the fact that they come from the location of the two most prized cuts (short loin and sirloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks. Porterhouse steaks are even more valued because they are larger. T bone and porterhouse steaks are best for quick dry heat cooking such as broiling or broiling. Longer cook times are not needed to tenderize the meat. It also cooks more evenly and doesn’t dry out or shrink as much due to bone conduction of heat.
Flap steak
This is like a large skirt steak so it is thicker. It is generally larger and very good for groups. The muscles run up and down, so to prepare the slice they cross against the grain to cut into sections. A regular skirt steak is generally used for fajitas. The flap steak comes from a bottom sirloin butt cut. Usually a thin steak, sometimes called sirloin tips. It is sometimes confused with hanger steak because they are both cut thin.
Tri tip
As expected, the tri-tip is triangular. It is also ideal for groups. Be careful though: its shape lends itself to cooking less in one place and cooking fully in another on the grill. On the other hand, that can be whatever you want. The tri tip or steak (triangular roast) is the 1.5-2.5 pounds of meat found at the bottom of the sirloin. It has a rich flavor and tends to be lower in fat than other cuts.
Denver Steak
This is a great meaty bite! There is some streaky fat, but not too much. This is a very versatile cut. A Denver steak is an increasingly popular steak that comes from the primary cut of beef. It’s tender, with a nice meaty flavor, and has a good amount of marbling. The cut is off the shoulder (which requires a lot of exercise).
Skirt
The brisket is generally used for barbecue, corned beef or pastrami. It is cut from the breast or the bottom of the beef brisket. These muscles support about 60% of the body weight of cattle and therefore have a lot of connective tissue. It must be cooked properly to soften the connective tissue. Popular cooking methods are spicy dressing, marinating, and then slow cooking over indirect heat, such as a slow cooker or barbecue, or smoking. In a slow cooker, this is 8 hours for 3 pounds.
