Steak culture: what kind of meat do true gastronomes make steaks from?

Despite the claims of some doctors that consumption of red meat is harmful to health, and the growing number of zealous vegetarians, there are still many more meat eaters among city residents. But few people really understand what is on their plate: often people do not even suspect where the beef came from, from which the served steak was prepared, how it was cut and stored, and what part of the carcass was made from, for example, ribeye or striploin. The Village decided to explore this issue from A to Z. Meat specialist Kirill Martynenko, managing partner of the Moscow steakhouse chain Torro Grill, helped us with this.

What is a steak and what type of meat is it made from by real experts?

If you talk to people in certain circles, you will be surprised how the word “steak” can change its meaning.
Depending on the context, it can mean completely different things. For example, it can be either a flat piece of beef or fish or cabbage cut into thick slices. Controversy over this topic continues. Some claim that they can cook a sumptuous pork dish. Others talk about the impossibility of such an option, and still advise thinking about what parts of beef true connoisseurs use for steaks. Well, what can I say, the latter are right - classic Beefsteak is made from bull meat.

So what are the reasons for such disagreements? The fact is that for many decades we could not get rid of two problems:

1. Low level of carcass cutting culture.
2. Difficulties in purchasing fresh quality meat.

It is not surprising that preparing a truly delicious steak dish is still a difficult task even for experienced chefs. After all, this art requires not just adherence to recipe rules, but, figuratively speaking, literally complete integration with all technological processes. In general, the picture is absolutely identical to that when you need to cook a beef steak.

But jokes aside, knowing the nuances, including what kind of meat steaks are made from, will allow you to feed your loved ones and friends a dish that they will remember for a long time. The main thing we need to agree on is that to prepare a beefsteak, we need beef. Having clarified this important formality, let's talk about where quality cuts come from.

About cattle

Livestock farming is moving in two ways in this direction: livestock breeds have historically been divided by breeders into dairy and meat. Of course, the meat category is suitable for steaks. But there was a period in the history of our country when the emphasis was on universal meat and dairy breeds - where does the steak culture come from?

In recent years, the situation has changed, but Russian breeding stock is based on foreign breeds: Angus, Hereford, Wagyu and others. Good marbled meat from Russian producers today is not inferior to imported meat, for example, from South America; it can be purchased in almost any supermarket.

Grass or grain?

Few of us decide to engage in cattle breeding, but fattening bulls directly affects the quality indicators of the meat product. Therefore, we will pay special attention to this factor.

There are two types of fattening: grass-fed and grain-fed. This data is so important that in some countries manufacturers are required to indicate it on the packaging. Masters who know what kind of meat a real steak is made from pay special attention to this information. So what, exactly, is the essence of the question, and what you need to know about the intricacies of raising bulls:

• Grain feeding model - several months before slaughter, the animal is transferred to a special diet consisting of soy, corn, wheat, etc. The diet promotes rapid weight gain and increases fat content. On the packaging it will look something like this: “200 days grain-fed.”
• Grass feeding model - bulls eat grass until the last day. This type of beef contains less fat, but contains healthy acids.

Opinions about the superiority of one type of fattening over another are subjective. For example, grass-fed meat is more ethical and healthy, and a grain-based diet allows the manufacturer to increase the yield of meat products.

There is no point in arguing about tastes here. For example, I prefer the grain model, because it promotes marbling of the meat, and therefore the steak will be juicy. If you haven’t decided yet, try both types, compare and make a choice. In general, the situation is approximately the same as with cold and hot smoked sausage, some like one, and some like the other.

Marbling

Another important aspect to pay attention to when choosing a cut. The marbling of meat is determined by the amount of intermuscular fat; pieces where it is evenly distributed are especially valued. During cooking, the fat permeates the meat and the steak piece with decent marbling turns out juicy and soft.

Some countries have introduced a classification of marbling to make the choice easier for the buyer. The leader in standardization in this area is the USDA - the US Department of Agriculture. The standard involves several levels of quality. The top three categories consider which cuts of beef can be used to prepare steaks using frying, baking or grilling methods:

• Prime is the highest quality meat from young bulls with good marbling.
• Choice is a product with moderate marbling, suitable for frying or stewing.
• Select is lean meat that will be soft when cooked, but not as juicy and flavorful as premium cuts. Only tender pieces are suitable for frying and grilling; all other cuts in this category require preliminary marinating or stewing.

The popularity of this gradation has spread beyond the borders of the United States, and now it is used in many countries, including Russia. However, American meat must be USDA certified, while other producers have a different classification process. In other words, in relation to beef from Russia, the above terminology of degrees of marbling is nothing more than a marketing ploy. But we are not going to cook Bavarian pork knuckle.

Is it worth buying packaged pieces?

In markets and in some stores you can see unpackaged meat, which is simply stored in the refrigerated section. In specialized places, pieces are usually sold in foam trays covered with cling film. How to choose meat for steak in this case?

The big advantage of buying a product in a package is that it usually comes with a label with comprehensive information. If you are not familiar with a given cut of beef, grade, or the best way to cook a particular steak, you can read about it on the packaging. However, this will not allow you to remove a piece of meat to look at both sides, smell the smell, check the moisture and make sure there are no brown spots. This cannot be determined when the product is on a piece of foam under a layer of plastic wrap. A packaged steak may look great on the side you see, but you won't be able to tell what's on the back until you make the purchase and open it at home. And then it may be too late.

Quality steaks are expensive, so don't be afraid to ask the seller to check the meat you're buying. In this case, choose a piece with the largest number of marble veins so that it is tender and tasty. There is nothing worse than having difficulty chewing tough meat.

Classic and alternative: briefly about the varieties of steaks

Any decent steakhouse will have a few classic versions of steak, but you'll find many more alternative roasts. This gradation, frankly speaking, is arbitrary. Although, on the other hand, any gourmet will tell you that the classic is prepared from cuts that are always soft and have a pleasant smell.

Alternative beefsteaks, rest assured, are no less appetizing and tasty, but certain reasons prevented them from getting into the elite league. Such reasons may be:

• The cut has a non-standard shape, which means it cannot be cut into pieces of the same thickness and weight. In other words, for a person who decides to get enough, it doesn’t matter what part of the meat is used to make a crispy and appetizing steak, it is important for him to see a good piece on his plate, that’s all.
• A special arrangement of fibers or non-standard distribution of adipose tissue.
• Peculiar flavors or unusual consistency.

It is important to note that alternative steaks are generally significantly cheaper than classic ones. Therefore, this factor is important for those who love ribeye, but are not able to afford it as often as they would like.

To describe all the options for cuts, you will need more than one article. Moreover, new names appear on the market from time to time, and differences in the cutting of carcasses in different countries influence the formation of national terms. Below we will consider classic versions of preparations, but, I repeat, dividing beefsakes into classic and alternative is nothing more than a convention.

Maturation or aging

Meat aging

Fresh meat is quite tough, so cuts intended for steaks are usually kept in a special place to allow the meat to mature. During the ripening process, chemical processes occur in it that soften the fibers, and excess moisture evaporates, the taste becomes more concentrated.

Ripening lasts from two to several weeks, much depends on temperature, humidity and type of meat.

There are recipes that provide for aging the product at home, but for this you need to have a vacuum sealer - for wet ripening, or a refrigerator with a constant temperature, intended only for these purposes. At the end of the product aging process, the thin top darkened layer is cut off, it loses 10 to 30% in weight and becomes softer and tastier.

The best cut or what parts of beef are used for classic steaks: main types of cuts

Ribeye

One of the most popular and expensive cuts, it is incredibly good after prolonged dry aging. The piece is taken from the dorsal part of the carcass, consisting of three muscles that are located along the ribs. At the point where they meet there is a patch of fat that looks like an eye. This is where the name comes from: rib – “rib” and eye – “eye”.

This steak is cooked at home in a frying pan or grill. Meat fully reveals its aroma and taste at high degrees of roasting.

Other names for the cut include cowboy steak, tomahawk steak, and thick end.

Striploin

This shmat, like ribeye, is cut from the back of the carcass, only closer to its back. A characteristic feature of striploin is the layer of fat on the outside of the piece, while otherwise there is not so much of it. If you consider such sections of beef steak to be fatty, then I dare to ask you what part is cut from the ribeye, which is really fatty.

Due to the lack of fat, striploin has a weak taste and increased hardness. At the same time, it has an important advantage: when grilled, the piece is almost not deformed.

Alternative names: New York, thin edge, counter fillet.

Tenderloin

A beefsteak from the tender part of the carcass is guaranteed to be tender and soft. However, due to the low fat content, the taste characteristics of the dish do not shine. However, the Thunderloin is not a cheap cut because the tenderloin makes up a small portion of the carcass.

It makes sense to cook such a steak when fatty foods are contraindicated for you or when you get standard beef of average quality. The tenderloin is fried on the grill, frying pan or in the oven. You can add expressiveness to meat using properly prepared sauces.

Other names: filet mignon, fillet, chateaubriand, tenderloin.

T-bone

It so happens that the cut consists of two types of steak separated by a bone in the shape of the letter “T”: tenderloin on one side, and striploin on the other. The thickness of the tenderloin in the back of the carcass is quite wide, so this cut is also called “porterhouse”. Presentable appearance, quite a lot of meat - this is a brief description of the T-bone.

At the same time, one should not overestimate its potential. When you consider what part of the beef chefs use to make this steak, the first thing that catches your eye is the bone. In certain cases, it allows you to get a tasty product, but here the bone is rather a hindrance, because during heat treatment it contributes to the deformation of the piece and the loss of juice. For this reason, T-bones cannot be cooked evenly in a frying pan, but in the oven or on the grill they can be cooked just fine.

Do not forget that the cut includes two types of steaks, each of which requires its own cooking technology, that is, the cooking process seems to be a compromise to a certain extent. In the end, having bought a T-bone, we will pay at the same time for a striploin and a thunderloin: the first one can be taken separately, and the second one is very expensive, but does not particularly shine with taste. In addition, be aware of the bone, which will definitely go to waste.

Story

English Herefords and Scottish Aberdeen Angus were brought to the New World, on which, in fact, the American meat industry began to develop. In addition to the United States, steaks have become widespread in all former British colonies, as well as in Latin America, Germany, Italy and France.

Actually, the culture of steak and steakhouses was born at the end of the 19th century, and it happened, as you might guess, in America - in Chicago.

Briefly about the essence of choice

There is no need to doubt the integrity of the sellers, but first of all rely on your own knowledge, since only you will cook and listen to the criticism of eaters. You can create a whole set of rules regarding the choice of meat, but in this article we will consider only those recommendations that will help you buy quality beefsteaks:

• Color is the main sign of freshness. Good beef has a confident red color and there should be no blemishes when vacuum packed.
• Surface – the presence of mucus is unacceptable; if you put your hand on a piece, it should remain dry. A thin, pale crust is normal.
• Smell is another indicator of product quality. When you haven’t yet decided which piece of meat is best to make a steak from, smell it. A fresh aroma will always be pleasant, but an unpleasant smell means that the cut is not the first freshness, and there is no need to take it. If you open the vacuum packaging, at first the smell may not be too much, to put it mildly. But if he disappears later, there is nothing to be afraid of.
• Fat - must be white and elastic, an unpleasant odor is not allowed. Pay attention to the amount and how the fat is distributed over the entire plane of the piece - the more marbling, the tastier the dish will be.
• Elasticity – a fresh defrosted piece of meat springs back when pressed, and the indentation from your finger quickly smoothes out.

It happens that it is possible to buy only frozen meat. This is not a problem when checking its quality. When you tap on a piece, a ringing sound should come out, and the color of the cut when you apply your finger should be bright.

Determining the degree of cooking of the steak

There are six degrees of doneness, the choice of which depends solely on your personal tastes. When frying blue, the steak comes out with blood, while rar is a very lightly fried steak, but without blood. Medium rare steak is lightly fried meat: there is a crust on the outside, the meat is only heated inside. Medium steak - medium doneness, when the meat is pink in the middle, but still damp. Medium well steak - perfectly cooked, with pinkish meat and well done - a very well done steak, perfectly cooked.

Experienced chefs can determine the degree of doneness visually, but this method requires a lot of experience and skill. You can do it easier - lightly cut the meat and look at its color inside, or press the piece with your finger - a raw steak is usually soft, and the finished piece becomes firm and dense. If you don’t trust your feelings, you can cook according to time - a rare steak is fried for 2 minutes on each side, for lightly done it takes 2.5 minutes, for medium doneness it takes 3 minutes, and a perfectly done steak requires 4.5 minutes. each side.

If you have a needle thermometer, the task is easier - just measure the temperature of the steak to understand what stage of cooking the meat is at. Blue steak is ready at a temperature of 46–49 °C, rar — at 52–55 °C, medium rare — at 55–60 °C, medium — at 60–65 °C, medium well — at 65–69 °C, well done - at 71–100 °C. If the meat is heated above 100°C, the steak is overcooked.

Check the expiration date

The next thing to do is check the expiration date. Some stores list the arrival or packing date instead. If you don't understand what these terms mean, be sure to ask the seller. Under no circumstances should you buy steaks that are past their expiration date. Additionally, you may sometimes see cuts of meat that look much less fresh but have the same date on the label. This means the steaks have been repackaged.