Cuts denoting the various ways beef can be cut. Most beef can be used as is by merely cutting into certain parts, such as
roasts,
short ribs or
steak (
filet mignon,
sirloin steak,
rump steak,
rib steak,
rib eye steak,
hanger steak, and others), while other cuts are processed (
corned beef or
beef jerky). Trimmings, on the other hand, which are usually mixed with meat from older, leaner (therefore tougher) cattle, are
ground,
minced or used in
sausages. The blood is used in some varieties called
blood sausage. Other parts that are eaten include other muscles and
offal, such as the
oxtail,
liver,
tongue,
tripe from the
reticulum or
rumen,
glands (particularly the
pancreas and
thymus, referred to as
sweetbread), the
heart, the
brain (although forbidden where there is a danger of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy, BSE, commonly referred to as mad cow disease), the
kidneys, and the tender
testicles of the bull (known in the United States as
calf fries,
prairie oysters, or
Rocky Mountain oysters). Some
intestines are cooked and eaten as is, but are more often cleaned and used as natural sausage casings. The bones are used for making
beef stock. Meat from younger cows (calves) is called
veal. Beef from
steers and
heifers is similar. Beef is first divided into
primal cuts, large pieces of the animal initially separated by butchering. These are basic sections from which
steaks and other subdivisions are cut. The term "primal cut" is quite different from "prime cut", used to characterize cuts considered to be of higher quality. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes more tender as distance from
hoof and horn increases. Different countries and cuisines have different cuts and names, and sometimes use the same name for a different cut; for example, the cut described as "brisket" in the United States is from a significantly different part of the carcass than British brisket.
Aging and tenderization To improve
tenderness of beef, it is often aged (i.e., stored refrigerated) to allow endogenous
proteolytic enzymes to weaken structural and
myofibrillar proteins. Wet aging is accomplished using vacuum packaging to reduce spoilage and yield loss. Dry aging involves hanging primals (usually ribs or loins) in humidity-controlled coolers. Outer surfaces dry out and can support growth of molds (and spoilage bacteria, if too humid), resulting in trim and evaporative losses. Evaporation concentrates the remaining proteins and increases flavor intensity; the molds can contribute a nut-like flavor. After two to three days there are significant effects. The majority of the tenderizing effect occurs in the first 10 days. Boxed beef, stored and distributed in vacuum packaging, is, in effect, wet aged during distribution. Premium steakhouses dry age for 21 to 28 days or wet age up to 45 days for maximum effect on flavor and tenderness. Meat from less tender cuts or older cattle can be mechanically tenderized by forcing small, sharp blades through the cuts to disrupt the proteins. Also, solutions of exogenous proteolytic enzymes (
papain,
bromelin or
ficin) can be applied or injected to augment the endogenous enzymes; this can be done with purified enzyme or by using a
marinade including ingredients that naturally contain the enzyme (e.g.
papaya for papain or
pineapple for bromelin). Similarly, solutions of salt and sodium phosphates can be injected to soften and swell the myofibrillar proteins. This improves juiciness and tenderness. Salt can improve the flavor, but phosphate can contribute a soapy flavor.
Cooking methods These methods are applicable to all types of meat and some other foodstuffs.
Dry heat Internal temperature Beef can be cooked to various degrees, from very rare to well done. The degree of cooking corresponds to the temperature in the approximate center of the meat, which can be measured with a
meat thermometer. Beef can be cooked using the
sous-vide method, which cooks the entire steak to the same temperature, but when cooked using a method such as
broiling or
roasting it is typically cooked such that it has a "bulls eye" of doneness, with the least done (coolest) at the center and the most done (warmest) at the outside.
Frying Meat can be cooked in boiling oil, typically by
shallow frying, although
deep frying may be used, often for meat enrobed with
breadcrumbs as in
milanesas or
finger steaks. Larger pieces such as steaks may be cooked this way, or meat may be cut smaller as in
stir frying, typically an Asian way of cooking: cooking oil with flavorings such as garlic, ginger and onions is put in a very hot
wok. Then small pieces of meat are added, followed by ingredients which cook more quickly, such as mixed vegetables. The dish is ready when the ingredients are 'just cooked'.
Moist heat Moist heat cooking methods include
braising,
pot roasting,
stewing and
sous-vide. These techniques are often used for cuts of beef that are tougher, as these longer, lower-temperature cooking methods have time to dissolve connecting tissue which otherwise makes meat remain tough after cooking. •
Stewing or
simmering :simmering meat, whole or cut into bite-size pieces, in a water-based liquid with flavorings. This technique may be used as part of
pressure cooking. •
Braising :cooking meats, in a covered container, with small amounts of liquids (usually seasoned or flavored). Unlike stewing, braised meat is not fully immersed in liquid, and usually is browned before the oven step. •
Sous-vide :Sous-vide, French for "under vacuum", is a method of cooking food sealed in airtight plastic bags in a water bath for a long time—72 hours is not unknown—at an accurately determined temperature much lower than normally used for other types of cooking. The intention is to maintain the integrity of ingredients and achieve very precise control of cooking. Although water is used in the method, only moisture in or added to the food bags is in contact with the food. and sliced with spiced paste, often called "cold beef" Meat has usually been cooked in water which is just
simmering, such as in stewing; higher temperatures make meat tougher by causing the proteins to contract. Since
thermostatic temperature control became available, cooking at temperatures well below boiling, (sous-vide) to (
slow cooking), for prolonged periods has become possible; this is just hot enough to convert the tough
collagen in connective tissue into gelatin through
hydrolysis, with minimal toughening. With the adequate combination of temperature and cooking time,
pathogens, such as
bacteria will be killed, and
pasteurization can be achieved. Because browning (
Maillard reactions) can only occur at higher temperatures (above the boiling point of water), these moist techniques do not develop the flavors associated with browning. Meat will often undergo
searing in a very hot pan,
grilling or browning with a torch before moist cooking (though sometimes after). Thermostatically controlled methods, such as sous-vide, can also prevent overcooking by bringing the meat to the exact degree of doneness desired, and holding it at that temperature indefinitely. The combination of precise temperature control and long cooking duration makes it possible to be assured that pasteurization has been achieved, both on the surface and the interior of even very thick cuts of meat, which can not be assured with most other cooking techniques. (Although extremely long-duration cooking can break down the texture of the meat to an undesirable degree.) Beef can be cooked quickly at the table through several techniques. In
hot pot cooking, such as
shabu-shabu, very thinly sliced meat is cooked by the diners at the table by immersing it in a heated pot of water or stock with vegetables. In
fondue bourguignonne, diners dip small pieces of beef into a pot of hot oil at the table. Both techniques typically feature accompanying flavorful
sauces to complement the meat.
Raw beef cooking
Steak tartare is a
French dish made from finely chopped or ground (minced) raw meat (often beef). More accurately, it is scraped so as not to let even the slightest of the sinew fat get into the scraped meat. It is often served with onions, capers, seasonings such as fresh ground pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and sometimes raw egg yolk. The
Belgian or Dutch dish
filet américain is also made of finely chopped ground beef, though it is seasoned differently, and either eaten as a main dish or can be used as a dressing for a sandwich.
Kibbeh nayyeh is a similar
Lebanese and
Syrian dish. And in Ethiopia, a ground raw meat dish called
tire siga or
kitfo is eaten (upon availability).
Carpaccio of beef is a thin slice of raw beef dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Often, the beef is partially frozen before slicing to allow very thin slices to be cut.
Yukhoe is a variety of
hoe, raw dishes in
Korean cuisine which is usually made from raw ground beef seasoned with various spices or sauces. The beef part used for
yukhoe is tender
rump steak. For the seasoning,
soy sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil, green onion, and ground garlic, sesame seed, black pepper and juice of
bae (
Korean pear) are used. The beef is mostly topped with the yolk of a raw egg.
Cured, smoked, and dried beef from Bangladesh
Bresaola is an
air-dried, salted beef that has been aged about two to three months until it becomes hard and a dark red, almost purple, colour. It is lean, has a sweet, musty smell and is tender. It originated in
Valtellina, a valley in the
Alps of northern Italy's
Lombardy region.
Bündnerfleisch is a similar product from neighbouring Switzerland.
Chipped beef is an American industrially produced air-dried beef product, described by one of its manufacturers as being "similar to bresaola, but not as tasty."
Beef jerky is dried, salted, smoked beef popular in the United States.
Biltong is a cured, salted, air dried beef popular in South Africa.
Pastrami is often made from beef; raw beef is
salted, then partly dried and seasoned with various herbs and spices, and
smoked.
Corned beef is a cut of beef cured or pickled in a seasoned
brine. The corn in
corned beef refers to the grains of coarse salts (known as corns) used to cure it. The term
corned beef can denote different styles of brine-cured beef, depending on the region. Some, like American-style corned beef, are highly seasoned and often considered
delicatessen fare.
Spiced beef is a cured and salted joint of round, topside, or silverside, traditionally served at
Christmas in Ireland. It is a form of
salt beef, cured with spices and
saltpetre, intended to be boiled or broiled in
Guinness or a similar
stout, and then optionally roasted for a period after. There are various other recipes for
pickled beef.
Sauerbraten is a German variant. == Consumption ==