Buying beef?!
Answers: I seem to have trouble buying beef that is not tough once I cook it. Suggestions as to what cuts of meat I should buy?
I marinate my steaks in beer sometimes. I know it sounds strange, but it makes a great tenderizer, and the flavor is very mild. The alcohol burns off in cooking, so it will be fine for the whole family. Marinating in beef broth, Italian dressing, and even tomato sauce or juice [even fruit juices for a great summer flavor is awesome-we use orange, and pineapple] is a great way to add flavor, tenderize, and keep moisture in your meat. Marinated beef that is cooked to well done, can still be amazingly moist and tender. This process can last anywhere from 15 minutes to all night/day. The longer the better, in most cases.
You may be cooking the wrong type of meat for your cooking methods. The more marbling [or fat veins] the meat has, the more slowly you need to cook it. Especially thick cuts like 2" thick steaks, or roasts. Barbeques use the fat to keep the meat from getting tough or dry, and that is why marbled meats work great for that method. But for stove cooking, realize that the fat isn't going to burn off or melt, and cook differently.
Arm/ shoulder cuts need to be braised, put into the crock pot, or slow-roasted.
Rib eyes will take longer than sirloin. You may want to check your temperatures also. If you want restaurant style steaks, then realize they lightly coat the steak with oil, and sear the steaks on top of the stove, and most finish them in the oven. [Heat a heavy frying pan or indoor grill to med-high to high heat. Once fully heated, set the steak in the pan, and let sit for at least one minute, and don't touch it. Then lightly grab with tongs, and flip. You do this to keep the juices inside. Once seared, you stick it into a baking pan, cast iron skillet, or broiler pan, and finish in a preheated 375F oven until you're happy with it. Don't cut into it or poke holes into it until your sure it is cooked to your liking. Use either a meat thermometer or the back of a spoon to test temperature. If using the spoon, judge as follows:
Set spoon onto steak.
Rare- Meat has a lot of movement [think of the skin between your thumb and first finger], and visible blood when pressed on.
Med-Rare- still has good movement[think of the skin on the inside part of your thumb], less blood than before
Med- movement [think dead center of your palm], not much visible blood, even with light pressure.
Med Well- slight movement [think fingertip]- no visible blood with applied pressure
Well- hardly any movement [ think knuckle]- slightly less moisture, but not dry.
The higher the cooking temperature, the faster it cooks, but the tougher the meat gets.
Also, look for a reputable company with top grade meats, and preferrably grain fed and even more preferrably organic-no hormones or chemicals, as it is the highest quality of all.
If you choose to use a meat tenderizer [food additive in the spice section of your grocery store], verify that it doesn't contain MSG [monosodium glutamate] as that can raise blood pressure, and cause other problems for some people.
Feel free to email if you have other questions!
It may not be the type of beef you buy but how you cook it. However I would suggest buying a Jaccard Meat Tenderizer they have many spikes that punch holes in the meat to help break up the tough fibers.
If you want a stew or a braise, buy Chuck, Shank, Oxtail.
If you want to panfry, buy Tenderloin (filet Mignon)
If you want to roast, buy Rump, Eye Round. (Actually the best roast is a standing rib roast or prime rib)
If you want to Grill, Skirt or Flank (my personal favorites)
Porterhouse, T-Bone, Ribeye, Club steaks also work well on the grill.
There are more cuts than I have indicated but you get the idea.
How you cook it is important, but a general rule of thumb is the cheaper the meat the tougher it will be. If you squeeze or poke the meat before you buy it you can tell which is softer as well. With the cheap/tough types of meat, you either have to cook it extremely quickly, ie cut it in small pieces or very thin slices and fry for a couple minutes, or you need to braise or stew it for a couple hours. Anywhere in between and you'll end up in leatherville. If you have the money, the fillet, rib eye fillet, striploin or sirloin, new york steaks are the best of the best. If you want your beef cooked all the way through, like well done, its never going to be meltingly tender, which is why medium to rare is your best bet.
Sirloin,rump steak, rib eye steak, fillet steak. For roasting, bolar blade, silverside roast, rolled rib roast or topside roast.
If you tell us how you want to cook it we can give you more information.....Many cuts of meat need slow moist cooking. Steaks on the barbie should have marbling of fat in the meat itself. It will be much more tender. A chuck roast needs slow long cooking in a baking pan in the oven until it tenders out.
Beef Stroganoff is generally thin slices of Top Sirloin Steak which when quick fried will be tender. Various cuts of meat are for different dishes for the best flavor and tenderness.
Also, a packaged meat tenderizer near the meat section works wonderfully on the cheaper cuts of meat....follow the instructions on the package.....good luck
One trick is to pinch the package gently. Even meat of the same cut can vary. The easier it is to pinch, the more tender it will be.
if youre going to want tender meat, youll probably want Rib-meat. a good tip is also to try adding a little bit of vinegar while stewing the meat, this will make it more tender.
make sure that it's boneless
Use this map. Muscles from the working areas like the shoulders tend to be tougher but have more flavor too.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_ea/...