Where's the Beef? May 25 2017

Every Sunday evening my family sits down for dinner together. It is one of the few times during the week that this happens so I always try to cook something delicious and something that everyone will eat.  That is  more of a challenge than you would think when you are feeding a 3-year-old and a 1-year-old.  This past Sunday I made a brisket and it was good, I mean really good.  So good in fact, that my husband asked what I did differently.  We’ve been ordering from a new butcher called Grow and Behold. It is pasture-raised Kosher meat and you can taste the difference.  This particular cut was called ‘Second Cut Brisket’. I mostly ordered it because I wanted to make a brisket and it was the right size for my family. 

All this talk about what the piece of meat is called got me thinking about where does it actually come from.  Here is a quick guide to a few of my favorite cuts of beef and how to prepare them. I’m going to keep it simple but if you want to dig further, I highly recommend the book Meat; Everything you Need to Know by Pat LaFrieda.

BRISKET – Cut from above the front legs of the cow, this cut is perfect for braising.  Traditionally used for corned beef or smoking.

FILET MIGNON – A very ‘fancy’ cut of beef. This comes from the loin of the cow. It has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and is quite elegant.  There are a wide range of preparations from sautéing to grilling.

SKIRT STEAK  - This cut comes from the plate(belly) of the cow. It is great when marinated and then grilled. When you are slicing, be sure to cut against the grain.

RIB-EYE STEAK – Cut from about the ribs of the cow….with a generous amount of marbling, this cut is rich, tender and juicy. It can be prepared in a variety of ways but my favorite is simply putting it on the grill.

I hope this gives you some insight into the beef you’ll be cooking up this weekend for the unofficial start of summer.

Happy Friday,

Julie