Everything You Need To Know About Steak Cuts

[Admin]

You’ve probably seen a number of names and descriptions for various cuts of beef at the supermarket or at your favourite restaurant. This video from Pat LaFrieda explains every “steak” you’ll likely see, where they come from, what they look like and what they’re good for, in one fell swoop.

LaFrieda explains where you’ll find the various cuts of beef and what you can use them for at home. Perhaps most useful is that you get to see what they look like, so you’ll be able to identify them easily at the supermarket.

 

[Jungnaut]

Great info, I don't see half the cuts at our supermarkets though. Must be reserved for restaurants only? Chateaubriand, coulotte, tri-tip? wtf lol

 

[White_Lie]

More American steak houses
You could get them from a decent butcher but they're not common in Aus so they'll usually chop them up and use them for other things rather than selling as steaks themselves.
Most supermarkets don't even like selling thick cuts thru the middle of the fillet, so you've got no chance of finding a chateaubriand! You can usually find a whole fillet though and cut it to size yourself.... never cheap but awesomely tender

 

[Neddysmith]

If you get onto an decent butcher you can get any cut you want, I usually just buy a full rump, scotch fillet or sometimes eye fillet and either get them to cut it up for me to desired thickness or do it myself before putting into separate bags and freezing, almost never buy a single steak and never from a supermarket unless a complete emergency....

 

[Jungnaut]

Do you find the meat quality/texture changes after freezing [MENTION=8606]Neddysmith[/MENTION]; ?
I am hesitant to freeze quality cuts, only mince and other cheap shit reserved for casseroles eg chuck.

 

[White_Lie]

I've never noticed.... Just give it plenty of time to defrost in the fridge and bring it to room temp before cooking.

 

[bull]

Do you find the meat quality/texture changes after freezing @Neddysmith ; ?
I am hesitant to freeze quality cuts, only mince and other cheap shit reserved for casseroles eg chuck.

What do you think they did with it between the meatworks and the butcher? I know they chill it and let it go half rotten in a cold room somewhere (for softness apparently) but it has most likely been frozen too. I really don't like aged meat, I'm so used to fresh that I can taste the age. It just tastes and smells a bit rotten.

We freeze all our meat as soon as it's cut up and I don't believe that it affects the quality at all. I throw all the steak cuts in the freezer for an hour or so to make them easier to slice.

 

[WoodyAllen]

almost never buy a single steak and never from a supermarket unless a complete emergency....

Damn straight. You can always get meat fresher and better quality at a proper butcher. Usually cheaper as well. Supermarkets are quite expensive with meat and some other products. Not only that, but there is no way you can tell if it's grass fed beef. Chances are that it's not cos they buy as cheap as possible and crappy grain fed beef is the cheapest you can buy.

It's worth your while cultivating a "red meat relationship" with a local butcher. Walk in and ask the boss if his beef is grass fed. A butcher worth his salt will know and only buy the best. You can taste the difference. Grass fed has more omega 3 fats as opposed to omega 6 in grain fed.

Pan fry your steak in coconut oil, turning often to keep the surface sealed and the moisture in. I like mine rare. Hmmmmmm. Get huge bro.

 

[Neddysmith]

[MENTION=10084]Jungman[/MENTION]; i have never noticed any difference and i have got and frozen all the main cuts, rump, scotch, porterhouse and eye fillet as well as bolar blade, i usually take out of the freezer in the morning before work and leave on the sink to defrost throughout the day or have it the following day, but always make sure it is at room temp before cooking.

 

[Arfwit]

I bought a side of beef and the butcher's wife asked me a million questions on how I wanted it cut, prepared and packaged. I stared at her and said "I just want half a cow in my freezer."

Time for another soon so hopefully I'll have a better idea of what she is on about this time.

 

[bull]

No its not frozen its left in a cold room usually no higher than 2°c for 24hrs only

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Ok. You obviously have something to do with that end of the industry. What do they do with the aged stuff? I have had steak from the supermarket that tastes off to me. It has clearly spent a lot longer than 24 hours hanging in a chiller somewhere.

I'm also guessing that the supply chain is not quite neat enough that a side of beef finds its way from the works to the butcher within 24 hours. In that instance, there has to be a longer period in some kind of refrigeration.

I agree with you about the fat colour. Yellow fat is grass fed. A lot of feedlots (for supermarket trade especially) give cattle just enough grain to change the fat colour. I think it's about 60 days.

 

[steveP]

I find that freezing meat is fine. It's the unfreezing process you want to do right. In the morning take the meat out and let it defrost in the fridge. It will take a good 10 hours, but will defrost nice and slowly and look fresh once it's ready. Taking meat out and throwing it in the microwave for 2 minutes on defrost is what ruins meat.

 

[Jungnaut]

Pan fry your steak in coconut oil, turning often to keep the surface sealed and the moisture in. I like mine rare. Hmmmmmm. Get huge bro.

But masterchef says to only turn it once!! But yeah, I got to check in to my nearest five star meats butcher and get some better beef. Last time I went to woolies I got rib eye at $49/kg and when I opened it the meat was grey on one side. Outrageous

I find that freezing meat is fine. It's the unfreezing process you want to do right. In the morning take the meat out and let it defrost in the fridge. It will take a good 10 hours, but will defrost nice and slowly and look fresh once it's ready. Taking meat out and throwing it in the microwave for 2 minutes on defrost is what ruins meat.

I take it out and plunge the whole pack in warm water. The meat is then defrosted and ready to go in 1hr

 

[White_Lie]

I thought the rage was to turn it a few times now so the juices stay in the centre?

 

[Neddysmith]

But masterchef says to only turn it once!! But yeah, I got to check in to my nearest five star meats butcher and get some better beef. Last time I went to woolies I got rib eye at $49/kg and when I opened it the meat was grey on one side. Outrageous

WOW, where I go I usually get a Full Eye Fillet for somewhere between 16.99 and 18.99/kg.....

 

[WoodyAllen]

But masterchef says to only turn it once!! But yeah, I got to check in to my nearest five star meats butcher and get some better beef. Last time I went to woolies I got rib eye at $49/kg and when I opened it the meat was grey on one side. Outrageous



I take it out and plunge the whole pack in warm water. The meat is then defrosted and ready to go in 1hr

The idea is to keep the outer surface sealed to keep the moisture in. You want to avoid the steak bleeding out the top. I think I got that from Jamie Oliver and it works.

$49/kg? Ferk. You got anal raped there. At the market I get grass fed beef eye fillets for half that. Rib eye, boner in, for about $14. T-bones for about a dollar less.

If you are on a budget, get the butcher to mince gravy beef. Not as tasty as steak but it will be tender and tasty for about $10-12/kg with no added fat and snouts.

Supermarket meat is the pits. Stop buying there.

 

[Bazza20]

Damn straight. You can always get meat fresher and better quality at a proper butcher. Usually cheaper as well. Supermarkets are quite expensive with meat and some other products. Not only that, but there is no way you can tell if it's grass fed beef. Chances are that it's not cos they buy as cheap as possible and crappy grain fed beef is the cheapest you can buy.

It's worth your while cultivating a "red meat relationship" with a local butcher. Walk in and ask the boss if his beef is grass fed. A butcher worth his salt will know and only buy the best. You can taste the difference. Grass fed has more omega 3 fats as opposed to omega 6 in grain fed.

Pan fry your steak in coconut oil, turning often to keep the surface sealed and the moisture in. I like mine rare. Hmmmmmm. Get huge bro.

Most butchers are more expensive than the supermarket. The freshness is fine at a supermarket. They are buying to a price, to cater to the market. People usually aren't after a premium priced product in the supermarket.

Buy a whole animal is the best way I find. Last beef I got was 3 dollars something a kg for 200kg.

Grass fed, who gives a shit, it's a great marketing ploy. The benefits are dubious at best. Without knowing what is what most people will prefer the taste of grain fed beef over grass fed anyway. Grain feed usually ends up nicer taste with greater marbling. Grass fed has a stronger taste.

In Australia its cheaper to raise cattle on grass only. It costs more to finish on grain. Grain finishing is done not because its cheaper( it's not, grain is much more expensive than grass) it's done because it gives the taste and marbling that the market wants and like bull said to change fat colour.

I always find the best way to make a nice steak as tough as an old boot its to continuously turn it.

In the other post you said you got gravy beef at $10. That is a rip off. Shop around.

 

[bozodos]

I agree with not turning more than once - I hated eating steak for years due to it being cooked like that.

I buy from the supermarket - I've tried several butchers and to be honest the meat is no better, and sometimes worse than the supermarket (given this is more the 'wholesale' butchers than the top shelf ones who supply the restaurants). I find that Coles is consistently cheaper than Woolies too.

 

[rino60]

so which of those steaks is affordable and has minimal fat - for me to eat and continue to get huger?

 

[Jungnaut]

I personally like T-Bone the best. 2 different cuts of meat on the same steak? How can you beat that.