Issue Date: October 30, 2005
Food
Meat your match
Shelves of beef, lamb and pork line grocery store walls, a dizzying array of names and cuts. Understanding where each comes from helps you best prepare it.
By Natalie Ermann Russell
The tough cuts are magical in soups and stews, braised and slow-cooked, especially through the approaching colder months.
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Yes, the meat aisle at your local grocery can be intimidating. But it doesn't have to be. We asked two experts to share which methods of cooking are best for which cuts of meat.
GRILLING
The finest meats for grilling -- T-bone steak, top loin, Delmonico steak -- come from the animal's rib and loin sections, which are free of connective tissue and tender enough to withstand a grill's high, direct heat without drying out. "I really love what's called the 'tri-tip,' which is part of the sirloin," says Aliza Green, author of "Field Guide to Meat" (Quirk Books, $14.95). The tri-tip, also known as "triangle tip" or "Santa Maria barbecue," is a single triangular muscle with little connective tissue. Popular in California, it's inexpensive but not available everywhere. (Tell the butcher at the meat counter you want to try it, and he or she may be able to get some.)
Although the rib and loin sections are the surest bets for grilling, there are a few gems outside those regions. "There's a cut in the chuck [shoulder] called the flat-iron steak that I like to grill," says Chris Schlesinger, co-author of "How to Cook Meat" (Morrow, $24.95) and chef-owner of East Coast Grill in Cambridge, Mass. The flat-iron also goes by the names "French tip" and "top blade." "The skirt steak [in the belly section] is also excellent for grilling and is really tender," he says. Skirt steak is the traditional fajita meat but is becoming more widely served as a whole steak, given its similarity to the more expensive but equally delicious flank steak.
BROILING & SEARING
These methods, like grilling, use high heat to cook meat quickly, so cuts that are ideal for grilling also are well-suited to broiling and searing.
Hanger steak, a continuation of the skirt steak, or diaphragm, is another of those cuts. It's juicy and has a loose texture that melts in your mouth. It has become quite popular in restaurants because of its flavor and relatively low price, but not all supermarkets carry it yet. (Again, let your butcher know you want to try it.) Green recommends simply rubbing it with salt, pepper and oil, then searing it in a hot pan or broiling it.
Lamb T-bone steak is another delicious and inexpensive option, especially compared with the beef T-bone. Lamb T-bones from Australia and New Zealand are even sold at many of the popular warehouse clubs now. "They are so delicious and so easy to do," Green says. "Plus, they're pretty mild -- great for someone who wants to try lamb but is afraid to."
STIR-FRYING
Use a cut that's a single muscle so you don't have a lot of connective tissue, Green says. You don't want a lot of fat either. Tenderloin tips are a good low-cost option. A top round, sometimes sold as London broil, can be turned into stir-fry, too. But if it's whole, put it in the freezer for about 20 to 30 minutes for easier slicing, she says.
ROASTING
In general, Green says, meats from the shoulder, no matter the animal, are great for roasting: lamb shoulder, beef chuck roast, pork shoulder. Whatever the meat, let it rest for about 10 minutes after cooking, Schlesinger says. This lets the juices redistribute after being driven to the center during cooking.
BRAISING
This technique relies on liquid and slow cooking to provide moisture for tougher cuts of meat hailing primarily from the rear and front. Brisket, which comes from the breast, is a popular braising meat. And lamb and veal shanks, cut from the bottom portion of the front or rear legs, are quite tough but wonderful when braised. Their rich, concentrated flavor is brought on by juices released from the bone. Lamb and veal shanks from the back legs are quite pricey, but Green says they taste just as good from the less costly front.
STEWING
Shanks also make a good, rich soup stock. And stirred into chili, the shank meat is stellar because it's hearty enough to stand up to the other fiery ingredients.
For stews, many people use the knuckle -- the lower part of the round (the rear) just above the knee. It also is called a ball, or sirloin, tip and is moderately tough.
The tough cuts are magical in soups and stews, braised and slow-cooked, especially through the approaching colder months. And by the time summer rolls around next year, you'll be meat-savvy enough to tackle the grill with your own sort of magic.
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