Which Steak? A Steak lesson for Beginners: Part One

Hello, dear steak enthusiasts!

At a meat shop, especially @LaCarneUAE, there are so many different cuts of steak to choose from and not all of them display a name that is always familiar (e.g. Skirt Steak, Chuck, Cube roll). These examples of cuts are actually found in many beef items you see on a regular basis!

For instance the skirt steak is used in a lot of mexican food such as fajitas and even asian food in stir-fries. Chuck is the best cut for cubes and mince, and the cube roll is actually the whole version of a Ribeye Steak! To make it a little easier we have written down below the cuts we stock on a regular basis and what they are best used for.

This blog post will discuss the following cuts:

• Skirt Steak
• Flank Steak
• Cube Roll, Prime Rib and Tomahawk
• Striploin, Tenderloin
• Chuck Roll

There are of course other factors that come into the picture when properly picking meat such as the origin and producer of meat. At La Carne we take pride in only using beef from specialized programs such as Jack's Creek Beef, Stockyard Beef, Japanese Wagyu Farms like Tokachi Poroshiri and Certified Angus Beef from the US. This means that the feeding of the cattle is well-administered and quality sustained. If you ever have a question about where our meat is coming from please do not hesitate to ask!

SKIRT STEAK

The Skirt Steak has a lot of muscles going through the cut horizontally as it is from the diaphragm muscles of the cow. This cut is nicely marbled, does well with a marinade and requires being cut across the grain after resting and cooking*. 

Dishes you can make with skirt steak: Carne Asada, Grilled Marinated Skirt Steak, Skirt Steak Rolls (Stuffed Steak Pinwheels), Stir-fry (Slice into strips against the grain)

FLANK STEAK

The Flank is from the stomach muscles of the cow and also has some strong muscles going through the cut, vertically. The flank also benefits from being marinaded. It is less marbled than the skirt steak.

Dishes you can make with flank steak: Fajitas, Grilled Marinated Flank, Stir-fry (Slice into strips against the grain)

CUBE ROLL, PRIME RIB AND TOMAHAWK STEAK (RIBEYE)

The Cube Roll is actually where Ribeye Steaks come from. A great balance of flavor and marbling exists in the Ribeye. The prime rib is the ribeye with part of the rib attached. The Tomahawk Steak is an on-the bone Rib Steak, cut from the Fore-rib with the entire rib bone left. The long bone can be french-trimmed allowing for a more amazing presentation!

Dishes you can make with these "King" Steaks: Cook your ribeye and prime rib steaks on a pan or grill. The Tomahawk Steak is really large so better grilled or roasted! For a fancier touch to your stir fries or even noodle soups, we can even slice these for you very thinly (shabu shabu paper thin slice) or into strips for lovely marbling and flavor in your food at home.

LOIN (STRIPLOIN AND TENDERLOIN)

Some of the world's favorite steaks come from the Loin including Tenderloin, Striploin (Strip Steak) and even Porterhouse and T-bone Steaks! 

The Tenderloin is the most expensive cut of beef as it is a muscle that barely moves on the cow. Super tender but less marbled. The Striploin is a flavorful alternative (although a bit tougher) to the Ribeye as it may not be as fatty but has the beefy flavor profile similar to the tenderloin.

Dishes you can make with the loin: The best stir-fries are made with Tenderloin due to its super soft nature and beefy flavor. Kebabs are great with the Striploin (also from the Sirloin) so it gives you more resistance when biting into the meat but the flavor and melt-in-the-mouth feeling is still there!

CHUCK ROLL

The chuck roll is a huge cut which is actually very versatile. You can expect to see the chuck made into your ground beef, cubes and stir-fry strips. The chuck has little to no marbling so if you are watching your caloric in take in terms of fat, you will enjoy the chuck. 

Dishes you can make with Chuck: your favorite recipes using mince and strips!

MORE FUN MEAT TERMINOLOGIES EXPLAINED:

*WHAT DOES ACROSS THE GRAIN MEAN?

I was really confused when I was younger about the meaning of "across the grain". I thought, why are we cutting across the grain when we can just cut along the grain which is so much easier?

The answer: it's actually not for your ease of cutting, but rather for the ease of eating! Cutting the steak across the grain lessens the work your jaw has to do eating the thing!

WHY ONE MUST REST THEIR STEAK

Have you ever gotten so excited after cooking a steak that you just lifted it straight onto your plate and dug in? My guesses are a ton of juices spilled out of your steak. Resting is when you allow the nutrient juices of the beef redistribute back into the steak because the heat from your grill or pan had forced those juices to be heavily concentrated in the middle of the steak while cooking. Just slicing into the steak without resting will cause the juices to spill out like a water bottle. Resting your steak for about 5 minutes but no less than 3 minutes before serving will ensure a juicer and tastier steak. To be 100% sure get a meat thermometer and ensure the steak has come to about 49 degrees Celsius before eating it.

Hope you enjoyed these little fun facts.

Have a great week ahead!

Meaty regards, 

Joan Tuano

Culinary Business Manager