Advice on a beef hindquarter

[griddler]

I am thinking of getting a hindquarter of beef for the summer grilling season.  Our local University has a meat cutting program and a small butchery.  They say they will cut it any way I want.  I got a quarter (part front part hind) from a local butcher last year and was very disappointed because it was basic steaks, some roasts, and lots of hamburger, no fun or interesting cuts like shank or flank or skirt or tri-tip etc., and no bones for stock.  This year I want mostly cuts that I can grill or smoke and cut the shank for soups and stews, but I am not sure what to tell them to do or if there any unusual cuts that might be interesting to work with that are not typically available in your local grocery. Any advice would be appreciated.

[rotuts]

personally, I don't think the Hindquarter is 'Good Eats'

 

the price might be right, but you are getting what you pay for.

 

ask them what happens to the Rest of the Cow ? spend a little more and study 'primal cuts' and look for those.

 

some one is taking home the more interesting and far more delicious ( properly cooked ) cuts.

 

its the Staff and the 'Professors of Beef'

 

they might let you in to these secrets is you ask nicely.

Edited April 22, 2014 by rotuts (log)

[jayt90]

You are on the right track.  Don't depend on local or farmers' cuts.  I have received thin steaks, and strange ones like wing steak or  steak roast by trusting the abattoir. 

You won't get skirt, hanger, flank or brisket from the hind,  but you can ask for thick cut tri tip, or bavette from the sirloin. I would request a long shank, 10-12" , and also the ox tail. 

Be sure to study the meat butchering charts before you talk to the butcher.

[rotuts]

if you really want to begin to study meat:  look into this book  its old, it has line drawings only, and its written by a butcher.  two of my 

 

copy's were 'removed' one by one and i got a used one for a replace ment.  its so vital i got a used one a third time.  I hide it:

 

http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Up-Kitchen-Butchers-Poultry/dp/0877010714/ref=sr_1_1/185-5169281-8662839?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398193908&sr=1-1&keywords=cutting+in+the+kitchen

 

just because its "Cow" and attractively priced, does not mean you will enjoy working with it.

 

you are however, on the right path, its going to be a long one, but a delicious one.

[Shalmanese]

Yeah, the hindquarter is a lot of round and not much else. That's not ideal for grilling.

 

Personally, I tend to ask for as large a cut as possible and fabricate at home. That allows you maximum flexibility. Also, I'd consider either using your food processor or buying a meat grinder and asking for no ground meat. You can always turn cuts into ground, but never the other way around. Plus, fresh ground meat is unoxidized and tastes way better.

 

I'd strongly consider asking for a forequarter instead, there's way more interesting cuts there.

[Shalmanese]

Also, you should ask if the program would be willing to seam butcher the meat. Standard American cutting style emphasizes large flat cuts with a bandsaw, yielding cuts with pieces of multiple muscles. Traditional, European style butchery cuts along the seams of muscles, yielding whole muscles that cook more evenly. It's more time consuming and a slightly steeper learning curve but you end up with cuts that don't even have a name in America. I've found great grilling cuts from traditionally slow cooked areas like the chuck. For example, the muscle that stretches the length of the shoulder blade bone makes the best tasting fajitas you've ever had.

[Baron d'Apcher]

There are plenty of worthwhile cuts from the round though most of them lend themselves better to roasting than grilling.  Consider tying roasts from the top round and knuckle and grilling them slowly as on a rotisserie.  Marinate the beef in a cooked marinade of caramelized vegetable and reduced wine, then vinegar.

Bovine Myology is a good resource.

 

From the aitch bone:

Spider 

 

Top sirloin:

Culotte

Mouse/heart of the top sirloin (the beginning of the tenderloin, very tender)

Top sirloin cut into pavés (remove silverskin)

 

Top Round:

Pear (pectineus; very tender)

Top round cap (gracilis, similar to skirt steak)

Adductor (on the side of the top round, more tender than the top round)

Top Round (best when barded with fatback or bacon and slowly roasted)

 

Outside Round:

Eye of round (marinate, roast slowly)

Silverside (grind)

 

Knuckle

Carrot/rat (cylindrical muscle under the knuckle used in pot au feu or pho.  Simmer as you would a shank)

Knuckle (2 muscles can be easily separated and are very clean -the larger muscle can be opened and the silverskin removed, then tied back together)

Tri-tip (covers the knuckle, attached to the top sirloin.

Whiting (sartorius)

 

Shank

Beef shin.  Braise/simmer.

Edited April 23, 2014 by Baron d'Apcher (log)

[sparrowgrass]

Spend some time talking to the butcher!  When I have a side done, it takes about 15 minutes to go thru the checklist on how thick I want the steaks, how much I want ground into hamburger, and whether I want the brisket, liver, heart, etc.  And my butcher gives me all the soup bones/dog bones and suet that I want---they are waste for him, because most people just want the meat.

[griddler]

Many thanks for all your help.  After a little more time looking at different possibilities, I sent the following order to the butcher and below is his response:

Short loin

T bone

Porterhouse

Top sirloin:

Culotte

Mouse/heart of the top sirloin (the beginning of the tenderloin, very tender)

Top sirloin cut into pavés (remove silverskin)

Bottom Sirloin

Tri-tip

Flap meat or sirloin tip steaks

From the aitch bone:

Spider

 

Top Round:

Pear (pectineus; very tender) Beef Round Petite Tender steaks

 Top round cap (gracilis, similar to skirt steak)

Adductor (on the side of the top round, more tender than the top round) cut ½" across the grain to

generate the Beef Round San Antonio Steak

Top Round roast and cube steaks

Outside/Bottom Round:

Cube/Minute steaks

Eye of round roast

Silverside (grind)

 

Knuckle

Carrot/rat (cylindrical muscle under the knuckle used in pot au feu or pho. Simmer as you would a shank)

Knuckle (2 muscles can be easily separated and are very clean -the larger muscle can be opened and the silverskin removed, then tied back together)

Whiting (sartorius)

 

Shank

Center cut soup bone slices

 Soup bones, tail, and Tung if possible

 Hamburger from trimmings

 Fat if any left after making hamburger

 

Here is the butchers response:

 

Xxxxx,

You are definitely able to customize your order.  Some of the items you are requesting I have not heard of before, but I would be up for the challenge.  I looks like we would be able to accommodate most of your requests, but will do a little more research just to be sure.  Our current price for the hind quarter is $2.95/lb hanging weight.  Let me know if you have further questions. 

Xxxxxx,

[rotuts]

interesting.  hope to hear what the butcher says.

 

enjoy.  look into Sous Vide

 

[Paul Bacino]

I recently Dissected a Beef knuckle..this is what I got out of it..plus some scrape

 

The first cut has longer muscle fibers and I made some  jerky with it--really a lean cut

 

Edited April 28, 2014 by Paul Bacino (log)

[rotuts]

and .... what did you do with these cuts ?

 

excellent dissection, I might add ...

 

 

I know so little about the Beef Knuckle .....

[Paul Bacino]

The middle is labled a Ball Tip Roast..I think  Treat it as a roast..I would

 

The far end right I treated as a sliced beef. dish!!  Kinda on the lines of a fa gite a 

 

The front  I sliced into some jerky meat

[Anna N]

The middle is labled a Ball Tip Roast..I think  Treat it as a roast..I would

 

The far end right I treated as a sliced beef. dish!!  Kinda on the lines of a fa gite a 

 

The front  I sliced into some jerky meat

Paul,

I'm trying to get my head around the size of the knuckle. Can you comment on the dimensions of the display tray, please?

[Paul Bacino]

Paul,

I'm trying to get my head around the size of the knuckle. Can you comment on the dimensions of the display tray, please?

 

I'm thinking the The Knuckle I got was about 9-11 ish pounds--  so three cuts..probably 4-3-3 pounds give or take a pound or two in weight..here or there.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Paul Bacino (log)

[Anna N]

I'm thinking the The Knuckle I got was about 9-11 ish pounds--  so three cuts..probably 4-3-3 pounds give or take a pound or two in weight..here or there.

Thanks. I get the idea.