Beef: Choosing, Preparing, Cooking

[Jensen]

Oooooo...I made a great cross-cut shank recipe the other night.

Brown the shanks and set aside. Sweat some onions. Deglaze the pan with a wee bit of balsamic vinegar. Stir in two smashed garlic cloves and about a teaspoon or so of Mediterranean oregano. Add a tin of whole tomatoes (breaking them up) and the beef.

Braise until the beef is fork tender. Take the beef out, put in another pan/roaster, and return to the oven.

Run the braising liquid through the blender to make a sauce.

Cook some pasta.

Serve it all together. Yum!

[aliénor]

i bought a standing rib roast from a locally raised grass fed beef. now i am wondering how to properly cook it. the reason that i am hesitant to commit to cooking this piece of meat is that i have already grilled a steak from this animal and we found it very chewy, hard to slice and were disappointed at the lack of juiciness. we had hoped to get a succulent flavorful piece and instead found it lacking in most of the aspects we desire in a steak. so rather than do up the standing rib roast i will put it to you egulleters to help me make the most of this piece of meat.

i know you can help me to enjoy this locally raised meat.

thanks

[Hest88]

Grass-fed is generally more lean, which is why I tend to stick with naturally fattier cuts (such as rib-eye--okay, who am I kidding? I always choose rib eye. But the point still stands). You don't want to choose a cut that naturally lean because you'll get a chewier piece. I suspect that you won't have as much of a problem with your rib roast as you did with the grilled steak.

[Magictofu]

Totally agree with Peggy here!

I would add that sometimes grass fed beef can be a bit older than industrial beef, especially when raised on a hobby farm. This is both a blessing and a problem in that older animal tend to taste better but the meat is tougher. For stews, this is perfect but for steak less so.

Trick for better steaks when using a less tender animal:

- Very thick steaks, seared quickly and then very slowly cooked to rare or medium rare in a low oven. (I prefer a pan to a grill but I get a second pan for the oven so that the residual strong heat of the pan does not affect the slower cooking in the oven)

- Fat: do not trim the fat before cooking (after, in your plate, is way better), add butter on top of steak (e.g. blue cheese butter).

- Buy fresh since freezing breaks cell walls and release moisture

- Dry aged steak, although dryer before cooking, tend to remain quite moist

That's all I can think of. And kudos for chosing grass fed!

[Daniel]

I was going to say, leave on more fat and rest in beurre monte. Cook medium rare to blue.

Edited April 24, 2008 by Daniel (log)

[Bonnie Ruth]

I get wonderful grass fed, dry aged beef from Aldersprings Ranch in Idaho. They give some suggestions for cooking it, maybe even on their web site. The one I particularly note is that it usually requires less cooking time than feedlot beef. I have not cooked one of their roasts yet but have cooked rib eyes several times and short ribs a couple of times. With the steaks, I brown in a pan on the stove and finish in the oven, checking about every minute to make sure I don't overcook. The short ribs of course were cooked in liquid, so no problem there. Now that my husband and I have grown accustomed to the grass fed flavor, we like it better.

[rooftop1000]

If the meat isnt aged you can do that at home quite nicely

Place the meat on a cooling rack over a plate....then cover with a big bowl and refrigerate a few days, or more

tracey

[rotuts]

at todays farmers market I scored some sirloin steaks. grass fed 100%

I was lucky to get them they are not as thick as Id like, but you take what you get. these were pretty much a 3/4 " sirloin cut into two steaks then vac'd and frozen

ive only tried grass fed beef once before and it was so-so on the grill

Id like to SV these.

Ill open the packs and put some rub on them, then reseal and leave to thaw in the coldest part of the frig for a day.

Id like to SV very much on the rare side, but long enough for tenderness. I know there is some risk but 130 might be a little over done, the temp I usually use for super-market meat

how long does it take SV grass-fed for tenderness? 3/4 "

many thanks!

[rotuts]

those steaks might be closer to 1/2 "

thanks

[KennethT]

I've found that the issue with grass-fed is not really in the cooking, but in how the animal was raised, and its condition at slaughter time. It's rare to find (especially in the US) but you can actually get some grass fed beef that has some marbling. I read a whole article once that was interviewing a grass fed farmer well known for the quality/flavor of his beef, and he went on a whole diatribe about how most grass fed farmers will slaughter the cows when they're not mature enough, and haven't accumulated enough meat/fat. This beef winds up dry and tough. He showed pictures of two cows the same age - one ready for slaughter, the other in his opinion required at least 6 more months. He pointed to specific spots on the animal as to where to check for "meatiness". But, he said, most farmers just go by age, and not by development. Plus, it's more expensive to wait longer for the cow to mature.

Unfortunately, this doesn't answer your question. Personally, I'd cook it in a 130/131 bath straight from frozen - it'll defrost much quicker than in the fridge, unless you wanted to jaccard it. McGee recently put out an article where he compared defrosting techniques, and found that defrosting in circulating warm water was best (by far) both from time and quality standpoint. While some people may talk about the bacterial safety of defrosting in 110F water, he said that it defrosts so fast (20-30 minutes) that it doesn't leave much time for multiplication, especially if you'll be cooking it right away. Since you're cooking in a 131 (pasteurizing) bath, you'll kill anything that multiplying if you leave it there long enough. According to Modernist Cuisine, using a 131 bath (which cooks to a core temp of 129), you need to hold for 2h17m once core temp is reached to pasteurize. I don't know how much longer I'd hold it than that, since sirloin is pretty lean (especially grass fed), and I think it would dry out if held too long... so maybe 4 hours at the most?

A great thing to do would be to portion the meat into several portions, and cook in separate bags for different amounts of time. Then you can report your findings!!!

[rotuts]

thats a great tip. since the total weight is about 1.5 lbs I could re-bag them while frozen into 4 'cuts' and go from there.

Id really like to get a lower temp that 130, but its only (soon to be) 4 pieces.

[OliverB]

I just cooked some free range grass fed water buffalo sirloin steaks SV, at 134 for about 2hrs. They were not frozen, I defrosted them in cold water, added s&p and sealed them in new bags. Gave them a very quick very hot (cast iron pan at about 600 degree F) sear and they turned out fantastic! They were also extremely lean and it's easy to overdo it with this kind of meat on the grill, but with SV that was not a problem. Most amazing beef (if you want to call it that) I've had in a long time. Silky and tender, awesome beef flavor, just a complete success. Rosy, on the rare side of med/rare.

Have fun and enjoy!

[acidfrog]

Does a roast sear give a different taste to a pan sear and if so is there any information on this to back that up other than opinion ?

I have come to the opinion that cooking a steak on a grill will give sub standard results is the grill pointless ?

is there any reason beyond searing that using an oven at high temperature is necessary to cook beef ?

How does braising actually effect the moisture of meat or is it just so that the sauce can be infused with the meat juices ?

when connective tissues break down to a point where the meat gives a faux type of tenderness where it is literally fall apart mostly common with slow braising or stewing is it possible to get this same effect by cooking the beef at a high temperature ?

why is that texture rarely if ever found in high dining restaurants ?

when considering sous vide is there any real reason to be using an oven to try and achieve premium quality cooked beef ?

assuming imperfection with temperature control would low and slow in an oven be better or on par than sous vide

is sous vide the best and end of, i know at FAVIKEN he only uses direct heat and never uses low temp water baths and swear by direct heat cooking but i have been unable to find any info to back him up on this so i cant really understand where he is coming from

or if he is using romantic license so to speak

can you cook your steak to the 'done-ness/texture' you want then let it cool down to room temperature or lower and then sear and raise its internal temperature to below what it was already cooked at and still have a perfect steak or does something happen in that process to dry it out or etc ?

i would hate for everything to become sous vide i guess this comes down the monopoly on trend of favored texture that runs through out fine dining

Really sorry if some of the questions don't make sense just wondering if someone can chime into a few of them and get a conversation going

[Baron d'Apcher]

Read Harold McGee.

There are about 40 different cuts that can be harvested from a steer. Consequently, "steak" and "roast" are ambiguous.

[gfweb]

You are asking good questions. Check out the sous vide threads. eG has answers to all of these questions.

One that you don't ask is "is cooking sous vide as fun as using flames and ovens?" Short answer...no, but I would say that results trump process, and that there is still plenty of room for classic technique in non-meat food.

[acidfrog]

i have read Harold McGee and the analysis of food compounds

[acidfrog]

i have browsed these forums for those answers but before i was a member maybe being a member gives access to more i will search now and see what i can fidn but i did dump these heard because of finding nothing in books or the internet

[gdenby]

"when connective tissues break down to a point where the meat gives a faux type of tenderness where it is literally fall apart mostly common with slow braising or stewing is it possible to get this same effect by cooking the beef at a high temperature ?

why is that texture rarely if ever found in high dining restaurants ?"

I think there are 2 ways to have tenderness in meat. First, lightly cook those muscles which have small amounts of connective tissue, and which do little exercise, and which preferably have lots of fat. A high quality steak, for instance. The second way is to cook meats with high concentrations of connective tissue, specifically, collagen, in such a way that the collagen turns to gelatin, thus allowing the meat fibers to fall apart, while being lubricated by the gelatin. It would be difficult to achieve the second method of tenderness with higher and dry heat, because the exterior of the meat would likely burn.

Most high end restaurants do not usually need to prepare cuts which are tough at the beginning. And, I would suppose a part of this is that traditionally, having diners wait hours for a tough cut to be cooked to tenderness is not desirable.

[acidfrog]

when ordering a bit of sous vide meat i have never had to wait 48 hours although im sure that would make for a funny sketch

yeah of course but i mean braising at a higher as opposed to oven cooking at a temperature which is kind of linked in to my question about braising and why is that technique really used

[nickrey]

The answers to all these questions are in the original sous vide thread, but to answer one of your questions, you can braise meat very effectively in a pressure cooker, which brings the liquid to temperatures greater than boiling. The reason for using liquid as a medium either in braises or in sous vide cookery is that transmits heat much more effectively than air. You can easily put your hand in a 100C oven, I'd never do the same with boiling water.

Heat acts on meat to break down its various components which is real rather than faux tenderness. It also causes the fibers to shrink, pushing out liquid. This will resilt in dry meat. Cutting the fibers with a jaccard tenderizer reduces this effect.

Cooking meat is the application of heat to transform the raw product into something more appealing. It is a combination of source, time, and technique as well as a function of the type of meat used. This is why you see some meats that are recommended for braises and othes for grilling (and vice versa). Sous vide is a technique that can cook meats in a way that is different from other techniques, which is hy many of us use it. We also cook, chill, and reheat the meat over a very high heat. This gives a Maillard effect on the meat that is very tasty. Typically we would reheat sous vide before doing so to ensure that the centre is up to an appropriate temperature. The idea is to brown the outside without overcooking the perfectly cooked meat.

[Tobias Funke]

Most high end restaurants do not usually need to prepare cuts which are tough at the beginning. And, I would suppose a part of this is that traditionally, having diners wait hours for a tough cut to be cooked to tenderness is not desirable.

Many restaurants serve 'tough cuts'. Short ribs, lamb shanks, etc.

In fact, you should consider yourself lucky if you're being served a batch from the day before. IMO stews and braises are almost always better the second day.

[patrickamory]

"results trump process". hmm. for the eaters maybe. for the experimental cook, maybe not.

this subject could perhaps start a different thread.

[gdenby]

Most high end restaurants do not usually need to prepare cuts which are tough at the beginning. And, I would suppose a part of this is that traditionally, having diners wait hours for a tough cut to be cooked to tenderness is not desirable.

Many restaurants serve 'tough cuts'. Short ribs, lamb shanks, etc.

In fact, you should consider yourself lucky if you're being served a batch from the day before. IMO stews and braises are almost always better the second day.

Yes, both short ribs and shanks are served (and I agree they would be better on the second day), but they seem to be the exception. Steaks, chops, fish, some portions of duck, etc. seem to be offered more.

[acidfrog]

The answers to all these questions are in the original sous vide thread, but to answer one of your questions, you can braise meat very effectively in a pressure cooker, which brings the liquid to temperatures greater than boiling. The reason for using liquid as a medium either in braises or in sous vide cookery is that transmits heat much more effectively than air. You can easily put your hand in a 100C oven, I'd never do the same with boiling water.

Heat acts on meat to break down its various components which is real rather than faux tenderness. It also causes the fibers to shrink, pushing out liquid. This will resilt in dry meat. Cutting the fibers with a jaccard tenderizer reduces this effect.

Cooking meat is the application of heat to transform the raw product into something more appealing. It is a combination of source, time, and technique as well as a function of the type of meat used. This is why you see some meats that are recommended for braises and othes for grilling (and vice versa). Sous vide is a technique that can cook meats in a way that is different from other techniques, which is hy many of us use it. We also cook, chill, and reheat the meat over a very high heat. This gives a Maillard effect on the meat that is very tasty. Typically we would reheat sous vide before doing so to ensure that the centre is up to an appropriate temperature. The idea is to brown the outside without overcooking the perfectly cooked meat.

Yes i understand all this obviously

but a braise is often said to not be cooked at boiling point i guess that is just one of those handy down recipes myths that really don't make much of a diffrence

@The reason for using liquid as a medium either in braises or in sous vide cookery is that transmits heat much more effectively than air.@

if you are cooking your beef in the oven at 200c or in boiling water at 100c i don't really see that conductivity is going to matter

which is why im wondering why braising is ever used is it just to get the sauce or is it specifically with the moist heat breaking down certain fibres

would love to know if anyone has more info behind favikens direct heat method

Edited October 16, 2012 by acidfrog (log)

[Tobias Funke]

Yes, both short ribs and shanks are served (and I agree they would be better on the second day), but they seem to be the exception. Steaks, chops, fish, some portions of duck, etc. seem to be offered more.

I was simply responding to your comment about diners having to 'wait for food to be cooked'. Some things are cooked a la minute, some things are prepared well ahead of time and simply reheated to order. Cooking time is almost never a limit on what a restaurant can offer on the menu.