BEEF & VEAL - Cuts of Beef and Steaks

BEEF & VEAL - Cuts of Beef and Steaks

                      

                      Beef and veal are got from the bovine animals and they are classified by their ages.

Veal - Flesh of calf (less than three months of age) which lives on milk.

Calves - The animals are from 3 to 8 months old.

Beef - The meat is taken when the animal is above 8 months.

                       Beef is the most popular of all the edible meats in the Western countries. In India, beef is not very popular and buffaloes are slaughtered in some places and sold as beef.

                 Beef is the flesh of steers, heifers, cows, bulls and stags. The age and the sex has an influence on the taste and quality of meat.

Signs of good quality

(i) The lean meat should be bright red with small flecks of white fat. 

(ii) The fat should be firm, brittle in texture, creamy white in colour and odourless. Older animals and dairy breeds have fat which is usually deeper yellow in colour.

(iii) Beef in good condition should have streaks of fat running through the lean section and the flesh should rise again quickly after being pressed with the fingers. Any cut surface should present a slightly moist appearance to the touch.

1. Shin

2. Topside

3. Sliverside

4. Thick flank

5. Rump

6. Sirloin

7. Wing ribs

8. Thin flank

9. Fillet

10. Fore rib

11. Middle rib

12. Chuck rib

13. Sticking piece

14. Brisket

15. Plate

16. Leg of mutton cut

17. Shank

(i) Shin

(ii) Topside

(iii) Silverside

(iv) Thick flank

(v) Rump

(vi) Sirloin

(vii) Wing ribs

(viii) Thin flank

(ix) Fillet

(x) Fore rib

(xi) Middle rib.

(xii) Chuck rib

(xiii) Sticking piece

(xiv) Brisket

(xv) Plate

(xvi) Leg of mutton

(xviii) Shank fat, bone of kidney

Order of Dissection: 

                    Beef Cuts Side: The carcass is divided into two lengthwise.

For hindquarters:

1. The whole side is divided between the wing ribs and the foreribs.

2. Remove the rump suet and kidney.

3. Divide the loin and rump from the leg (topside, silverside, thick flank and shin).

4. Remove the fillet.

5. Divide the rump from the sirloin.

6. Remove the wing ribs.

7. Remove the shin.

8. Bone out the aitchbone.

9. Divide the leg into three remaining joints (silverside, topside and thick flank).

For forequarters:

1. Remove the shank.

2. Divide in half down the centre.

3. Take off the foreribs.

4. Divide into joins.

Beef Terms

Carcass - Whole animal after dressing from the slaughterhouse.

Side - A carcass that has been split down the centre of the spinal column.

Quarter - A side that has been subdivided into two sections as forequarters and hindquarters. 

Crop - Forequarters minus the plate, brisket and shin.

Baron - A complete back (uncut) which is a pair of sirloins undivided.

Offals - Products derived from the process of slaughtering other than the carcass, the edible internal organs, e.g. liver, heart, sweetbread, head, tongue, tail, brains, kidneys.

STEAKS

Steak is a slice of beef varying in thickness, usually taken from fillet, rump or contre fillet. Steaks are tender and have a good flavour and are very popular. They are usually cut into individual portions that are thick enough to broil well and to develop a crisp well-browned exterior, while retaining a juicy interior. Steaks are obtained from different parts of the animals such as:

Entrecote Steaks

These steaks are taken from the deboned sirloin without the fillet. This joint is known as contre fillet, undercut (faux fillet). From this contre fillet are cut those famous steaks like Minute Steaks (Fr. Entrecote Minute), Sirloin (Fr. Entrecote), Double Sirloin Steaks (Fr. Entrecote Double).

                     One cm slices are cut from the flesh of contre fillet. They are thin steaks, flattened and weigh approximately 115 gms Sirloin steak (Fr. Entrecote). It is a slice of steak often taken from the contre fillet. It is a little thicker than minute steak, 1.25 cm thick, approximate weight is 150 gms.

Double Sirloin Steaks (Fr. EntrecoteI Double).                 It is a steak bigger and heavier than Entrecote steak. It is 22 cm thick and the approximate weight is 250-300 gms.

Porter House Steak and T-bone Steak                       Like the Entrecote, it is cut from the sirloin of beef, usually from the best part of the loin, 3 or 4 cm from where the fillet begins. It is cut or sawn right through-including bone, loin and fillet. It is approximately 4 cm thick and weighs about 650 gms. This is a generous portion and is large enough for 2 portions. T-bone steak is an individual porter house steak.

Fillet Steaks

Special names have been given to the steaks cut from the different areas of the beef fillet.

Cooking and Serving of Steaks

                 Steaks are grilled or sauteed. For thicker steaks, a lower temperature (325°F) should be used for cooking. Steaks could be cooked under done as rare and medium done. The cooking time of steaks varies according to the thickness and size of the steak.

                         Different garnishes could be served with the steaks. They should be accompanied by a suitable sauce, e.g. sauce bearnaise, sauce diable or chateaubraiand sauce.