Buying and Cooking Beef

Buying and cooking beef

These guidelines will help you to enjoy our beef whether you are eating a top of the line steak or a family size roast!

There are two main cooking methods for beef: dry heat and wet heat.

Dry heat methods include grilling, broiling, sautéing, stir frying, and roasting. Wet heat methods include braising, slow cooking, stewing, steaming, and pot roasting.

Choosing the best method to cook your beef:

Cuts that come from the chuck (front) and round (hind) portions of the carcass tend to be tougher. The muscles that make up those portions of the animal are the main muscles used for movement, which means these muscles are used more and have a greater amount of connective tissue or collagen. Collagen is very tough and elastic. However, if cooked at a low temperature, with moisture, for a long time, collagen gelatinizes. We recommend using some form of acidic cooking liquid, such as red wine, tomatoes, or balsamic vinegar. This results in a tender, moist and flavorful dish. These cuts include rump roast, chuck roast, and shanks.

Cuts that come from the middle meats are composed of muscles that are not used very much, which results in cuts that are finer textured, have less connective tissue and are much more tender overall. These cuts can be prepared with dry heat methods and with short cook times, and still be tender and flavorful. Although these cuts are tender, it is still important that they are not overcooked. These cuts include top of the line steaks like NY strip, Tenderloin, Porterhouse, T-Bone, Rib eye.

For rare cook to 140 degrees F, for medium rare cook to 145 degrees F, for medium cook to 160 degrees F and for well cook to 170 degrees F. To test for doneness, use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the cut and not in fat or touching bone.