Beef Cuts

[spyralout]

I really like beef, especially BBQ'd (no sauce, just salt n pepper, I prefer the meat to speak for itself, but am always down to try a good marinade). I've always wondered how beef gets graded, Select, Choice, Prime, etc. Then there's the crazy expensive Kobe Wagyu (I've never had it) and the wet or dry aged kinds you see at Whole Foods (never had this either). Probably the "best" I've had (home cooked, not restaurant) is Costco "Prime" which has been increasing in price like crazy.

Is there something scientific to it, or just eyeballed to look for marbling and such?

Gotta tag @Meatman on this. Anyone that has some insight on anything beef, please post. I'd like to bring my knowledge of beef to the next level.

BTW my favorite cuts are Ribeye for steak, Tri-Tip (may be known as something else outside of the West Coast) for roast (with Chuck Eye Roast being second), and Ranchera Skirt Steak (for Carne Asada tacos). I haven't gotten into NY Strip, Porterhouse, Sirloin (they all seem to be "tougher" vs Ribeye and Tri-Tip; attempts to grill at rare to medium rare have made them hard to cut, it just moves the meat around on the plate lol). Also not much of a Brisket fan (fatty and mushy to me?) and Flat Iron Steak has also disappointed me. No matter the "meat snob" comments, I'll still eat em all.

I seriously need all the protein I can get right now ?

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

We have a IGA type market in our small town and they buy beef from local farms and butcher in house, even the burger is bomb.
The wifey does homemade to taste marinades for our favorite cut, rib eye.
Love to salt and slow roast the good old standard brisket.
Dales is a decent fast marinade.

 

[HBZ]

I really like beef, especially BBQ'd (no sauce, just salt n pepper, I prefer the meat to speak for itself, but am always down to try a good marinade). I've always wondered how beef gets graded, Select, Choice, Prime, etc. Then there's the crazy expensive Kobe Wagyu (I've never had it) and the wet or dry aged kinds you see at Whole Foods (never had this either). Probably the "best" I've had (home cooked, not restaurant) is Costco "Prime" which has been increasing in price like crazy.

Is there something scientific to it, or just eyeballed to look for marbling and such?

Gotta tag @Meatman on this. Anyone that has some insight on anything beef, please post. I'd like to bring my knowledge of beef to the next level.

BTW my favorite cuts are Ribeye for steak, Tri-Tip (may be known as something else outside of the West Coast) for roast (with Chuck Eye Roast being second), and Ranchera Skirt Steak (for Carne Asada tacos). I haven't gotten into NY Strip, Porterhouse, Sirloin (they all seem to be "tougher" vs Ribeye and Tri-Tip; attempts to grill at rare to medium rare have made them hard to cut, it just moves the meat around on the plate lol). Also not much of a Brisket fan (fatty and mushy to me?) and Flat Iron Steak has also disappointed me. No matter the "meat snob" comments, I'll still eat em all.

I seriously need all the protein I can get right now ?

I also absolutely love beef..However the last few years after eating any beef whatsoever I've felt very heavy and sick..I don't know if it's just my age as I've heard some ppl have a hard time digesting beef as they get older... Anyone heard of this? I can't live without very rare red meat so my freezer has just been packed with the fourth whole lamb I've bought..The burger is phenomenal...The chops excellent!! As for the steaks tho...man nothing is replacing a proper beef ribeye ??? God I miss that!

 

[Meatman]

So as far as difference between choice, select and all of that so your best cut will be a nice 18month old angus usually maybe a crossbread in there too, your next level down will be the same thing but maybe it was a little skinny or just a little smaller of steak but really nothing wrong with it, than the next step down might be a little older animal a little leaner too, steaks will be a little tougher but if you know how to cook you can fix that…than from there on you got burger animals lol….I’ve ate it all and you can tell what grade it is as soon as you cut into that animal if your knife glides right through it’s gonna be good if it gets hung up a bit yup you got an oldy…the key is when you split that animal in half you age that whole half you don’t quarter it up right away when you quarter it up instantly the muscles contract and almost stick together when you let it hang while the muscles stay stretched out and than they relax naturally which your steaks will be more tender…none of this is science it’s from years of experience and not just from me from my father in law as well….

When it comes to cuts these are my favorite…rib-eye, New York, skirt steak, tenderloin, and surprisingly a good chuck steak, sirloin isn’t bad but most places screw you over and cut the tenderloin out…medium - medium rare this is by far the best marinade I have ever come across I’ve actually made a huge batch and did a whole #18 pound prime rib and people said it was the best prime rib they’ve ever had


Besides that I don’t know much I haven’t even looked at a meat department in a store in 6 years at least so I can’t say what I’d get if you have a local butcher that’s the place I would go I do know one thing tho meat is meat it isn’t made in a lab so it’s not always the same you could have twins fed the same exact food same everything one will be tough and the other will be the most tender thing you’ve ever had but your butcher should be able to help you out for the most part


Hopefully that helps you out a bit

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Beef is king, we haven't ate pig or bacon for 20 + years. The occasional pond caught bass or blue gill and chicken for fajita night but beef is the one.

 

[Frimpong]

 

[Meatman]

Beef is king, we haven't ate pig or bacon for 20 + years. The occasional pond caught bass or blue gill and chicken for fajita night but beef is the one.

Idk if you’ve ever had it but beef bacon is amazing you take the brisket out trim some of the fat off square it up a bit and than cure it the same way as bacon than smoke it and slice it damn man I’m getting hungry if you’ve never had it I recommend you find yourself some it’s like brisket bacon ???

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Idk if you’ve ever had it but beef bacon is amazing you take the brisket out trim some of the fat off square it up a bit and than cure it the same way as bacon than smoke it and slice it damn man I’m getting hungry if you’ve never had it I recommend you find yourself some it’s like brisket bacon ???

Yes we do have beef bacon, another local butcher makes that.
It frys up dryer than pork does, just gotta watch it close or it'll turn to jerkey due to lack of fat I'm assuming.

 

[Brokehoe]

Lol I haven't had a steak in years. Ground sirloin and chicken is best as it gets around here.(pretty sure it's not sirloin)

I have thought about raising a couple. I bet I could trade the butcher one for the work.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

One of the local pastors around here raises cows and has them butchered and has the entire cow made into hamburger in 1lb rolls then donates it to food banks.

 

[Akss]

Just had a thin ribeye pan fried in bacon grease not very long on each side with some brussel sprouts on the side...

 

[spyralout]

We have a IGA type market in our small town and they buy beef from local farms and butcher in house, even the burger is bomb.
The wifey does homemade to taste marinades for our favorite cut, rib eye.
Love to salt and slow roast the good old standard brisket.
Dales is a decent fast marinade.

We have an IGA just down the street from me. Agreed, their hamburger is way better than other stores I’ve tried, some ppl have said, “Wow, tastes like what hamburger was like in the 80s.” None of their meat is that overly super red color as seen in larger chains. However, I haven’t had a good steak from them yet.

 

[spyralout]

So as far as difference between choice, select and all of that so your best cut will be a nice 18month old angus usually maybe a crossbread in there too, your next level down will be the same thing but maybe it was a little skinny or just a little smaller of steak but really nothing wrong with it, than the next step down might be a little older animal a little leaner too, steaks will be a little tougher but if you know how to cook you can fix that…than from there on you got burger animals lol….I’ve ate it all and you can tell what grade it is as soon as you cut into that animal if your knife glides right through it’s gonna be good if it gets hung up a bit yup you got an oldy…the key is when you split that animal in half you age that whole half you don’t quarter it up right away when you quarter it up instantly the muscles contract and almost stick together when you let it hang while the muscles stay stretched out and than they relax naturally which your steaks will be more tender…none of this is science it’s from years of experience and not just from me from my father in law as well….

When it comes to cuts these are my favorite…rib-eye, New York, skirt steak, tenderloin, and surprisingly a good chuck steak, sirloin isn’t bad but most places screw you over and cut the tenderloin out…medium - medium rare this is by far the best marinade I have ever come across I’ve actually made a huge batch and did a whole #18 pound prime rib and people said it was the best prime rib they’ve ever had
View attachment 121009

Besides that I don’t know much I haven’t even looked at a meat department in a store in 6 years at least so I can’t say what I’d get if you have a local butcher that’s the place I would go I do know one thing tho meat is meat it isn’t made in a lab so it’s not always the same you could have twins fed the same exact food same everything one will be tough and the other will be the most tender thing you’ve ever had but your butcher should be able to help you out for the most part


Hopefully that helps you out a bit

Most definitely did help. Thanks for the insight!

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

We have an IGA just down the street from me. Agreed, their hamburger is way better than other stores I’ve tried, some ppl have said, “Wow, tastes like what hamburger was like in the 80s.” None of their meat is that overly super red color as seen in larger chains. However, I haven’t had a good steak from them yet.

Get aquinted with your butcher.
Lol, ours is actually our nephew.

 

[spyralout]

Is Kobe/Wagyu worth the hype? IDK what they serve at Ruth Chris (never been there) but ppl go nuts over it, even the fat.

 

[Meatman]

One of the local pastors around here raises cows and has them butchered and has the entire cow made into hamburger in 1lb rolls then donates it to food banks.

Our state is so messed up they won’t let us do that sometimes we will have people bring there venison in too and than never come and pick it up and we legally can’t donate it we are supposed to throw it away but we will find a family that’s in need and give it to them we just remove all our labels lol

 

[Meatman]

Is Kobe/Wagyu worth the hype? IDK what they serve at Ruth Chris (never been there) but ppl go nuts over it, even the fat.

I’ve cut plenty of them they are way more marbled than most if raised right, but besides that I think it’s like ‘cookies’ ya know all the hype but there’s others that are equal…that’s just my opinion tho so I don’t need everyone talking shit back to me lol….I’ve actually never ate it lol

 

[Meatman]

Lol I haven't had a steak in years. Ground sirloin and chicken is best as it gets around here.(pretty sure it's not sirloin)

I have thought about raising a couple. I bet I could trade the butcher one for the work.

Truth be told we don’t eat like kings like most would think…once you’ve seen a couple 100 thousand steaks you get sick of looking at them and don’t even want to eat them lol we eat a lot of fish and chicken lol….we go out to fancy steakhouses and get salmon or something lol

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Our state is so messed up they won’t let us do that sometimes we will have people bring there venison in too and than never come and pick it up and we legally can’t donate it we are supposed to throw it away but we will find a family that’s in need and give it to them we just remove all our labels lol

They aren't supposed to do it here either "wink wink".

 

[Meatman]

They aren't supposed to do it here either "wink wink".

Last year we had a a guy bring in a deer that he illegally shot and the dnr came and said we had to dispose of it after we made it all into sausage already ya we threw it away “wink wink”