PRODUCTS AND ADVICE FOR BEEF
The most tender cuts of beef are from the less used muscles along the back of the animal - the rib and the loin. These cuts of meat are more suitable to dry heat cooking such as roasting, grilling and barbecuing. The more active muscles such as the shoulder, flank, and leg will produce beef that is a little less tender. Cuts from the front of the animal - the chuck and the round are heavily exercised and less tender, and best suited to moist heat cooking such as casseroles, curries and stews. Since the most tender cuts make up only a small proportion of a beef or lamb carcass, they are in greatest demand and usually command a higher price than other cuts.
RUMP STEAK
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The most plentiful cut, and made famous on the BBQ. This tender cut has so many uses. Rump really is a most versatile cut. . The traditional rump steak on the barbecue never disappoints, and try marinating for an enhanced eating experience.
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Rump Cap Roast
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Rump Caps is a beautiful cut, slowly roasted or sliced like a steak and cooked on the BBQ, this cut is considered to be the equivalent of our fillet steak, highly treasured in Argentina. A personal favourite is to slowly roast the cap at 100 degrees celcius for two and half hours, with just a simple seasoning of salt and pepper.
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T-Bone Steak
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A very tender peice of meat perfect for the Barbecue. It comprises the fillet and sirloin all in one, and is such a great experience with the two different muscles offering something different for your next meal. Cooking with the bone sweetens the meat, a great meat for fast cooking with excellent results.
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Sirloin / New York / Porterhouse Steak
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Sirloin, or Porterhouse, or New York cut as many know it, is a tasty steak and highly versatile. Many people cut it into stir fry because of its taste and tenderness. Cooked on a barbecue it gets a great crust and stays nice and juicy if done properly. Simply the oil and season the steak prior to cooking, and only turn once. For best results ensure the steak is rested before serving.
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Chuck Steak
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The chuck is the most active part of the animal, as such it needs to be cooked slowly to break down all those muscle fibres. During summer when chuck isn't used so much, it is perfect for butchers like us to mince, as there is a vast quantity of chuck on each animal. Chuck is most commonly diced up for use in casseroles, curries and stews.
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Scotch Fillet Steak
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Scotch fillet is one of the more expensive cuts. It is a beautiful soft textured cut, and a cook's dream, as it is so easy to keep juicy and tender while cooking it. You can really do anything with the scotch fillet, the best way to create a great meal, is leave it is a steak, and cook on the barbecue or on a pan. You can add marinades for a different flavour.
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Fillet Steak
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The eye fillet, or fillet steak is an extremely tender piece of meat. It is the most expensive cut, due to it's popularity, and really is a great product. You can use this in a variety of different recipes.
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Ribs / Standing Rib Roast
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A most spectacular cut, the standing rib roast can be cut to suit, this gorgeous cut really makes an impact on the dinner table when served up! It is a very tender peice of meat, kept extra sweet by cooking it on the bone. The extra marbling levels through this cut really give it a flavour burst. To serve like a chef, wrap the bone tips in foil so they stay nice and white, and just remove them before serving!
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Topside
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Topside comes either as a roast or sliced into steaks. It has also been used to slice into stir fry and used in many Asian dishes. We find the best way to use it is dice it up and put it into a nice curry that requires some texture to the meat.
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Corned Beef Silverside
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From the hindquarter, silverside is most often used for corning, which cures the beef, a very tasty and traditional way to cook. Once it is cured it is ready to boiled up for a traditional corned silverside and white sauce with vegetables. It is a very economical cut, and we always cook extra to put into the fridge for corned beef and chutney sandwiches.
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Beef Silverside Roast
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The "gerello" is the silverside eye. People most often use this as a lean roasting beef portion. If you are going to roast it, for best results do it as a slow roast. It is a working muscle, which means it requires longer in the oven to become tender.
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round steak
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Round steak comes from the Knuckle, again a working leg muscle. In our shops we often mince this cut through summer, although we are happy to slice it up into steaks, then slip it into the tenderiser, so you can use it as a sandwich steak or a quick barbecue steak. It is generally one of the cheaper cuts, so we tend to use it in casserole's and curries to ensure it eats like a nice tender piece of meat.
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osso bucco
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Osso Bucco is such a wanderful cut of beef. It is a very strong flavoured product that needs a lot of cooking to break down to give that brilliant sweet flavour. Being the hind leg of the animal, and a bone in product, it contains marrow, which only enhances the flavour of the product you are cooking.
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blade Steak
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The blade comes from the top of the fore leg, and can be cut into steaks, with the bone in or boneless. The bone in blade, or poor man's T-Bone as it is sometimes referred to, is a but you'll often see the butchers take home. Offering more flavour and texture than the T-Bone, with a little more chew. Like everything as we get older and wiser we learn more about products, and something really in vogue right now is oyster blade, which is a great steak, just ask the butcher to cut it into faboulous little portions.
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BRISKET
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The brisket is a seriously underrated cut. Cooked correctly it is simply brilliant. In the US a rolled brisket is quite common as a family meal. The last one we tried was a 15 hour slow cook to make a southwestern style pulled brisket, and it was absolutely outstanding to eat.
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GRAVY
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Gravy beef is very similar to the meat of osso bucco. It comes from the top of the foreleg, and it's a great compromise for those who don't like to cook with bones. It is best best cooked slowly, but it certainly packs a punch with a great flavour.
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