Maybe everyone will be a bit confused when eating steak for the first time: What is the difference between so many kinds of steak? Which one suits you best? There are still a few questions about maturity. Is eight maturity the most suitable? What does that big USDA mean when buying in a supermarket? With a series of questions, the team interviewed Mr. Xu Fufeng (WeChat public account: WindHiker), a senior technical + science popular senior food eater, and listened to her talk about the steak—
Beef Maturity ｜ Aged Beef
A piece of steak can be sold for more than 10 dollars to more than 80 dollars. In addition to the decoration of the restaurant, the type of steak, the more important source of the steak and the steak age (Age). A friend ’s family went to open a grocery store in a small town with less than 400 people—the reason why the town is small is that before the advent of Wal-Mart, a small town grocery store not only bought daily necessities and vegetables, but also a small one. At Meat Counter, he said that his happiest time was when the unsaleable beef at home was taken back, cut out the dark corners, and cooked on carbon, let alone how delicious it was.
You may not be able to figure it out: Doesn't it mean that the fresher the meat, the better? Isn't it necessary to kill alive when released in China? But in the steak world, it's not as fresh as possible. The best steaks should be stored for 15-28 days under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. On the one hand, the water evaporates from the beef, which makes the flavor more concentrated. On the other hand, the interaction of beef's natural enzymes and microorganisms makes the beef more tender and juicy. . Specific matured beef can be divided into dry-aged (wet-aged) and wet-aged (wet-aged). The difference is that dry-type beef is in direct contact with the air and has higher environmental requirements. In fact, the sophisticated sushi fish also has the concept of "maturity". For example, the documentary on Kojiro on Netflix says that their fish will mature for a few days to a week, which is the same reason.
The cooked beef will be slightly black, and such a layer of crust will be removed before cooking, and it is ready to be cooked!
Steak Grade and Quality ｜ Steak Quality
When I was in China, I always thought that Sirloin steak was the best. When I came to the United States, I found that the slightly fat Rib Eye or T-Bone was the best. The grade of beef is often judged according to the fat distribution. The best steak is fat like marble texture.
In the United States, the most basic rating is USDA Certified (U.S. Department of Agriculture). If it is only marked as "Certified", it is naturally useless. The real appraisal is graded. For example, Prime or Choice are the highest grades, and then they are ranked from high to low, and they are ranked as Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, or Canner. So if you are going for a good steak, it is not enough to know that it has been identified. If you are a Standard or below steak, you don't need to consider it.
Of course, USDA beef verification is only a profitable marketing department under the US Department of Agriculture, not a national free certification system. Beef verification is also required to pay. If you bought the beef in a small steakhouse in a small town and went directly to the butcher's house next door, it is normal to not be verified, and it is not good if it is not verified.
Another legend is Grassfeed. Most farms in the United States are now commercially farmed, because grass is relatively expensive, so they basically feed corn directly. The argument is that corn is not a staple food for cattle, so eating too much is not good. On the other hand, grass cows are considered to "have a happier life", "richer in Omega-3 and vitamins", "natural flavor" and so on. I once had a colleague who had a cattle farm at home. He would not bother to buy the beef in the supermarket, because they always raised a few grass-fed and leisurely cattle and ate them on their own.
Of course, 99% of American cows are corn-fed. Even if you can’t eat grass cows, you don’t have to be too discouraged. I personally think that grass cows don’t really taste that tall, and corn cows are generally fatter. Fat Cow".I accidentally ran into an Omaha family called J's Steakhouse once, and ordered a steak that was so delicious to tears that I saw a small line on the menu:
- All our steaks are above USDA "Choice" grade, aged for 28 days, and selected by the chef depending on their tenderness and fatness.
Turned over and found that this restaurant simply opened a farm in the next town to raise its own cattle.
Maturity ｜ Steak Donness
If you order a steak, the waiter will definitely ask a question "How do you like your steak".Although we use 1-10 numbers to mark in Chinese, there are only 5 types that can be selected.A study shows that people with higher education or higher income in the United States prefer to order raw steaks. For example, more than half of people with a graduate degree or above like to order Medium Rare or raw steaks. Of course, this article was sprayed on Facebook. It's a mess.But Mr. Xu can tell you that Buffett’s favorite is Rare T-bone.
The first group is Rare and Well Done. Cooked steak is really not recommended.
The second group is partial, 5 points (Medium) or 7 points (Medium Well)
One is Mr. Xu's favorite. The taste of the 3-point cooked (Medium Rare) steak is just the best, and it is not easy to make mistakes, because many steakhouses always cook the steak too well, and sometimes 3 points come up to 4 , 5 points or even 7.
Steak Types ｜ Steak Cuts
There are many articles about steak types from various parties. It doesn't matter what meat comes from. The key is to find your favorite.
(Please note the number)
Natural lean is preferred Filet MignonBecause the meat is too lean and "unhealthy," Americans will also make a circle of bacon. Personally, I feel that the filet mignon is more difficult to make. I overheated it 10 times and got firewood, and if it was not Perfectly Aged, it would be light and tasteless. Filet and lobster are often paired together-the two most expensive pieces of meat are simmered together ~
New York / StripIt belongs to beef sirloin, and its edges have a fatty skin (like the player in Figure 3 above) and a marble-like texture. Of course, if you eat Japanese Wagyu beef, New York steak should be good, because it may not be delicious again.
If you want fat and thin, the best option is T-Bone (T-Bone Steak)(No. 4 player in the previous picture), because it is composed of the above two steaks-Filet and New York steak, separated by a T-bone. T-bone is also considered to be a more aggressive steak, not only because of its large size, but also because it is moderately fat and thin, it is one of the few foods served in the United States with bones.
Can you see that the two steaks above make up a T-bone?
There is another more domineering way to eat is"Porterhouse", Which belongs to the T-bone region a little further behind, and the Philippine part must be at least 1.5 inches wide. That's a huge steak! !!
My other favorite is Rib EyeI personally think that it is the most flavorful piece of meat on the cow (the player in the previous figure 2), because this piece of meat is in the upper waist of the cow, and the muscle activity is small, so that the fat is distributed very evenly, and the meat is also fresh and juicy. Even the USDA certification mentioned earlier is mainly based on the fat distribution of the naked eye.
Of course, please prepare mentally before eating: the naked eye is a fat piece of meat on the cow, and it is often shiny. The meat is from the 6th to the 12th ribs of beef. The front Chuck (shoulder?) Is usually used for stew because of the hard meat. The back is called Sirlon (sirloin) because it is thin and difficult to bite. It belongs to the price. One of the cheaper steaks. Most sophisticated eyes are attached to the ribs on one side.
Other parts such as Sirloin (Sirloin Steak)It is the more economical part, because it is not fat, and it is not as tender as the filet. It is generally the cheapest steak you can find on the menu.
Of course, it's not that cheap must be bad. There is also a steak that can test the attitude of the steakhouse. Prime Rib (Rib Steak) , Also belongs to the good meat between 6-12 ribs, located above the naked eye. Compared to most steaks, which are grilled individually, rib steaks are grilled whole and cut. For steakhouses, this means that if they don't sell today, they will be thrown away after opening.
Steaks are often coated with a thick layer of pepper and sea salt as the main seasoning before char-grilled. After a long period of low-temperature roasting, the beef is fused with the juice of the beef and is often used as a sauce for rib steak.
Compared to various sauces that are fried, deep-fried, boiled, and served with side dishes, I am afraid that steak is the simplest ingredients and production method, but a steak has different processing and preservation methods, selection, maturity and position of beef, and even beef Variety, place of origin, and feeding methods can make two steaks taste very different. A solemn steak may have been kept for 20 days, but it is still pale and bloody, but full of flavor.
The last thing to mention is that the first thing a sophisticated steakhouse can do with steak is to watch you cut it and ask if you are satisfied with the steak's maturity. If you are not satisfied, for example, three matures are burned to seven matures, you have a reason to return and ask the kitchen to re-burn again, and even the steakhouse will actively ask you to burn it again. Several times when I was in trouble, I said goodbye, don't leave, and the manager came to apologize to avoid the order.
So if you are not satisfied with the steak, you must tell the waiter.
Bay Area Steak Guide Poke Here ~
Article | Xu Fufeng (WeChat public account: WindHiker)
Edit | Wang Ribs is a Meow Star
[This article is reproduced from the WeChat public account: WindHiker, with deletions,CHIHUOReprinted with author's permission. Rejected Reprinted]
