Finding a good quality steak cut is the first step to enjoying one of life's simple pleasures. Grilling it to perfection will take some practice to get it right. But once you have got it down, you will be able to grill steaks every bit as fine as what you'd get at a high-priced steak house.
Before you hit the grill, you will need to get to first base first by educating yourself on the choices out there in terms of steak cuts available.
Have you ever stood in front of the meat counter at your local supermarket wondering about all these grades of beef? You're not alone. Here's the scoop. The USDA has come up with eight beef grades, only four of which you can find at your supermarkets. The grading is a voluntary process but producers implement it for the consumer's benefit. These grades offer you a good guide on flavor and tenderness of the meat. Grades are based on the animal's age (younger is better) and the marbling in the muscle. Marbling, as the term implies, refer to the white flecks of fat that you see all over the meat.
Prime Beef
This is the best cut that your money can buy. The marbling is excellent and only 2 percent of beef qualifies for this grade. Most Prime meat is sold to fine restaurants, but you can find it at a good butcher. When you want a really fantastic steak, hunt down some Prime. It's unparalleled in taste and juiciness. It has become easier to get this for the past couple of years, mainly because the recession has impacted the restaurant business, steakhouses included. This resulted in a supply surplus for this special cut, so on a lot of occasions, you can even buy it now from your neighborhood Costco.
Certified Angus Beef
Although not an official USDA grade, this is reserved for meat which meet strict standards for tenderness, juiciness and flavor. Only 8 percent of beef meets this standard. A lot of people prefer it over other types mainly because the marbling comes close to Prime. It is also widely available in supermarkets and much more affordable than Prime.
Choice Beef
This is the most widely available cut and you can consider it as your second choice. The meat comes from fairly young cattle and has moderate to small amounts of marbling. Choice is an excellent value for the grill.
Select Grade Beef
This is leaner and less expensive than Choice grade. Because it has minimal marbling, it tends to be tougher and less flavorful. Unless you plan to marinate your steak, you are better off opting for a Choice cut for the grill.
Lastly, let me give you a quick faq about aging. If you happen to visit this famous steakhouse in New York called Peter Luger, and happen to sample their grilled masterpieces, and you wonder why it taste so much better than your backyard version, one of the major reasons for it is aging. Steak, like wine, is of the few things that get better with age. There are two types of aging for beef, dry aging and wet aging. Both types of aging make the cuts more flavorful and tender. In the process of dry aging, beef is hung unwrapped in a refrigerated cooler for 3 to 6 weeks. During this time two things happen, the muscles lose up to 10 percent of their weight from moisture evaporation, concentrating the beef flavor in the meat, and the fibers in the muscle break down, making the meat more tender. Wet-aged beef is sealed in airtight bags, so there is no moisture loss. It's really just personal preference when it comes to wet-aged or dry-aged beef, both enhances the quality of the meat for grilling.
And that concludes our primer. Now go out there and get that Prime cut and start grilling!!
Author Resource:
Cyrill is a retired teacher living in the middle of the Las Vegas desert. In an effort to relieve boredom, while at the same time make some money on the side, he is now promoting a varied collection of sites such as this one for callaway golf shoes and this store for rca dlp tv and HDTV projectors from various major brands.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.look4articles.com/images/rss.jpg "XML Feed For RSS")