How to Prepare Beef

How to Prepare Meat

Before cooking meat, a basic familiarity of the parts of the animal is helpful.

Different body parts will be called different things in the butcher shop, and different recipes will generally make some distinction as well.

The animal is usually divided in to four parts along their exterior side, and a fifth part along the underside or belly. Begin from the shoulder and work your way down the back of the animal to the hind leg.

Beef is divided into chuck, rib, loin and round. The underside is called brisket or flank.

Veal and lamb are divided into shoulder, rib, loin, and leg or round. The under side is the shank or breast. Pork is divided into shoulder, loin, and ham or leg. The underside closer to the forelegs is the picnic shoulder, and the area closer to the hind legs is known as spareribs.

The most tender sections of an animal are the ones that are the least exercised and fare best under dry heat cooking, such as broiling, grilling, roasting and sauteing.
This typically means the back, rib and loin.
From the loin we get New York Strip, filet mignon, T-bone, and porterhouse steaks.

The second-most tender area of an animal is the area between the loin and the rump, which yields the sirloin.
The leg and hip are less tender, and the shoulder is tougher still.
The assumption that the tender parts of the animal are the best is limited.

Tougher parts often have stronger and more potent flavors and are better prepared with moist heat, such as stewing and braising.

Tools
Tongs:
An absolute must-have in the kitchen. A simple pair of metal tongs allows you to flip meat, on the grill or in the sauté pan, and pick up small pieces of stew meat during the cooking process.

Meat Thermometer:
Allow you to check the doneness of large cuts of meats like roasts. Thermometers with dials, although slightly more difficult to read, tend to outlast digital ones.

Roasting Pans:
Preserves juices while the meat cooks. Pans should be as close in size to the meat as possible, or the juice will burn. Have a few sizes on hand.
Roasting rack: Allows even cooking and prevents burning on the bottom. A sturdy rack is best.

Dutch Oven:
A heavy pot with a lid that allows you to brown as well as to cook stews.
Sauté pan: A good quality sauté pan should be able to travel from the stove to the oven, such as a large cast iron pan.

Stockpot:
The importance of making your own stocks has decreased as people find themselves with less time. Doing everything from scratch can be extremely rewarding, however. If you are going to make your own stocks, be sure to get a large, heavy-bottomed pot.

Heavy-duty fork:
Allows you to test the doneness of the meat. You will find two pronged forks are common. They hold the meat in place while cutting, and can test the meat by spearing it. A cooked piece will fall off the fork.

Top Tips
1. Check the meat for doneness earlier than you think you should, and
    continue to keep checking it.
2. Don't be afraid of over browning.
3. Make friends with your butcher. He will be able to help you make
    choices and give information
4. Use moist heat for tough cuts, dry heat for tender.
5. Meat freezes well, before and after cooking.
6. Meat that is cooked on the bone adds a wonderful additional flavor.