Cuts of meats

[Bigjim68]

GW, good call on the Delmonico. Delmonico is a steak house in NY, and their best steak was from the center of the rib. The center cut portions are the best mix of fat and red meat. The name stuck.
There are numerous local and regional names for various cuts, and IMO the best reason for learning to recognize various cuts by sight.

 

[buckytom]

practical experience is priceless. it helps to learn the cuts of meat by starting with butchering smaller animals. i started understanding the various cuts by hacking apart small pigs and lambs at summer barbecues.

now, cows are certainly amped up cuts, but all 4 legged mammals are similar really.

the only big difference that i can think of is that the spinal muscles are called tenderloin on cows, but backstraps of wild game because of the difference in the size of a cows rear half.

btw, bolas, cubed beef is "de rigeur" nowadays for many chili con carne competitions here. you were in the vanguard on a deeply american cuisine.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Big Jim when you worked in the pack house did you prepare the meat for supermarkets, if you did what happened to the off cuts like the tails of fillet steak?

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

practical experience is priceless. it helps to learn the cuts of meat by starting with butchering smaller animals. i started understanding the various cuts by hacking apart small pigs and lambs at summer barbecues.

now, cows are certainly amped up cuts, but all 4 legged mammals are similar really.

the only big difference that i can think of is that the spinal muscles are called tenderloin on cows, but backstraps of wild game because of the difference in the size of a cows rear half.

btw, bolas, cubed beef is "de rigeur" nowadays for many chili con carne competitions here. you were in the vanguard on a deeply american cuisine.

Blimey oh riley, I have used that method for 30yrs.I was taught to butcher in France, the difference between Big Jimmy and I would be the time taken, I would take a lot lot longer.I have de rigeurmortice of the romney.
I dont shoot anymore but I get good game, the two " backstraps" off a saddle of hare that has been properly hung are so good.

 

[Bigjim68]

When I was working in the packing house, most supermarkets had a butcher shop and cut their own. There were also stand alone butcher shops. Markets generally bought primals, Butcher shops often, but not always, bought sides. The butcher would tag and stamp his own hanging beef, and we would deliver
Restaurants mostly ordered portion control. A box of rib steaks would all have to be the same weight and the same general appearance. Weighing each one was too slow, Portion control was the top of the line worker. Even today I can look at a cut of meat or cheese, and guess the weight to a few hundredths of a pound.
I also make chile with cubes. I didn't know I was ahead of the curve. Chop my own hamburger. Burgers made with chopped rather than ground beef have a better texture.

 

[Bigjim68]

Bolas, the off cuts all had a market. Tender tails were bought by restaurants and made into tender tip stews. Any portion larger than an inch became stew meat, then ground and/or sausage.

 

[taxlady]

...

Chop my own hamburger. Burgers made with chopped rather than ground beef have a better texture.

Hmmm, interesting. How do you do that? Do you mince by hand with a knife?

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

Jim it is diferent here, there is only one supermarket chain that has an instore butcher.I have a local source for the fillet tails, I pay £9.00 for 3lbs, I do not chop it for burgers I pass it through my mincer using the largest holed plate then I add about 15% minced belly pork to give moisture.
Do you add other thing to your burger?

 

[Bigjim68]

Hmmm, interesting. How do you do that? Do you mince by hand with a knife?

With a knife. A good sharp large chef's knife is an amazing tool. Usually use top round, and add fat, or sometimes bacon. Delicious.

 

[Bigjim68]

Jim it is diferent here, there is only one supermarket chain that has an instore butcher.I have a local source for the fillet tails, I pay £9.00 for 3lbs, I do not chop it for burgers I pass it through my mincer using the largest holed plate then I add about 15% minced belly pork to give moisture.
Do you add other thing to your burger?

It is almost impossible to find an in store butcher shop or stand alone butcher here now. Most supermarket meat is packaged at a central location. It makes it difficult to get bones for stock.
Try those tips in a creme sauce recipe over noodles. You won't be running them through a mincer any more.
My packinghouse days are years ago.

 

[taxlady]

With a knife. A good sharp large chef's knife is an amazing tool. Usually use top round, and add fat, or sometimes bacon. Delicious.

I'll have to give that a try. I have a good sharp chef's knife. Wouldn't cook very often if I didn't have one.

 

[Kayelle]

When I was working in the packing house, most supermarkets had a butcher shop and cut their own. There were also stand alone butcher shops. Markets generally bought primals, Butcher shops often, but not always, bought sides. The butcher would tag and stamp his own hanging beef, and we would deliver
Restaurants mostly ordered portion control. A box of rib steaks would all have to be the same weight and the same general appearance. Weighing each one was too slow, Portion control was the top of the line worker. Even today I can look at a cut of meat or cheese, and guess the weight to a few hundredths of a pound.
I also make chile with cubes. I didn't know I was ahead of the curve. Chop my own hamburger. Burgers made with chopped rather than ground beef have a better texture.

This is all so interesting to me Jim. My Dad started working in a packing house when he was very young. He would have been 102 yrs old today, so that was a very long time ago. He ended up with his own grocery and meat market..just he and my mom. He taught me everything I know as a kid underfoot. I sooooooo know about top notch old fashioned meat markets, and his refrigerator with sides of beef inside. He would do all the custom cuts himself, and I would load the meat case "just so" and beautiful. This was circa '40's & 50's.
Pardon my walk down memory lane
Please carry on with this most interesting thread.