Charcoal Steak

[Sandyj]

My husband often buys something from our local supermarket (am I allowed to say the name of the store?): it's called a charcoal steak - usually about 1/2 inch or so thick and well marbled. It's very inexpensive - two pieces (one will be enough for one person) wrapped together cost under $3.00. He does it on the bar-b-cue (we call this braai) basting it with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and Knorr's Aromat. It is absolutely delicious - nicer than anyone else's steak that I've had on the bar-b-cue (except when we buy fillet). Here's the question - we've never seen this "cut" of meat at any other supermarket - what is it, do you think? - Sandyj

 

[Barbara L]

Hi Sandyj,

I did a search and found this:

[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]In the meat industry many meat department use what is termed "fanciful names", these may be common to a particular area or just made up to sound more appealing. "Patio Steak" is one such name, in Wisconsin and Michigan where I travel, it is most commonly used to describe a steak cut from the front shoulder of the steer. This steak is also known as a: Top Blade Steak, Butter Steak, Charcoal Steak, Finger Steak, Chicken Steak, or Petite Steak if taken from the Top Blade Muscle. If taken from the English muscle it may be called an English, Ranch, or Bread & Butter Steak. The bottom line is to ask the meat cutter in your supermarket, where they cut it from and how it is best prepared.[/font]

Barbara
(wow, when I pasted that in here, it changed the color of my name too! lol)

 

[Michael in FtW]

I'm with Barbara - ask the butcher! They are the ones who cut and named it - they will be able to tell you where it came from.

 

[Sandyj]

Once again...Thanks!

Thanks for that information, and, yes, I shall ring the bell and summon the butcher and ask. I have tried, once in a while, to talk to the butcher at the supermarket where we shop most often, but I seem to arrive on days when the only folks at the back are helpers who don't understand what I'm asking. In our area of New Jersey, there are not very many actual butcher shops. I actually approached one in our town and asked if I could buy the casings to make sausages (South African boerewors). Sadly, it turned out that the shop I was in was not an actual butcher, but more of a 'meat boutique'). I've heard there's one in Dumont that a friend of mine (from New Zealand) found. Anyhoo, I believe that the description that you found is accurate. Honestly, these humble cuts are really nice on the grill. They seem to have two sides - a really tender one, like a filet side, and one that's less tender (but never tough). Because everyone is so very concerned about fatty meat, and these are well marbled, I've thought this might be the reason they're not well known. - Again, Thanks!

 

[Tater Tot]

My husband often buys something from our local supermarket (am I allowed to say the name of the store?): it's called a charcoal steak - usually about 1/2 inch or so thick and well marbled. It's very inexpensive - two pieces (one will be enough for one person) wrapped together cost under $3.00. He does it on the bar-b-cue (we call this braai) basting it with a bit of Worcestershire sauce and Knorr's Aromat. It is absolutely delicious - nicer than anyone else's steak that I've had on the bar-b-cue (except when we buy fillet). Here's the question - we've never seen this "cut" of meat at any other supermarket - what is it, do you think? - Sandyj

Its called a Chuck Eye it comes from where the chuck meets the Rib Eye.. You must shop at Albertsons for They call it a charcoal steak there (at least they did when I cut meat there) ..If your getting two good size peices there then go somewhere else.. The smaller peices are alot more tender and have tons more flavor.. But there hard to find because many meat cutters keep them for their own grill..Yes they are cheep and great but you only get about 8 to 10 steaks per cow....Look for the smaller ones...

 

[Sandyj]

Shoprite's Charcoal Steaks

Hi,
Thanks for that information. I wish I was more knowledgeable about cuts of meat - I've been trying to pay more attention. We shop at Shoprite, mostly. My husband bought some of these steaks this past Sunday, and commented that they had sold them using a different name. Must be a new butcher in town! By good size pieces, I mean a piece of meat about 3/4 to 1/2 inch thick that covers the palm and fingers of my hand. One side of the piece is more tender than the other. Is that still too big?
Sandyj

 

[Tater Tot]

There kinda hard to tell...if the peices are less then an inch thick then they are worthless on the grill..but if they are look for ones about 3 fingers wide with nice marbling and no clear fat or silver....

 

[shebeshela]

finger steaks

I also shop at Shoprite; here they are called Foodland now, and I have been seeing these little finger steaks. They are about the size of the palm of the hand, and they are well marbled and more inexpensive than most, but they have a line running down the middle of them that looks more like connective tissue or gristle than it does fat. I have some marinating right now along with some strip steaks just in case we don't like the finger steaks.
I looked up recipes for finger steaks and it seems most of them are like chicken fingers, cut into strips and deep fried, which we try to avoid. If any of you have had these types of finger steaks on the grill, please let me know, and if you have any good recipes for marinades for them I would appreciate it.

Thanks for a good forum, I am happy I found ya'll.