Beef is the
culinary name for
meat from
bovines, especially domestic
cattle. Beef is one of the principal
meats used in the
Cuisine of Australia,
European cuisine and
cuisine of
the Americas, and is also important in
Africa,
East Asia, and
Southeast Asia. In the
Middle East,
lamb is usually preferred over beef. Beef is
taboo for
Hindus and is discouraged among some
Buddhists.
Beef can be cut into
steaks,
pot roasts or short ribs, or it can be
ground. The
blood is also used in some varieties of
blood sausage. Other beef varieties include the
tongue, which is usually sliced for
sandwiches in
Western cooking;
tripe from the
stomach; various
glands—particularly the
pancreas and
thymus—referred to as
sweetbreads; the
heart, the
brain, the
liver, the
kidneys; and the tender
testicles of the bull popularly known as "calf fries", "prairie oysters", or "
Rocky Mountain oysters." Beef bones are essential for making certain varieties of
soup stock.
The better cuts are usually obtained from the
steer; the
heifer tends to be kept for
breeding. Older animals are used for beef when they are past their
reproductive prime. The meat from older cows and bulls is usually tougher, so it is frequently used for
mince (
UK)/
ground beef (
US).
Cattle raised for beef may be allowed to roam free on
grasslands, or may be confined at some stage in pens as part of a large feeding operation called a
feedlot, where they are usually fed
grain.
The
United States,
Brazil,
Japan and the
People's Republic of China are the world's four largest consumers of beef . The worlds largest exporters of beef are
Australia,
Brazil,
Argentina and
Canada . Beef production is also important to the
economies of
Uruguay,
Nicaragua,
Russia and
Mexico.
USDA Beef grades
In the United States, the
USDA operates a voluntary beef grading program. The meat processor pays for a trained USDA meat grader to grade whole carcasses at the
abattoir. The carcass grade is bean stamped on each primal cut (six stamps) and applied with roller stamp to each side as well. Traces of the USDA grading stamp are sometimes visible on boxed primal cuts.
The grades are based on two main criteria: the degree of marbling (
intramuscular fat) in the beef rib eye (at the 12th rib cross-section), and the age of the animal prior to
slaughter. Some meat scientists object to the current scheme of USDA grading since it does not take tenderness into account. Most other countries' beef grading systems mirror the US model. Most beef offered for sale in
supermarkets is graded ''choice'' or ''select''. Prime beef is sold to hotels and upscale restaurants. Beef that would rate as ''Standard'' or leaner is almost never offered for grading.
Prime — highest in intramuscular fat. Currently, only three percent of the steaks sold are USDA certified Prime.
Choice
Select — the leanest grade commonly sold
Standard
Commercial
Utility
Cutter
Canner
Traditionally, beef sold in steakhouses and supermarkets has been advertised by its USDA grading; however, many restaurants and retailers have recently begun advertising beef on the strength of
brand names and the reputation of a specific breed of cattle, such as
black angus [{{Cite news]
| title = Branded Beef Booming
| work = Denver Post
| accessdate = 2007-04-17
| date = 2003-06-17
| url = http://www.cattlefacts.com.au/ArticleEditor_Preview.asp?AID=610
}}[{{cite web]
|url=http://www.cookingforengineers.com/article.php?id=30&title=USDA+Beef+Quality+Grades
|title=USDA Beef Quality Grades
|author=Michael Chu
|publisher=Cooking for Engineers
|accessdate=2007-08-10}}
Cuts of beef
Beef is first divided into ''primal cuts''. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes progressively more tender as distance from "hoof and horn" increases. The closer to the middle back, the more tender the meat. There are different systems of naming for cuts in America, Britain and France.
See the
external links section below for links to more beef cut charts and diagrams.
American Primal cuts
The following is a list of the American primal cuts, ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes considered as one section.
Lower Half
Brisket — often associated with barbecue beef brisket.
Shank — used primarily for stews and soups, but is not usually served another way, due to it being the toughest of the cuts.
Plate — produces types of steak such as the skirt steak. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat.
Flank — Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil. One of the most affordable steaks on the market, it is substantially tougher than the loin and rib steaks, therefore many flank recipes use marinades or moist cooking methods such as braising.
British Primal cuts
Neck & Clod
Chuck & Blade
Rib
Sirloin
Rump
Silverside
Topside
Thick Rib
Thin Rib
Brisket
Shin
Flank
Thick Flank
Leg
Special beef designations
Buccleuch Scotch beef originates in a designated area on and around the estate of the Duke of Buccleuch in Scotland.
Certified Angus Beef is beef certified by the USDA to have come from Angus cattle or at least cattle containing 51% Black Coat and a Black Face, regardless of pure breed.
Certified Hereford Beef is beef certified to have come from Hereford cattle.
Grass fed beef has been raised primarily on forage rather than in a feedlot.
Kobe beef : Cattle of the Wagyu breed raised and fattened in the hills above Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. During the fattening period, the cattle is hand-fed (using high-energy feed, including beer and beer mash) and hand-massaged for tenderness and high fat content.
Halal beef has been certified to have been processed in a prescribed manner in accordance with Muslim dietary laws.
Kosher beef has been certified to have been processed in a prescribed manner in accordance with Jewish dietary laws.
Organic beef is produced without hormones, pesticides, or other chemicals though requirements for labeling something "organic" vary widely.
The recognises the following Protected Designation of Origin beef brands[{{cite web]
|url=http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/qual/en/1bbab_en.htm
|title=Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) / Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)
|publishet=European Commission — Agriculture and Rural Development
|accessdate=2007-08-10}}
::;Carne de
Ávila, Carne de
Cantabria, Carne de la
Sierra de Guadarrama, Carne de Morucha de
Salamanca, Carne de Vacuno del País o Euskal Okela
::; Taureau de
Camargue, Boeuf charolais du
Bourbonnais, Boeuf de Chalosse, Boeuf du
Maine
::;Carnalentejana ,Carne rouquesa, Carne Barrosã, Carne Cachena da Peneda, Carne da Charneca, Carne de Bovino Cruzado dos Lameiros do Barroso,Carne dos
Açores, Carne Marinhoa, Carne Maronesa, Carne Mertolenga, Carne Mirandesa
::;
Orkney Beef,
Scotch Beef,
Welsh Beef
Cooking beef
The method of cooking beef is largely determined by the cut of beef to be cooked. For example, tender (and generally more expensive) cuts of meat benefit from fast, high-heat cooking while tough cuts benefit from a slower and longer cooking method.[{{cite web]
|url=http://www.hormel.com/templates/knowledge/knowledge.asp?catitemid=20&id=364
|title=Beef Cooking Introduction
|publisher=Hormel Foods
|accessdate=2007-08-10}}
Dry heat cooking methods
Tender cuts of beef from the loin and rib are best cooked via dry cooking methods, such as grilling, broiling, roasting, and sautéing.
[Broiling Beef ] In the UK and Australia, broiling is known as "grilling".
Roasting: Roasting is a particularly British way of cooking meat which produces the iconic British dish - Roast beef. British roasting is very similar to American broiling, although the heating is from hot air and the meat is cooked all around. Little if any liquid is added. The liquid produced during cooking is decanted from the fat and usually made into a gravy to serve with the sliced beef.[roasting beef ]
Carpaccio: Raw beef from the finest cuts may be prepared with the option of searing the sides of the fillet for a few seconds before thinly slicing. This may be served with lemon slices, which when squeezed over the raw beef 'cooks' it.[Carpaccio ]
Stirfry: Mainly a Chinese way of cooking. Cooking oil with agents such as garlic, ginger and onions are added to the wok which are brought to high heat. Then slices of beef (or any other type of meat) which generally cooks longer are added in. Finally the side ingredients of mixed vegetables are added in to cook for a few minutes. This method of cooking emphasizes on the timing of cooking where the result would be both the meat and vegetables 'just cook'.[Stir-frying beef ]
Moist heat cooking methods
Tougher cuts of beef from the round, brisket, flank, plate, shank, and chuck are best cooked by moist heat cooking methods, such as braising, pot-roasting, and stewing. (Some of the tougher cuts may be prepared by dry heat methods given they are tenderized first with a
marinade).
[Stewing Beef ]
Braising: Braising involves cooking meats, covered, with small amounts of liquids (usually seasoned or flavored). Unlike stewing, meat cooked via braising is not fully immersed in liquid.
Cooking temperature
Beef is cooked (roughly) on the following scale, based on the internal temperature of the meat
[Hormel Foods- Beef Doneness ]:
|-
! Cooked
! Traditional Temp. (USA)
! Description
|-
! Very rare
| 115 – 125°F (46 – 52°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Blood-red meat, soft, very juicy
|-
! Rare
| 125 – 130°F (52 – 54°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Red center, gray surface, soft, juicy
|-
! Medium rare
| 130 – 140°F (54 – 60°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Pink center, gray-brown surface, often remains juicy
|-
! Medium
| 140 – 150°F (60 – 66°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Slightly pink center, becomes gray-brown towards surface
|-
! Medium well
| 150 – 160°F (66 – 71°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Mostly gray center, firm texture.
|-
! Well done
| >160°F (>71°C)
| style="text-align: left;" | Gray-brown throughout, tough texture.
|
Raw beef
Steak tartare is a
French dish made from finely chopped or ground raw meat (often beef). It is often served with onions, capers, seasonings like fresh ground pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and sometimes raw egg.
Kibbeh nayyeh is a similar
Middle-Eastern dish. And, in
Ethiopia, a ground raw meat dish called
Kitfo is eaten.
Mad cow disease
In
1984, intensive farming of beef resulted in the world's first outbreak of
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or, colloquially, mad cow disease) in the
United Kingdom[{{cite web]
|url=http://www.newscientist.com/channel/health/dn9926-timeline-bse-and-vcjd.html
|title=Timeline: BSE and vCJD
|publisher=NewScientist.com news service
|date=13 December, 2004
|accessdate=2007-08-10}}. Eating beef from cattle with BSE is thought to have caused the new variant of
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) in about 131 cases (2003 June data) in the United Kingdom and a few in
France. BSE is an illness that cattle can contract when they are fed infected animals (especially the brains and spines).
The perception of beef as potentially lethal damaged the UK beef industry. Attempts to wipe out BSE in the UK by a kill-and-burn campaign further damaged the beef industry.
Since then, other countries have had outbreaks of BSE:
In May 2003, due to a BSE scare (after a single cow with BSE was discovered in Alberta) the American border was closed to live Canadian cows in May 2003 and reopened in early 2005.http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?id=59810-canadian-beef-industry
Japan along with many other countries stopped importing United States beef and beef products, but since July 27, 2006 Japan has reopened itself to imports.