Can London Broil Be Substituted for Chuck Roast?

Kosher Meat Guide: Cuts & Cooking Methods

This post has been a long time in coming. And not just because writing it has taken me some time. But because it’s taken me a while to learn it. Like a lot of home cooks, I had no idea how to prepare meat. I had no idea about the various cuts of meat or how to cook them. After reading a lot and taking a practical butchery course at The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts, I think I finally understand how to prepare and handle kosher meat.

First things first: The various cuts of meat you purchase at the butcher come from a steer. Where does the meat that we eat actually come from? Nine sections, or PRIMAL CUTS, are cut from the steer; five of these are used in the United States for kosher consumption. S. (To make the hindquarters kosher, a procedure known as nikkur must be performed, which is only performed in some nations/communities by a menakker with specialized training.) As you see at the supermarket, the chuck, rib, brisket, shank, and plate are cut into subprimals or manufactured cuts.

The most crucial thing to comprehend about the beef we eat is its origin. Meat is made up of muscle and connective tissue. The amount of connective tissue in muscle increases with use, making the meat tougher. One of the most used parts of the animal is the chuck, or the steer’s shoulder, which produces a tough cut of meat.

Why is it important where our meat comes from? Because we will know what kind of cooking method to use once we determine the type of meat (tough or tender). To break down the muscle fibers and connective tissues in tough cuts of meat, they need to be cooked in moisture. Dry heat cooking techniques are necessary for tender cuts to firm up the meat without drying it out.

Let’s now discuss fake cuts and how they are evaluated.

Regretfully, it can be challenging for kosher consumers to understand what they’re actually getting at butcher shops. Kosher butchers, like all butchers, often give their cuts whatever names they choose. Having said that, these are the most common artificial cuts you can find:

CHUCK:

Chuck roast is typically offered with the top portion, known as the Square Roast, and the bottom portion, known as the French or Brick Roast, tied in a net. Due to its extreme toughness, the chuck portion is frequently cubed and offered for sale as stew meat. Another difficult cut from the shoulder section is kolichol, which works well for pot roast recipes or in the cholent. Shoulder London Broil requires moist heat cooking to tenderize the meat, in contrast to chuck roasts.

Mince steak roast is one of the most well-liked and delicate shoulder cuts. It is most likely identifiable by the thick strip of gristle that runs through the middle. The cuts that are produced when the roast is cut horizontally above and below the gristle are frequently referred to as filet splits, and they are excellent for quick cooking in stir fries or other recipes that call for quick grilling (like flat iron steak or london broil).

Note regarding London Broil: This is a method of preparing meat that involves marinating steak, broiling or grilling it, and then slicing it thinly across the grain. For this, butchers use varying cuts of meat, some more tender than others. Ask your butcher if you want to know where the London Broil is cut from.

RIB:

Because the muscles in the ribcage are not overworked, they are the most tender cut of kosher meat. It is recommended to always cook ribs over dry heat. The rib section consists of mock filet mignon (which uses the center EYE of the rib), club steaks, rib steaks, and ribeye steaks. Another excellent cut is called Surprise steak; it’s a tender, flavorful flap that covers the prime rib. The “Top of the Rib,” also known as the “Deckle” by some butchers, is the steak that surprises people. This is the lone instance where the rib section rule is broken. Cooking with moist heat is beneficial for the tougher cuts on the top of the rib.

In addition to the rib primal, the chuck primal—which consists of the first five ribs of the ribcage—also contains ribs. That is where flanken and short ribs comes from. Meat strips make up short ribs. Short ribs that have been cut in half lengthwise are known as spare ribs. Both short ribs and flanken benefit from moist heat cooking.

PLATE:

The plate has the flavorful skirt and hanger steaks underneath the prime rib. Both benefit from rapid grilling and have a high salt content.

BRISKET:

The steer’s breast, or brisket, is a very tough cut. A whole brisket can weigh as much as 15 lbs. Brisket is often sold as 1st and 2nd cut. First cut brisket is flat and lean. Compared to the second cut, which is smaller but fatter, it has far less flavor. In general, fattier meat will always yield a tastier product. Because fat adds flavor, whenever possible, choose a well-marbled cut rather than one that is leaner. The meat can always be refrigerated, and the congealed fat can be removed later.

Brisket’s first cut usually cuts well, and its second cut usually shreds, which makes it ideal for pulled beef. Corned beef & pastrami are popularly made from brisket. Corned beef is pickled while pastrami is smoked.

The foreshank is very flavorful and high in collagen. It includes the shin and marrow bones. Foreshanks are great for making stocks because as they cook over moist heat, collagen transforms into gelatin.

Other edible portions of the steer exist in addition to the primal cuts, such as the neck (which is primarily used ground up because of its connective tissues), cheek (excellent for braising), sweetbreads (thymus gland), liver, tongue, and oxtails (which are difficult to find kosher because of the difficulties in removing the sciatic nerve).

Although any portion of the animal can be used to make ground beef, lean cuts and trimmings are typically used. Tenderizing meat through grinding results in the use of the toughest cuts. Remember that the leaner the meat, the drier your finished product will be when buying ground beef. 80% lean to 20% fat is a good ratio.

OTHER CUTS NOT MENTIONED

There are many other cuts that are available that are not listed here because each butcher has different leftover meat scraps and pieces that they label according to convenience. At one butcher, pepper steak may come from the chuck, while at another, it may come from the deckle. Ask your butcher for a specific cut of meat or inquire about the origins of prepackaged meat if you want to use your meat for a particular purpose and don’t want to have to braise it for a long time to tenderize it.

The USDA grades all meat to guarantee that it is suitable for human consumption. Grading offers a method by which distributors (as well as consumers) can assess variations in meat quality. Based on the meat’s age, color, texture, and level of marbling, grades are used to assess the meat’s tenderness and flavor. USDA Grades include: Prime, Choice, Select and Standard. You’ve probably heard of USDA Prime Grade meats. They are often used in fine restaurants. In food service operations, USDA Choice is the grade that is most frequently utilized.

COOKING METHODS:

As previously stated, once you determine whether your meat is tough or tender (based on the movement of your muscles), Cooking tough meat slowly over moist heat helps break down the connective tissue and tenderize it. Dry heat cooking is necessary for tender meat in order to firm up the proteins without rupturing the connective tissue.

Dry heat cooking can include broiling, grilling, roasted or sauteing/pan-frying. High cooking temperatures are necessary to caramelize the surface of meat. To determine doneness, check the temperature with a meat thermometer. With practice, you’ll be able to “feel” when the meat is done by testing its resistance to a finger poke.

Thermometer readings:

125-130 medium rare (bright red center), 130-140 medium (pink center), 140-150 medium well (very little pink), 155-165 well done (all brown), 160 very rare (sometimes referred to as “blue” meat).

Simmering is a technique used for corned beef and tongue, and braising and stewing are two combinations of moist heat cooking techniques.

Combination cooking techniques combine moist and dry heat to produce a tender outcome. After browning, meats are cooked in a small amount of liquid. Because the acid in wine and/or tomatoes helps to break down and tenderize the meat, they are frequently used. Over direct heat, the meat and liquid are brought to a boil, the temperature is lowered, and the pot is covered. You can finish cooking on the stovetop or in the oven. The oven emits a soft, uniform heat that doesn’t burn. When braising or stewing, the meat should be fork tender but not falling apart to indicate doneness.

Stewing uses tiny pieces of meat, whereas braising uses a single, large portion of meat. These are the main distinctions between the two methods. Additionally, while stewing calls for the meat to be fully submerged in the liquid, braising only needs the liquid to cover 1/3–1/2 of the meat.

RESTING & CUTTING MEAT

It’s crucial to always give meat 10 to 20 minutes to rest after cooking before slicing. Cutting into the meat too soon will result in all of the juices running out of the meat; resting allows the juices to redistribute themselves.

When cooking meat, another thing to consider is CARRYOVER COOKING. The internal temperature of the meat keeps rising even after it has finished cooking and has been taken off the heat. Therefore, when using dry heat cooking methods, remember to account for carryover cooking. When you pull meat off the grill at 150 degrees in the direction of medium doneness, it will continue to cook until it reaches about 155 degrees, or medium well doneness.

Just as previously stated, meat is a collection of muscle fibers that unite to form muscles. The goal of cutting meat against the grain, or perpendicular to the muscle fibers, is to shorten the fibers and increase their tenderness. Chopping meat in a direction perpendicular to the muscle fibers yields chewy, stringy pieces.

Chanie Apfelbaum

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