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What’s Your Beef About?!

Buying, Prepping, and Storing

Beef normally has a purple-red color, but when exposed to oxygen it takes on a cherry-red hue known as the “bloom.” While the exterior is bright red, the interior of the meat retains the darker color. Look for steak that is firm and has a clear, red color.

Store beef at coldest refrigerator temperature, and ideally, away from the fridge door, making sure the meat is tightly packaged and drip-free. If you do not plan to prepare beef within 2 to 4 days, place it in the freezer in either its original packaging, or wrapped in aluminum foil, freezer paper, or heavier-weight freezer wrap for long-term freezing. To thaw, store overnight in the fridge.

Always buy and prepare or freeze by “sell-by” date.

 

BLAST FROM OUR PAST TIPS:

Excerpts reproduced from the Gibson Refrigerator Company’s cookbook, Cooking the modern way (1948):

 

The Choicest Cuts

If you want a particularly nice piece of meat, you are assured of getting the best by asking for one of the following:

A-1.  Sirloin steak.                  A-2.  Pin-bone sirloin.

A-3.  Porterhouse.                    A-4.  T-bone.

A-5.  Club steak.

A-6.  Rib roast, standing or rolled.

Sirloin and Porterhouse and Club give you the choicest steaks for broiling and pan-broiling.  Rib roast supplies the very nicest beef roast for company or Sunday dinner.

 

Cuts That Are Kind to the Budget

1. (a)  Round Steak   (b)  Heel of Round

2. Rump Pot Roast

3. Chuck Pot Roast (a) Blade cut from rib side  (b) Arm cut from bottom

4. Shanks – Fore and Hind

5. Brisket (a) Fresh (b) Corned

6. Plate – may be divided (a)Upper part for short rib (b) Lower plate boned and rolled for pot roast

7. Flank

 

How to Use Beef Cuts

1. (a)  Use round steak cut 1 ½ to 2 inches thick for Swiss steak.  Have round steak cut ½ inch thick, pound flour and seasoning into it and pan fry. (b)  Heel of round.  Excellent pot roast.  Use your Gibson Kookall Kettle to roast it, or you may have it ground for meatloaf and patties.

2. Rump Pot Roast, standing or rolled, makes a delicious, flavorful roast.  Cook it in your Gibson Kookall Kettle or roast uncovered in the oven at 325 ° F.

3. Blade and Arm Chuck roasts are both inexpensive and delicious roasted in your Kookall Kettle.

4. (a)  and  (b)  Fore Shanks: The first cut from the fore shanks gives you your least expensive pot roast and a very tasty one too, prepared the Gibson way. Have the fore shank cut up for stew or ground for meat loaf.  (c)  Hind Shank: The hind shank is best used for stew or soup.

5. Brisket: (a) The thick end of the fresh brisket is an inexpensive pot roast.  Fresh brisket is used for broiling beef and soup stock. (b) Corned brisket is the cut you use for your corned beef and cabbage dinner.

6. Plate: (a) Short Rib: Brown these in your Gibson Kookall Kettle, add vegetables and cook on SIMMER until tender, and serve with noodles.  You get delicious gravy from the short rib. (b) Boned and rolled for inexpensive pot roast.  It will get so tender in your Gibson Kookall Kettle you can cut it with a fork.  It has a grand flavor, too, and saves you many a  penny.

7. Flank: This is the cut to spread with dressing, roll and roast in your Kookall Kettle or roast covered with an oven meal.  It may also be cup up for stew or ground for meat loaf or patties.   (Gibson Refrigerator Company, 1948, pp 14-15).

 

For those of us who do not have a Gibson Kookall Kettle, we can prepare using the following methods:

Grilling

-Prepare gas grill according to manufacturer’s directions for medium heat.

-Remove beef from refrigerator and pre-apply dry rubs and seasonings by hand or by sprinkling product on steaks.

-Marinate tender grill steaks in refrigerator for up to 2 hours prior to grilling to maximize flavor. Marinate less tender pan steaks in tenderizing marinade in fridge for at least 6 hours, but no more than 24 hours before grilling. (Apply barbeque sauces in the last 2-5 minutes of grilling.)

-Place steaks on cooking grid.

-Grilling time varies depending on thickness of cut. After cooking, season beef with salt, if desired. Remove from grill at 145 degrees F (medium rare) to 160 degrees F (medium).

STEAK GRILLING GUIDE:

For a Medium Rare to Medium Done Steak

Beef Cut:

Thickness:

Grill Time:

Ribeye Steak (Bone-In)

¾ – inch

7 – 10 min

1  – inch

10 – 15 min

Ribeye Steak (Boneless)

¾  – inch

7 – 9 min

1  – inch

9 – 14 min

Porterhouse/T-bone Steak

¾ – inch

             9 – 13 min

1  – inch

15 – 19 min

Strip Steak (Boneless)

¾  – inch

7 – 10 min

1  – inch

            11 – 15 min

Tenderloin Steak

¾ – inch

11 – 15 min

1  – inch

16 – 20 min

Top Sirloin Steak

¾  – inch

8 – 13 min

1  – inch

13 – 16 min

Top Round Steak

¾ – inch

10 – 11 min

 

1  – inch

16 – 20 min

Chuck Steak

¾  – inch

8 – 11 min

 

1  – inch

12 – 17 min

  Roasting Tips

 -Request the more tender roast cut closer to the loin.

-Ask the butcher to trim and tie the roast. The process insures juicier beef and an attractive presentation.

-Be generous with seasoning ribs; this substantial roast absorbs lots of flavor.

-Sink an Instant-read thermometer into the cut’s center, avoiding the bones, to judge doneness. Cook the roast to no more than 145°F (medium), or the meat will be overdone.

-The finished roast should stand at least 20 minutes so that the juices stay in the roast. Afterwards, cut away the rib bones first. Serve inch-thick slices with pan sauce, or choose a gravy from our pan sauce or gravy.

Slow-Cooking

-Coat beef lightly with seasoned flour, if desired. Slowly brown beef, in batches, on all sides in small amount of oil in heavy pan over medium heat or your crock pot on high.  Pour off drippings.

-Cover beef with liquid (such as broth, water, juice, beer, wine). Add herbs or seasonings, as desired. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low.

-Cover tightly and simmer gently over low heat on top of the range until beef is tender.

Stir-Frying

-Cut beef into thin, uniform strips or pieces so they cook in the same amount of time. For easier slicing, partially freeze beef (about 30 minutes). Marinate beef to add flavor or tenderize, if desired, while preparing other ingredients.

-Recommended cuts include Top Sirloin, Top Round, Round Tip, and Flank Steaks.

-Heat small amount of oil in wok or large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot.

-Stir-fry beef in half-pound batches (do not overcrowd), continuously turning with a scooping motion, until outside of beef is no longer pink. Add additional oil for each batch, if necessary.

Ground Beef

Buying, Prepping, and Storing: Look for beef with a bright red color and choose a package that is not torn and feels cold. Separate raw meat from ready-to-eat items in your shopping cart, and try to add it last. Refrigerate or freeze ground beef as soon as possible after purchase — this will preserve freshness and slow the growth of bacteria. If refrigerated, keep at 40° F or below and use within two days of purchase, or freeze for up to four months.

Buying: The numbers on the package of ground meat that are depicted as fractions indicates the percentage of lean meat to fat.  The following is an easy way to translate:

Ground Meat Leanness Break Down

TYPE OF GROUND MEAT

(LEAN MEAT/FAT)

USES:

75/25 Burgers, Chili, Tacos, Spaghetti Sauce
85/15 & Ground Round Burgers, Casseroles, Spaghetti Sauce
80/20 & Ground Chuck Burgers, Salisbury Steak, Meatballs, Meatloaf
90/10 & Ground Sirloin Chili, Lasagna, Sloppy Joes
96/4 Tacos, Beef Stroganoff, Casseroles

 

Cooking Tips

-Freezing turns the natural juice in beef into ice crystals, so never cook frozen beef, as the juicy flavor will be quickly drained off.

-Instead, allow frozen ground beef to thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator to prevent the growth of bacteria. Then cook it thoroughly to a minimum temperature of 160º F. Use a food thermometer to verify the temperature.

Check out recipes on the Retro Remix page for more ideas and tips!