Choosing and Preparing a Perfect Steak
Captain’s Log:
I’ve been sitting in the butcher’s meat case for a couple of days now. It’s cold and hard to
breathe behind this plastic wrap. The cold does keep the bacteria away, though. Every now and
again someone’s head will appear in the little glass window and he’ll look over me and the other
steaks. A man just came in and pointed out my steak. I heard Butch tell him that I’m USDA Prime
filet mignon. He says that’s the best grade of beef. I can’t believe I’m in such a good cut and
grade! Butch took my steak out of the meat case and put us in a bag with some other cuts of
meat. The man paid (my little steak cost $9 US by itself!) and took us out of the shop. I couldn’t
see much because we were in a big paper grocery bag. Every once in a while, I could see
something out of the top. First I saw the roof of a car, then a blue sky, and then the ceiling of a
house. The man (his name was Sam) took us out of the bag and put us into another refrigerator.
It was very dark and cold inside. I had just started to thaw out from that meat case, and then he
put me into another refrigerator! Every time someone would open the door, a bright light would
come on. It was very blinding and took a while to get used to. Then, Sam opened the door one
more time and took my steak out. He took me out of the plastic wrap, and I could finally breathe
again. He shook salt and pepper on us, and I almost sneezed. Then he put my steak into a big
cast-iron skillet. It was incredibly hot because there was already some hot butter in it. My steak
got a nice tan and lost all of that bright pink color it had. Sam said we were well-done. Then, he
put my steak on a plate and poured some hot sauce all over it. I tried the sauce and it tasted like
mushrooms. Sam then put some more food on the plate and put it on the table. He sat down in
front of us and picked up a big steak knife. I feel like I’m back at the butcher shop. I sure hope he
doesn’t cut me!
Selecting a Cut of Beef:
High-quality fresh beef has the following characteristics: good texture, sufficient
marbling, desirable color, and lack of excess juices. The more firm and fine the texture of the
meat, the higher quality it is. A good amount of marbling also indicates high-grade meat because
it adds juiciness and flavor. Beef is best in flavor and texture when cattle is between 18 and 24
months old. At this age, beef will have a rosy red color. (The characteristic pink or red color of
meat is due to myoglobin, a protein that contains iron. The amount of myoglobin varies with the
age and species of the cattle.)
In order to make it easier for consumers to select quality meat and be assured that they
are getting their money’s worth, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has
developed standards to grade beef. USDA experts grade all meat before it is shipped from
packing plants. They stamp the grade on the meat with a harmless vegetable dye and use a
roller stamp so the grade will appear on all the principal cuts sold in stores. Fresh beef is graded
according to the following characteristics: conformation, finish, and overall quality. USDA grades
take the guesswork out of buying quality beef. There are seven USDA grades of fresh beef:
Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Utility, Cutter, and Canner. The standards for each grade are
as follows:
- USDA Prime: Beef of this grade is highly acceptable and palatable. The cattle that
produces this grade of meat is young and has had careful, intensive feeding. Prime grade
cuts have liberal marbling and are, therefore, juicy, tender, and full of flavor. Loin steaks of
this grade are exceptionally tender. (Captain Carbon’s filet mignon steak is of the Prime
grade.)
- USDA Choice: Because this grade is high-quality and has less fat than Prime beef, it is the
most popular among consumers. Choice beef is, therefore, the most highly produced grade
and the most abundantly available. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib are tender
and juicy. Cuts from the round or chuck are more suitable for braising and pot roasting.
Choice cuts should be tender with a well-developed flavor.
- USDA Select: Beef of the Select grade has little fat and a high degree of quality. Cuts of this
grade lack the juiciness of higher grade meat with more marbling. Many people prefer Select
beef, however, because of its tenderness and high proportion of lean to fat.
- USDA Standard: Standard grade beef is lean and of an acceptable degree of quality. It has a
lesser degree of tenderness and flavor than the top three grades. It is a good choice for
thrifty consumers.
- USDA Commercial: This grade of beef lacks the tenderness of higher grades because it is
produced from older animals. Most Commercial cuts require long, slow cooking to make
them tender and to develop the rich flavor of mature beef. Some young animals also produce
Commercial grade beef. Cuts from such cattle have almost no marbling.
- USDA Utility: Utility grade beef is produced from older cattle. It, therefore, lacks natural
tenderness and juiciness. Utility cuts carry very little fat. They are good for pot roasting,
stewing, boiling, and ground meat dishes. Long, slow cooking is essential.
- USDA Cutter and USDA Canner: The lowest USDA grades of meat are used in processed
meat products. They are not sold as cuts in stores.
Preparing a Steak:
After choosing the desired cut and grade of beef, the consumer brings it home. If the
meat will be cooked within six hours of purchase, it may be left in the package it came in. The
object of safe meat storage is to let air circulate and keep the meat’s surface somewhat dry,
inhibiting the growth of bacteria. If the meat will not be cooked until more than six hours later, it
should be unwrapped from the Styrofoam and plastic wrap and stored wrapped loosely in wax
paper in the coldest part of the refrigerator. It can be stored for up to three days. It can also be
wrapped airtight and frozen for up to six months. To defrost a cut of beef, it should be placed in
the refrigerator or allowed to stand at room temperature just until defrosted.
Cooking a Steak:
Beef can be cooked in many ways, depending on the tenderness, size and thickness of
the cut. There are two basic types of heat -- dry (without liquid) and moist (with steam or liquid).
Dry heat is used to cook more tender cuts while moist heat helps tenderize tougher cuts.
Methods of cooking with dry heat include roasting, broiling, pan-broiling, sautéing (pan-frying),
and rotisserie cooking. Moist heat cooking methods include: braising, stewing, soup-making, and
pressure cooking. Because the filet mignon (in which Captain Carbon is located) is one of the
most tender cuts in the carcass, it is cooked using dry heat. It is usually cooked quickly by
broiling, grilling, or sautéing. A slice of bacon is often wrapped around the edge of a filet mignon
steak to give it flavor.
The length of time that a steak is cooked affects how done it is when served. Steaks can
be cooked to three basic degrees: rare, medium, and well done. Beef that is cooked so that the
middle is still quite pink is called rare. It has the most flavor and juiciness, but is not entirely safe
because it has not been cooked long enough to kill all bacteria. Medium beef is still a bit red in
the middle but is cooked more fully than rare steak. It has flavor and tenderness and is safe to
eat. Well-done steak is thoroughly cooked with no pink color left. It has less flavor and
tenderness than rare and medium steak, but is the safest to eat.
*For Filet Mignon Recipes, Check Out the Epicurious Recipe File*
