BEEF CUTS

Having spent a lot of time thumbing through numerous cookery books and being told by a customer who cut up rib for stew I felt it was time to explain the different cuts. So in a nutshell:

• rump and sirloin steaks; are tasty and tender steaks best char-grilled and kept simple
• fillet prized for its succulence and tenderness is not as flavoursome but can take a rich sauce – good for a special ocassion
• frying steak/top rump is great for the BBQ or stir fry
• rolled rib; a superb classic Sunday roast, and one I would serve medium to well done
• boxheater; another joint very like the rib
• topside; my favourite joint and one I like to serve pink as its very lean and tender. Its also the one I would cook to serve cold along with the silverside
• silverside; similar to topside but not quite as tender, super as a pot roast, and the best for dehydrating to make biltong
• rolled brisket; the very best for a pot roast or a rich casserole if cubed as it is so well marbled and flavoursome, it does requires 3 hours cooking time
• braising steak; delicious kept whole and braised with less liquid than a casserole to give a lovely tender steak in its own sauce
• chuck; fantastic for casseroles and only requires 1 1/2 – 2 hours cooking time
• shin; the best I think for a traditional slow cook casserole taking a good 3 hours to melt all the connective tissue that creates a lovely rich gravy and meat that falls apart
• skirt; a juicy flavoursome cut, traditionally used in pasties and the only cut I use to make beef pasty pie in our household, though chuck is used too
• Mince beef; ours is a totally different thing to anything bought it is tender, tasty and not fatty, I use it for burgers, meatballs and bolognese

Recipes for these different cuts will follow but check out the ones already on my blog