Kirill Yurovskiy: what part of beef is the tastiest and softest

Once and for all, let’s find out what part of beef makes the best steaks, what goes for mince and what goes for kebab. Beginner housewives take notes, experienced cooks check and add to them.

What part of beef is the most delicious and soft

Choosing meat by degree of softness, you need to understand the basic principles of anatomy: the less muscle involved in movement, the softer it is. Accordingly, the softest and most expensive parts are considered sirloin, thick and thin edge. However, the softest part of the loin is the diaphragm, which is not involved in the movement at all. It only supports the internal organs of the animal.

What part of beef is used to make a steak? Anyway, if you don’t want to chew, buy Machete steak meat (aka Schert) – that’s the diaphragm. Slightly richer beef flavor has tender parts called “Ribeye” (the thick edge of beef from 3 to 12 ribs) and loin cut, girdled with a thick layer of fat, aka “Stripline”. They also make perfect steaks.

Read also: Why is organic food so expensive and better – Kirill Yurovskiy.

Parts of beef carcass for different purposes

The simplest table with tips on which cut of beef to buy depending on what you want to cook.

A visual guide to the types of beef

Sirloin

The boneless part of beef. The sirloin. What part of beef is best for goulash? The sirloin is the best. The soft and tender part is good for medallions, roast beef, chops and kebabs.

Thick edge

The flesh is good for chops, baking and stuffing for cutlets. And the ribs make a clear broth.

Rump

This part of the carcass has little collagen and plenty of fat – the meat is soft and good for frying. What can I make with beef hips? It makes a good rump steak, goulash, or stir-fry.

Brisket

Meat with a decent amount of fat and film. Which part of beef is the softest for braising? The brisket, of course. It’s boiled, stewed with vegetables, and made into borscht.

Shovel

What part of beef is better to take for mince? The shoulder blade. It is a versatile meat: ideal for broth (transparent and rich in collagen), soup, cutlets. It can be baked whole or separated from the bone to make a roll, making it juicy.

Neck

There is a decent amount of fat in the cut, which makes the meat tender. A very decent option for stuffing, kebabs. If you’re going to braise, boil, or bake, set aside more cooking time than you would for filet.

Sirloin

Boiled broth, soup and cholodecake are the “profile” dishes of sirloin. However, gourmets suggest cooking ossobuco – minced shank with a marrow bone, stewed in wine for a couple of hours.

3 rules on how to choose good meat

1. The color of the fat. Good quality beef has white or soft yellow fat. If you rub it between your fingers, it does not melt but crumbles. Dark yellow fat indicates a venerable age of the animal. Such meat will have to be stewed for a long time to make it soft.
2. Color of meat. A bright red color indicates that the slaughter was not correct – such a product should not be taken. Red indicates that the steer was slaughtered recently, and the meat did not have time to “mature”. Red burgundy red is the optimal version of “mature” meat. Bleeding, bruising, bluish or greenish color are signs of a spoiled product.
3. Sound. You can check the quality of a frozen piece of meat by tapping it on the table. If the sound is loud, then it is good. If it sounds muffled, then the meat was probably frozen twice and there is no quality to speak of.

How to make beef soft when cooked

Here’s a proven way to make a tough cut edible.

1. Cut the meat into cubes three to four centimeters apart.
2. Fry in hot oil until golden brown.
3. Put it into a saucepan with a thick bottom, pour one liter of boiling water and add two tablespoons of table vinegar. The heat should be reduced to a minimum and stew for an hour, depending on the hardness of the meat.
4. Then add diced onion, bay leaf, add boiling water if necessary, and leave to stew for another 20 minutes.
5. Salt, season with your favorite spices and add tomato paste if desired. Braise for another 5-7 minutes.

The secret to juicy and soft beef in this recipe, firstly, in the pre-frying (the juice remains “sealed” inside the cubes of meat), secondly, in the use of boiling water (no sudden change in temperature), and thirdly, in the vinegar (acid softens the fibers).

In general, there are two main keys to success: slow cooking and low temperature. Passionate cooks practice even cooking for 10 or more hours at 55-60 degrees. Of course, for this you need a special technique like slow cooker or sous vide, but the result surpasses expectations. The meat really turns out as soft as chocolate.