Post by BBQ Butcher on Mar 30, 2008 7:48:16 GMT -5
"I know what beef cheek meat is - where it comes from - I'm not freaked out or queasy. Heck, I grew up eating brains and scrambled eggs! I'm just curious as to how to use it - or rather - how to cook it? Does it need to be slow braised, or what??? Thanks, Mike"
WOW, I haven't heard of any one asking about cheek meat in years!!! We used to use it in hamburger and sausage, but in the past few years it has become a popular dish, especially with the influx of immigrants.
To answer your question.....the cheek is very tough and fibrous, so therefore it needs a long slow cook, preferably with a liquid. So yes, braising would be the best way to go. Like the Brisket and the Pork Shoulder, the cheek has collagen that hold the muscles together and this collagen must be melted before the meat will be tender. Thus, the long slow cooking. Chili or a nice stew comes to mind, for starters. Shredded Barbecue Beef sandwiches sounds like a tasty experiment, too.
"When I make stew, I like a little better meat than just regular stew meat. Is London Broil OK? It's going to be on sale at the grocers tomorrow. Rick"
Rick, London Broil is fine. So are Sirloin Tip, Eye Round, Bottom Round and Beef Shoulder. All are leaner than the regular Chuck Stew meat that you normally find in the meat case.
Here is a Taco Soup recipe you might like.
* 2 pounds lean stew beef, cut into small pieces
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
* 1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
* 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1. In a large Dutch oven, brown the beef and chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any fat.
2. Add chilies, salt and pepper, beans, water, seasoning mixes, hominy, and stewed tomatoes to the beef and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Top with shredded cheese, and serve with chips.
"Ask-A-Butcher, Last week on America's Test Kitchen they grilled a Bottom-Sirloin Flap Steak. I looked this cut up and saw that it's different from a Tri-Tip, and I presume it's not a Hanger Steak (which I have had/fixed). I have never seen a Flap Steak, but I can probably find one (Certified Angus Beef) if it's worth the trouble. Have you grilled the Bottom-Sirloin Flap, and is it a better or worse quality cut than a Tri-Tip? My experiences with the (CAB) Hanger and Flatiron were disappointing, but I'm willing to try something new. Please advise."
George, I had a customer who ordered Flap meat about once a month. I cut it into 1½" chunks for him to use kabobs. I always had to order a bag especially for him and I had intended to "steal" one and try it....I never did. He swore the flavor was great, which I'm sure it is, as its siblings, the Tri-Tip and Ball Tip, are loaded with beefy taste. The Flap reminded me of a 6" hunk of thick Skirt Steak.....lots of outside membrane to remove. I suppose a quick grilling and slicing against the grain might produce a palatable piece of meat. Marinating in a soy sauce based marinade, tenderizing, or pounding, probably wouldn't hurt anything either. If you try it please let me know how you made out. Our Costco carries these now and I intend to try them soon. Thanks for the suggestion.
"Ask-A-Butcher, what type of meat do you ask a butcher for when you want to smoke brisket or pulled pork? Thanks"
Don, a few choices here. Ask for a USDA Choice, or higher, whole (will be cheaper) untrimmed Beef Brisket. This is sometimes called a 'packer trim' Brisket. This will weigh 10-14 lbs, normally. If you do not want that much, just ask for a piece of 'flat cut' Brisket, preferably untrimmed. You want to leave the fat on during smoking and trim, if desired, just before serving
As far as the pulled pork goes, you have a couple more choices, again. The number one cut is called Pork Shoulder "Boston Butt" and is around 8 lbs whole untrimmed. You can buy these, two to a pack, at Sam's Club or Costco at a reasonable price. The next best cut is the Pork Shoulder "Picnic". The Picnic has more bone and fat then the Butt, however the meat is still from the shoulder and makes excellent pulled pork.
"Steve, can you tell me about Chuck Roll? I had heard that it was good for pulled beef sandwiches, and I wanted to give it a shot on my grill. What part of the beef is it, and does it contain other cuts that might be more familiar? Since I've never seen them in the case, I figured they were made into more popular roasts or something. I'm guessing that a good brisket rub would be a good place to start and then low and slow it like a Brisket? I'm guessing there's some amount of fat if you can eventually pull it. Is there a fat cap?"
Randy, the "Chuck Roll" is the boneless blade half of the Primal cut known as "Chuck" (the other half being the "Arm"). It consists of blade roasts and steaks, the chuck tender (or mock tenderloin), chuck eye meat (the continuation of the rib eye), cross cut roasts and steaks (the bone-in version is called the 7-bone) and neck meat. The Chuck Roll has a lot of connective tissue (collagen) that just likes to melt when cooked properly, think low and slow here, and does not have a fat cap (the arm portion, shoulder, has the outside fat covering). The Chuck Roll is excellent for pulled beef, by the way, and that is what I use for making beef bbq for a crowd. I usually just use plenty of salt, pepper and garlic......maybe some chili powder and Turbinado sugar, if I'm feeling adventurous.
"Help!!! My husband just came home from the grocery store with over thirty pounds of chicken thighs and drumsticks. What do I do with all that chicken? Thanks for any suggestions, Sharon."
Sharon, it sounds like your husband ran into a deal that was too good to pass up. There are several options available to you with all this chicken......one, freeze it...two, cook it....and three, give it away. I suggest you do a combination of option one and two.
If you are going to freeze it, make sure you break the amounts down to serving sizes for your family. Thighs are great on the grill or in the oven. I prefer the Drumsticks to be made into a stew or a chile.
I like to cook a lot Thighs at one time and then freeze the cooked meat into half or one pound packages to be used for Chicken Salad, chicken sandwiches, BBQ'ed Chicken or to be used in casseroles. Following is a recipe for chile that I make quite often, especially this time of year.
White Chili
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
3 slices uncooked turkey bacon, diced
½ lb pork breakfast sausage
1 lb ground chicken
½-1 lb cooked/bbq'ed chicken, either chunked or shredded
2-15.5 oz cans of Great Northern Beans, drained
1-15 oz can seasoned Pinto Beans, NOT drained
2 cups chicken broth, divided into 1 cup portions
¼ cup white flour
Various chili seasonings and sauces (a couple good dashes each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, Mexican oregano and hot sauce)
Place the first six ingredients into a large pot or Dutch Oven; add the seasonings (except for the oregano and the hot sauce); cook over medium heat until ground chicken and sausage are no longer pink. Drain; now add the cooked chicken, the three cans of beans and one cup of the chicken broth. Bring to a slow simmer and taste; adjust seasonings, if needed, and add a few good pinches of the oregano and a few drops of the hot sauce; stir well and simmer for about 15 minutes. Whisk the flour into the remaining chicken stock, mixing well; lower heat to low; add mixture to the chili, stirring well. Cook on low for a couple more hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add more chicken broth, if needed. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or shredded Jack cheese over the top. Enjoy.
WOW, I haven't heard of any one asking about cheek meat in years!!! We used to use it in hamburger and sausage, but in the past few years it has become a popular dish, especially with the influx of immigrants.
To answer your question.....the cheek is very tough and fibrous, so therefore it needs a long slow cook, preferably with a liquid. So yes, braising would be the best way to go. Like the Brisket and the Pork Shoulder, the cheek has collagen that hold the muscles together and this collagen must be melted before the meat will be tender. Thus, the long slow cooking. Chili or a nice stew comes to mind, for starters. Shredded Barbecue Beef sandwiches sounds like a tasty experiment, too.
"When I make stew, I like a little better meat than just regular stew meat. Is London Broil OK? It's going to be on sale at the grocers tomorrow. Rick"
Rick, London Broil is fine. So are Sirloin Tip, Eye Round, Bottom Round and Beef Shoulder. All are leaner than the regular Chuck Stew meat that you normally find in the meat case.
Here is a Taco Soup recipe you might like.
* 2 pounds lean stew beef, cut into small pieces
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained
* 1 (15 ounce) can lima beans, drained
* 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
* 1 1/2 cups water
* 1 (1 ounce) package ranch dressing mix
* 1 (15 ounce) can white hominy, drained
* 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes
* 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1. In a large Dutch oven, brown the beef and chopped onion over medium heat. Drain off any fat.
2. Add chilies, salt and pepper, beans, water, seasoning mixes, hominy, and stewed tomatoes to the beef and onion. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Top with shredded cheese, and serve with chips.
"Ask-A-Butcher, Last week on America's Test Kitchen they grilled a Bottom-Sirloin Flap Steak. I looked this cut up and saw that it's different from a Tri-Tip, and I presume it's not a Hanger Steak (which I have had/fixed). I have never seen a Flap Steak, but I can probably find one (Certified Angus Beef) if it's worth the trouble. Have you grilled the Bottom-Sirloin Flap, and is it a better or worse quality cut than a Tri-Tip? My experiences with the (CAB) Hanger and Flatiron were disappointing, but I'm willing to try something new. Please advise."
George, I had a customer who ordered Flap meat about once a month. I cut it into 1½" chunks for him to use kabobs. I always had to order a bag especially for him and I had intended to "steal" one and try it....I never did. He swore the flavor was great, which I'm sure it is, as its siblings, the Tri-Tip and Ball Tip, are loaded with beefy taste. The Flap reminded me of a 6" hunk of thick Skirt Steak.....lots of outside membrane to remove. I suppose a quick grilling and slicing against the grain might produce a palatable piece of meat. Marinating in a soy sauce based marinade, tenderizing, or pounding, probably wouldn't hurt anything either. If you try it please let me know how you made out. Our Costco carries these now and I intend to try them soon. Thanks for the suggestion.
"Ask-A-Butcher, what type of meat do you ask a butcher for when you want to smoke brisket or pulled pork? Thanks"
Don, a few choices here. Ask for a USDA Choice, or higher, whole (will be cheaper) untrimmed Beef Brisket. This is sometimes called a 'packer trim' Brisket. This will weigh 10-14 lbs, normally. If you do not want that much, just ask for a piece of 'flat cut' Brisket, preferably untrimmed. You want to leave the fat on during smoking and trim, if desired, just before serving
As far as the pulled pork goes, you have a couple more choices, again. The number one cut is called Pork Shoulder "Boston Butt" and is around 8 lbs whole untrimmed. You can buy these, two to a pack, at Sam's Club or Costco at a reasonable price. The next best cut is the Pork Shoulder "Picnic". The Picnic has more bone and fat then the Butt, however the meat is still from the shoulder and makes excellent pulled pork.
"Steve, can you tell me about Chuck Roll? I had heard that it was good for pulled beef sandwiches, and I wanted to give it a shot on my grill. What part of the beef is it, and does it contain other cuts that might be more familiar? Since I've never seen them in the case, I figured they were made into more popular roasts or something. I'm guessing that a good brisket rub would be a good place to start and then low and slow it like a Brisket? I'm guessing there's some amount of fat if you can eventually pull it. Is there a fat cap?"
Randy, the "Chuck Roll" is the boneless blade half of the Primal cut known as "Chuck" (the other half being the "Arm"). It consists of blade roasts and steaks, the chuck tender (or mock tenderloin), chuck eye meat (the continuation of the rib eye), cross cut roasts and steaks (the bone-in version is called the 7-bone) and neck meat. The Chuck Roll has a lot of connective tissue (collagen) that just likes to melt when cooked properly, think low and slow here, and does not have a fat cap (the arm portion, shoulder, has the outside fat covering). The Chuck Roll is excellent for pulled beef, by the way, and that is what I use for making beef bbq for a crowd. I usually just use plenty of salt, pepper and garlic......maybe some chili powder and Turbinado sugar, if I'm feeling adventurous.
"Help!!! My husband just came home from the grocery store with over thirty pounds of chicken thighs and drumsticks. What do I do with all that chicken? Thanks for any suggestions, Sharon."
Sharon, it sounds like your husband ran into a deal that was too good to pass up. There are several options available to you with all this chicken......one, freeze it...two, cook it....and three, give it away. I suggest you do a combination of option one and two.
If you are going to freeze it, make sure you break the amounts down to serving sizes for your family. Thighs are great on the grill or in the oven. I prefer the Drumsticks to be made into a stew or a chile.
I like to cook a lot Thighs at one time and then freeze the cooked meat into half or one pound packages to be used for Chicken Salad, chicken sandwiches, BBQ'ed Chicken or to be used in casseroles. Following is a recipe for chile that I make quite often, especially this time of year.
White Chili
2 TBS olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
½ onion, chopped
3 slices uncooked turkey bacon, diced
½ lb pork breakfast sausage
1 lb ground chicken
½-1 lb cooked/bbq'ed chicken, either chunked or shredded
2-15.5 oz cans of Great Northern Beans, drained
1-15 oz can seasoned Pinto Beans, NOT drained
2 cups chicken broth, divided into 1 cup portions
¼ cup white flour
Various chili seasonings and sauces (a couple good dashes each of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cumin, paprika, Mexican oregano and hot sauce)
Place the first six ingredients into a large pot or Dutch Oven; add the seasonings (except for the oregano and the hot sauce); cook over medium heat until ground chicken and sausage are no longer pink. Drain; now add the cooked chicken, the three cans of beans and one cup of the chicken broth. Bring to a slow simmer and taste; adjust seasonings, if needed, and add a few good pinches of the oregano and a few drops of the hot sauce; stir well and simmer for about 15 minutes. Whisk the flour into the remaining chicken stock, mixing well; lower heat to low; add mixture to the chili, stirring well. Cook on low for a couple more hours, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add more chicken broth, if needed. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or shredded Jack cheese over the top. Enjoy.