HOW TO CHOOSE A QUALITY BEEF CUT FROM A BUTCHER

It can be a little intimidating to go to a butcher shop and decide to choose a quality beef cut.

All beef cuts look the same. There are so many choices. But how do you know a good piece of steak from an inferior one?

In this article, here’s how to choose beef cuts that will be right for you (and you’ll enjoy eating).

1) Always choose a firm piece of steak.

You don’t want it to be sloppy.

2) Be careful with a piece of steak if you see sinew (or fibrous tissue) inside.

The meat around a big sinew is normally chewy.

3) Ask the butcher which side of meat is the better one (normally one side is better than the other).

One side is very chewy. The other is tender – your butcher should know which is which.

4) Ask how long the beef has been aged for.

If it’s in packaging, how long has it been in there?

Dry ageing is a process of sucking all the moisture out of the beef, leading to a more intense flavour.

You don’t need to do that for a highly marbled piece of meat (like this steak). Dry ageing is normally done for lean meat, as you want the meat tender.

Use your butcher to educate yourself. They are experts at different types of beef cuts – and will be more than happy to help you too.

At Osawa Enterprises, we love Japanese Wagyu. That’s our speciality. Why not call in on Saturday, 8.00am to 11.30am, and we’ll help you choose a quality beef cut just for you.

Happy shopping,
Kimio