What You Should Know About Beef and Cut Selection

[WeirdAl]

What You Should Know About Beef and Cut Selection

Beef is divided into sections called primal cuts, which are then cut into smaller portions of meat that are suitable for retail. Every section has a distinct characteristic that makes it unique from the others. Tenderness, a key quality characteristic, is affected by the age of the animal, grade of meat, length of aging, type of cut, and method of cooking. Another factor that affects the quality of meat is the amount of marble it contains. Marbling, the flecks of fat found throughout the lean part of the meat, gives beef its flavor and juiciness. Grades, in decreasing order of marbling, are prime, choice, and select, with select being the leanest and the toughest.

Those maintaining a high-protein/low-fat diet and looking to add lean muscle should try to select loin, round, or flank cuts of meat. On the other hand, those following a high-protein/high-fat diet could select cuts of meat from the chuck, rib, plate, and brisket (depending on the cut) sections.

http://www.muscletech.com/FEATURES/K...eef_Cuts.shtml

http://www.muscletech.com/FEATURES/K...paration.shtml