Two Mid-range Steaks and How to Prepare Them!
Bellair crewmember George with a marinated chuck strip steak ready for the grill!
Last week, we had a crew gathering where we cooked up a number of our different meat cuts in order to learn and experience our pasture-raised meats! Resident meat expert, Geroge, who works in a butcher shop in addition to on the farm, was instrumental in sharing knowledge around these different cuts and preparations. We especially learned a lot from George in how to prepare two different cuts of mid-range (aka, moderately priced) steak, the chuck strip and the sirloin strip. I'll try to summarize here what I was able to taste and learn from George's cooking.
First up, the chuck strip steak. We had this steak cut before we really knew what exactly it was, and we're finding not many other folks know what it is either! The chuck strip comes from --- you guessed it -- the chuck, which is a big chunk at the shoulder of the cow. The chuck roast comes from this section, and a lot of it ends up being ground as well. The muscles in this group are worked a lot as the cow moves around, and the muscle fibers go in multiple directions. This means that without proper preparation, this cut could turn out very tough. But treated correctly, it can be very flavorsome with a pleasantly firm texture. For the chuck strip, Geroge recommends an overnight marinade of some type. The flavors can vary, but make sure you use an acid of some type, which will start to "cook" and soften the meat before it is even heated. For the actual cooking process, nothing will be better than a grill for a chuck strip. With the marinade on it, it is too hard to get it completely dry in other scenarios, and you risk steaming it, which, again, will get you the wrong texture. Instead, put it on a medium-high heat grill and grill until just at (or preferably just under 130 degrees F). Rest the steak (and this goes for any steak) for about 10 minutes before slicing at an angle and on a bias. We found this steak to be pretty deliciously flavored: the marinate gave great looking grill marks and the outside was crispy and the interior delightfully flavorsome and chewy.
Notice the crispy crust that developed on the first side of this Sirloin Strip that George seared. To get that delicious crisp, be sure to pat your steak dry with a paper towel before placing it on the hot skillet.
For the sirloin strip, many of the concepts stay the same, but the preparation can be simpler and compare more to how you might cook one of our high-end steaks like the rib steak or NY strip. First, salt and rest the meat in the fridge before cooking. Then, heat a skillet (we used cast-iron) to medium-high. Just like the chuck strip, you don't want to skimp on the heat! You want a crispy crust of form, and you don't want steam to accumulate between the meat and the pan. Dry off the steak with paper towels (again, no steam!) before placing it on the skillet, where it should sizzle immediately. Pan fry a few minutes each side and pull at or just below 130 degrees! Again, rest before slicing. This steak, on a cutting board beside a NY Strip and a Rib Steak, really held its own! This would be a great one for a large family. George says if there's ever any leftover steak, he will thinly slice the refrigerated leftovers the next day and serve it on crackers with a bit of fine cheese for a snack as good as last night's meal!
In everything we cooked that night, we saw the utility of a good quality quick-read thermometer. If you've ever had that anxious feeling of "Is it done? Am I overcooking it?" This tool will solve that issue and soothe your meat-cookery stress
I hope this information helps you as much as it helped me! Say thank you to George the next time you see him, and maybe try cooking up a chuck strip or sirloin for yourself this week!