Beef

Beef is meat obtained from a bovine. Beef is one of the principal meats used in European cuisine and cuisine of the Americas, and is important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia as well. In the Middle East, lamb is the usual meat preferred over beef.

Beef can be cut into steak, pot roasts, short ribs, or ground into hamburger. Several Asian and European nationalities include the blood in their cuisine as well—it is used in some varieties of blood sausage. Other beef variety meats include the tongue, which is usually sliced for sandwiches in Western cooking; tripe from the stomach; various glands—particularly the pancreas and thyroid—referred to as sweetbreads; the heart, the brain, the liver, the kidneys; and the tender testicles of the bull commonly known as "beef balls", "calf fries", "prairie oysters", or "Rocky Mountain oysters."

The better cuts are usually obtained from steers, as heifers tend to be kept for breeding. Older animals are used for beef when they are past their reproductive prime. The meat from older cows and bulls is generally tougher, so it is frequently used for ground beef. Cattle raised for beef may be allowed to roam free on grasslands, or may be confined at some stage in pens as part of a large feeding operation called a feedlot.

The United States, Brazil, the EU, China, and India, are the world's five largest producers of beef. Beef production is also important to the economies of Nicaragua, Argentina, the Russian Federation, Australia, Mexico, and Canada.

Contents

1 History of Beef Consumption
2 USDA Beef grades
3 Cuts of beef

3.1 Primal cuts

4 Special beef designations
5 Cooking Beef

5.1 Dry Heat Cooking Methods
5.2 Moist Heat Cooking Methods
5.3 Doneness

6 Religious proscription
7 \"Mad cow disease\"
8 Beef in the English Language
9 References
10 See also
11 External links

History of Beef Consumption

The majority of cattle breeds, with the exception of bison (buffalo) hybrids, have genetic ancestry dating back to Europe and the other Old World continents. Some cattle breeds with genetic origins in Europe include Angus, Ayrshire, Bazadaise, Belgian Blue, Blonde d'Aquitaine, British White, American Brown Swiss, Charolais, Chianina, Corriente, Draughtmaster, Galloway, Gelbvieh, Guernsey, Hereford, Highland, Holstein, Limousin, Main-Anjou, Milking Shorthorn, Montbeliarde, Murray Grey, Parthenaise, Piedmontese, Pinzgauer, Romagnola, Salers, Shetland, Shorthorn, Simmental, South Devons, and Tarentaise. Non-European breeds include but are not limited to Wagyu from Japan, Ankole-Watusi from Egypt, and longhorn Zebu from Pakistan and India. With the exception of bison hybrids, cattle are not native to the American continents. [link]

USDA Beef grades

In the United States, the USDA operates a voluntary beef grading program. The meat processor pays for the presence of a highly trained USDA meat grader who grades the whole carcass prior to fabrication. The carcass grade is stamped on each primal cut (six stamps) and applied with roller stamp to each side as well. Traces of the USDA grading stamp are sometimes visible on boxed primal cuts.

The grades are based on two main criteria, the degree of marbling (intramuscular fat) in the beef rib eye and the age of the animal prior to slaughter. Some meat scientists object to the current scheme of USDA grading since it does not take tenderness into account. Most other countries' beef grading systems mirror the US model. Most beef offered for sale in supermarkets is graded choice or select. Prime beef is sold to hotels and upscale restaurants. Beef that would rate as Standard or leaner is almost never offered for grading.

Inspected carcasses tagged by the USDA

Prime — most tender and highest in fat
Choice
Select — the leanest grade commonly sold
Standard
Commercial
Utility
Cutter
Canner

Cuts of beef

(This section denotes the American system of beef cutting. Other cultures have similar systems, but the exact cuts and terminology differ).

Common cuts of beef.

Primal cuts

Beef is first divided into primal cuts. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. The following is a list of the primal cuts, ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes considered as one section. When looking at a diagram such as the one above, note that the closer to the middle back, the more tender the meat is. Since the animal's legs and neck muscles do the most work, they are the toughest; the meat becomes progressively more tender as distance from "hoof and horn" increases.

Roast beef

upper half

Chuck - one of the most common sources for hamburger.
Rib
Short Loin - from which porterhouse steaks, and filet mignon, the most tender, are cut.
Sirloin - less tender than short loin, but more flavorful.
Round

lower half

Brisket and Shank
Plate
Flank

Also see the external links section below for links to more beef cut charts and diagrams.

Special beef designations

Buccleuch Scotch beef originates in a designated area on and around the estate of the Duke of Buccleuch in Scotland.
Certified Angus Beef ™ is beef certified by the USDA to have come from Angus cattle.
Dry aged beef has been aged using a special process.
Grass fed beef has been raised primarily on forage rather than in a feedlot.
Halaal beef has been certified to have been processed in a prescribed manner in accordance with Muslim tradition.
Kobe beef : Cattle of the Wagyu breed raised and fattened in the hills above Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. During the fattening period, the beef is hand-fed (using high-energy feed, including beer and beer mash) and hand-massaged for tenderness and high fat content.
Kosher beef has been certified to have been processed in a prescribed manner in accordance with Jewish dietary laws.
Organic beef is produced without hormones, pesticides, or other chemicals though requirements for labeling something "organic" vary widely.

Cooking Beef

The method of cooking beef is largely determined by the cut of beef to be cooked. For example, tender (and generally more expensive) cuts of meat benefit from fast, high-heat cooking while tough cuts benefit from a slower and longer cooking method.[Beef Cooking Outline]

Dry Heat Cooking Methods

Tender cuts of beef from the loin and rib are best cooked via dry cooking methods, such as grilling, broiling, roasting, and sautéing.[]

Grilling: Grilling is characterized by cooking the beef over a high heat source anywhere from 300°F to 650ºF. This leads to searing of the surface of the beef, which creates a flavorful crust.[Grilling Beef]

Broiling: Broiling is similar to grilling, except where grilling is usually performed outdoors with the heat source under the beef, broiling is usually performed in an oven with the heat source above the beef. [Broiling Beef]

Moist Heat Cooking Methods

Tougher cuts of beef from the round, brisket, flank, plate, shank, and chuck are best cooked via moist heat cooking methods, such as braising, pot-roasting, and stewing. (Some of the tougher cuts may be prepared via dry heat methods given they are tenderized first).[]

Stewing: Stewing involves immersing the entire cut of beef in a liquid. [Stewing Beef]

Doneness

Beef doneness is determined by the following scale, based on the internal temperature of the meat[Hormel Foods- Beef Doneness]:

Doneness Traditional Temp. Updated Temp. Description
Very rare 115ºF - 125ºF Not recommended Blood-red meat, soft, very juicy
Rare 125ºF - 130ºF Not recommended Red center, gray surface, soft, juicy
Medium rare 130ºF - 140ºF 145°F - 150ºF Pink center, gray-brown surface
Medium 140ºF - 150ºF 150°F - 165ºF Slightly pink center, becomes gray-brown towards surface
Medium well 150ºF - 160ºF 165°F - 170ºF Mostly gray center, firm texture.
Well done 160+ ºF 170+ ºF Gray-brown throughout.

Doneness	Traditional Temp.	Updated Temp.	Description
Very rare	115ºF - 125ºF	Not recommended	Blood-red meat, soft, very juicy
Rare	125ºF - 130ºF	Not recommended	Red center, gray surface, soft, juicy
Medium rare	130ºF - 140ºF	145°F - 150ºF	Pink center, gray-brown surface
Medium	140ºF - 150ºF	150°F - 165ºF	Slightly pink center, becomes gray-brown towards surface
Medium well	150ºF - 160ºF	165°F - 170ºF	Mostly gray center, firm texture.
Well done	160+ ºF	170+ ºF	Gray-brown throughout.

Religious proscription

Beef is a taboo meat in a number of religions, most notably Hinduism, whose adherents consider cows deserving of reverence. Also, consumption of beef (along with other meats) is frowned upon by many Buddhists, although it is not strictly taboo.

In Judaism, beef is one of the meats considered kosher, if butchered and prepared in accordance with religious law (shechita), under the supervision of a rabbi. Beef is also considered halal by Muslims under similar strictures.

\"Mad cow disease\"

The over-intensive farming of beef resulted in the world's first recognised outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or, colloquially, "mad cow disease") in the United Kingdom in 1986. Eating beef from cattle with BSE is thought to have caused the new variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) in about 131 cases (2003 June data) in the United Kingdom and some few in France. The perception of beef as potentially lethal caused significant damage to the UK beef industry. The attempts to wipe out BSE in the UK by a kill-and-burn campaign, although ultimately successful, did further damage from which the beef industry is only recently recovering. Since then, a number of other countries have had outbreaks of BSE. BSE is an illness that cattle can get by feeding them infected animals (especially their brains and spines). Due to a BSE scare in 2004, the American border was briefly closed to live Canadian cows, but was reopened in early 2005.

Beef in the English Language

The word "beef" occurs in various slang forms in American English that are unrelated to it being a type of meat, but perhaps more to the animal it comes from. Beef is used in a noun form in the phrase "to have (a) beef", the use of which dates back to the 19th Century, when "to beef" initially meant to loudly complain about something. The phrase means to have a feud or dispute with another party, usually an odious and publicly known one. It was re-popularized by hip hop music, especially the late Notorious B.I.G., who had a song entitled "What's Beef". Beef can also be used as the adjective "beefy" describing someone's weight, or rather their excess amount of it. However, a "beefcake" is a male with an appealingly robust physique. This meaning relates back to an earlier meaning of "beefy" as a synonym for "muscular" or "well-built". Finally, "to beef up" has the same meaning as "to reinforce" or "to shore up", usually seen in connection with increasing numbers of soldiers, police, or other security measures in response to a perceived threat.

The absence of beef also made a notable appearance in American pop culture. During the 1980's, Wendy's restaurants ran an ad campaign entitled "Where's the Beef?" in which patrons of other fast food restaurants examined the hamburgers and pronounced the amount of beef lacking. The phrase has become synonymous with anything lacking substance.

In British English, beef is far more established in colloquialisms, though many are vulgar. Beef also gets a more playful treatment from the British through Cockney Rhyming Slang; instead of saying "beef" one could say "stop thief" or "itchy teeth" to start the non-completed rhyme format. And, according to Cassell's Dictionary of Slang, there is a rhyming slang to describe the act of flatulation - "beef-heart".

References

External links

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