Please educate me on cuts of beef and pork

[niccig]

I was at the supermarket and I just never know what to buy. Please tell me what you buy and how you cook it.
Thanks.

[crl]

I'm honestly not much help. I just want to suggest Joy of Cooking as a good reference for this kind of information. That's where I tend to look up this kind of stuff when I need to.

Catherine

[Pepper]

How much time do you have? i love meat

I prefer rib-eye steaks for pan-searing or grilling. Get a pan screaming hot (I like to use hte cast-iron skillet, but a regular pan - not non-stick - will do. Also preheat the oven to 400 F.

Rub some oil over both sides of the steak - not the pan. Season the steak with salt & pepper. Out the steak in the screaming hot pan and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, to get a nice brown crust. Then transfer the steak to a baking sheet with a rim and roast in the oven for 5- 10 minutes (longer time for a thicker steak - one inch or more). Check for doneness with a meat thermometer and then let the steak rest on the stovetop for 10 minutes before you slice and serve it.

Flank steak is done much the same way, but I usually marinate it first. you can also braise flank steak.

Chuck roast for braising too (like pot roast) or cut it up for stew meat.

For pork, I prefer bone-in chops to boneless for pan-searing and a quick braise with some tasty liquid (apple cider, beer, etc or an adobo treatment). I don't do prok loin roasts much anymore because they come out dry, unless you brine them IMO. Pork should (aka Boston butt) is cheaper and more flavorful, I think, tho the fat content is hougher. You can get around that by braising or slow-roasting whole and defat the juices, or cut it into chunks for a nice pork stew.

HTH!

[DebbieJ]

What do you want to cook?
Steaks?
Pot Roast?
Beef Stew?
Pulled Pork?

You would use different cuts for all of those things.

[Mopey]

I am sorry not to have lots of time to reply, but Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything is a fantastic tome that covers so much (including all this - meat, fish, poultry) and the easy variations on practically every recipe are tops. I am a chef, and I have a ton of great cookbooks, and this is the most used in my house (my hubby loves it too and he is much more of a novice).

Good luck and I'll try to get back tomorrow!

[sntm]

I LOVE Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Also, this isn't ready, but the SO of an acquaintance is developing an app called Meet Meat which apparently is going to identify cuts of meat and have suggestions for how to use. I love the title, so I hope he finishes it soon.

[pinkmomagain]

Develop a relationship with your local butcher. My butcher shop guys are so knowledgeable not just on cuts of meat but preparation/cooking. I've asked them lots of questions over the years and the are happy to educate.

[bigsis]

Would you care to give a few examples that way we can help you from that point? Anything chuck, I would cook for a long time---pot roast for a big piece of meat, or cut up and make beef stew.

Skirt steak is usually on the thinner side, you just marinade/season on grill those. Serve on top of a salad or as filling for tacos.

Like I said, if you give some examples then we can all brainstorm.

[kijip]

I am feeling in a typing mood! Thank my dad for teaching me to shop and cook (and for buying me How to Cook Everything when I moved out- it put the words to what I had just learned by observation. I was 18 before I had any idea what exactly a "hock" was).

Brisket (lower front)- used for corned beef and possibly soups/stews

Chuck (top front/neck and shoulder)- must use moisture. Do not try and grill. Great for pot roasts. You can stir fry it. Sometimes you will see it packaged in small bits for stew. This is a tougher piece of meat and sometimes hamburger is made from it.

Flank (lower and towards hind legs)- should be cut thin and cut across the grain. This is used for london broil type steaks and stir fry type dishes. I use l/o london broil for sandwiches.

Loin and Sirloin (Top from where rib ends to the round/butt begins, including the last rib)- "sir" just mean closer to the round than the ribs. Tenderloin, t-bone, filet mignon (from tenderloin), "New York" style steaks are here. Can be cut for lots of kinds of roasts and steaks. Sirloin is a step down from the rest of the loin but is much better for steaks and roasts than round or chuck. Need some moisture (like a marinade or pan cooking), not so great with dry rub recipes, they grill well.

Rib (self explanatory!)- this is just part of the rib portion but is the "best part". Rib Roasts and Ribeye steaks. Usually great flavor, expensive. Can do a dry roast cooking style with these. Also, of course, beef ribs for BBQ style stuff.

Round (rear/butt)- Ground meat usually! Rump roasts, "Top Round" type roasts and steaks all come from here but are not great for flavor and easy to make not all that great dinners from- frankly, besides a little chili meat I skip them or stick it in stir fry/sandwiches after thinly slicing. Very lean.

Pork- Pork lesson #1- pork tends to really need to NOT be overcooked. Flavorless if it is.

Rib meat is more tender and juicy.

Pork Confusing alert #1: Pork Butt is NOT the rear of a pig. Ham is made by curing the rear end of the pig. Pork Butt is the shoulder and is the must suitable part for roasts (much less dry than the loin). Go figure.

Loin chops or roasts (top, between the butt/shoulder and the ham side of things)- are easy to cook but if boneless are dry and need to be cooked *just* until done. Pork Confusing alert #2: Country style ribs are not the ribs at all but are cut from the loin.

Bacon is cured pork belly. Uncured belly is usually salted and used for salt belly.

Ribs are used for, well, ribs.

Ham hocks are the feet.

Yes, I am NOT a vegetarian.

[niccig]

Thank you all.

I just got a slow cooker and want to start cooking some larger pieces of beef and pork, so there's enough for 2 meals. So, I suppose I'm looking at casseroles, stews, curries - that kind of thing. It doesn't have to be a slow cooker meal, I'll do it on days when I'm home as I'm gone too long on days out of the house (9 hours).

I'm hoping I can freeze the uneaten portion, and pull it out on days I get home late.

I will admit I'm limited with my meat. I buy the same things, that I know what to do with. I would like to broaden that, so if see a deal on a particular cut, I'll know I can do a stew with it for eg.

I'll look into the cookbook and I would love the which meat app. I'll also start exploring some recipes, so I can shopping knowing what I need to buy.