essays & effluvia: How to Order in Steak House Chain

Saturday, November 19, 2005

How to Order in Steak House Chain

What makes a great steak? A few things: Prime beef, well marbled, and aged.

First thing first: Prime:

One of the most confusing things about beef is knowing what a restaurant means when it describes meat as "prime." The answer starts out on the range, with a head of cattle munching grass. Although some steakhouses make much of where their beef comes from, cattle from across the country are all genetically similar, according to Cattle-Fax. At 15 months, the typical steer or heifer is sold to a feedlot, where it spends about five months chomping on the bovine equivalent of ice cream: corn with some hay, wheat and protein supplements. As cattle eat their high-calorie rations, they develop various degrees of marbling, or thin lines of milky white fat running through their meat.

next up: Marbling:

Marbling is one case in life where fat is a good thing: When beef cooks, those lines of fat melt and essentially baste the meat from within, making it rich and tender. Marbling is so important to the taste of a good steak that it is the basis of the USDA grading system. After slaughter, an inspector looks at the rib area of each carcass and labels it prime, choice, select, or another lower grade, depending on how much marbling he sees. About 55% of all cattle develop what the USDA terms "slightly abundant" marbling and are graded choice; 42% with less marbling are graded select or below. At the very top of the pyramid is the elite 3% of carcasses that have lots of white lines and flecks. They are graded USDA prime.

last comes Aging:

There are two ways of aging beef. The expensive route is dry-aging, which involves storing large pieces of meat in a temperature- and humidity-controlled room, typically for two to four weeks. It is generally considered the gold standard, because the meat evaporates liquid as it ages, creating more concentrated meat with intense beefy flavor. But evaporation causes both weight loss and a thick, hard crust that needs to be trimmed, often by a salaried in-house butcher. Restaurants that buy dry-aged steak pay about a $4-per-pound premium, according to David Burke, the former culinary director at Smith & Wollensky who is opening a steakhouse in Chicago this winter.

Finally, knowing the lingo can help you get a better piece of meat. Here are some essential terms (via WSJ):

Certified Angus Beef: Brand name for meat from Angus-breed cattle that is graded in the top two-thirds of the USDA choice category.

Filet mignon: Usually "choice or better" grade meat and never dry-aged, because it is boneless. The most tender but often least flavorful cut, it tastes best fairly rare. Chateaubriand is an extra-thick filet mignon.

Hanger steak: Some of the new, independent steakhouses serve this cut from the underside of the cow. Generally cheaper than other steaks, with a rich flavor and chewy texture.

New York strip: Also known as the Kansas City strip or sirloin strip (on-the-bone sirloin strips are sometimes called shell steaks). It's the choice of many connoisseurs, especially when it is USDA prime and dry-aged.

Porterhouse: The two-for-one steak, with a sirloin strip on one side of the bone and a tenderloin filet on the other. Often big enough for two diners (or one rich and hungry one), it's usually the priciest steak.

Rib eye: The fattiest steak and thus the best choice for people who like beef more well done -- the fat keeps it moist. Prime rib is the same meat roasted whole rather than sliced into steaks.

USDA choice: Grade given by a Department of Agriculture inspector to meat with marbling that ranges from small to what the USDA terms "slightly abundant."

USDA prime: Grade given by a DOA inspector to meat with the most marbling.

click for much larger graph

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Source:
Steakhouse Confidential
With demand for the best beef up and supply down, some restaurants are cutting corners. We serve up a guide to getting what you want
KATY MCLAUGHLIN
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, October 8, 2005; Page P4
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB112872297151463196.html

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