Beef

Selecting your cut
When buying beef, you should make sure the meat is red, as brown colouring shows that it's been open to the air for some time. The meat should be firm to the touch. Fat should be creamy coloured and it's better if there's some fat flecked - or marbled - throughout the meat, as this makes it more tender.

Brisket
This cheaper cut from the belly of the animal can be bought with or without bones as a joint for slow-roasting, or for stewing and casseroling as cubes or mince.

Chuck or blade
Taken from the shoulder, this cut is similar to neck, but can also be bought as a roasting joint. As this joint isn't as tender as other cuts of beef, it needs slow-roasting to achieve best results. Steaks and diced meat from the chuck are ideal for casseroles, or even braising. Chuck meat is leaner than neck, which makes it ideal for people who are watching their fat intake, but might not want to pay for premium cuts.

Flank
Sometimes called thick flank or thin flank, depending on the thickness of the meat, determined by which part of the animal it comes from. The flank is quite lean and is generally useful for casseroles and curries or for slow-roasting. It needs to retain the moisture that would be lost in quick-roasting.

Forerib
Taken from the back of the animal, forerib is a useful roasting cut. Sometimes, the ends of the bones are cut off to make a separate joint. You may wish to buy a forerib joint boned and rolled, so that stuffing and carving is easier. Although more tender than some of the cheaper cuts, the forerib still needs cooking for longer than premium joints. It's a mid-priced cut.

Neck or clod
The meat from the neck of beef contains quite a large amount of fat and isn't as tender as the premium cuts. This makes it ideal for slow-cooking. Neck can be bought as steaks or ready-diced, which is perfect for casseroles and stews. Price-wise, the cut is relatively cheap, so it's possible to buy more meat than you need if you wish to take the time to trim the fat further.

Ribs
Taken from the side of beef, ribs can be bought on the bone or as a boned-and-rolled joint. Similar to sirloin, but not as tender, the ribs make an ideal, mid-priced roasting joint.

Rump
Rump is similar to sirloin, but slightly less tender, so it's a little cheaper. The steak cuts are generally lean, but do require more care when cooking.

Shin
The shin of beef is from the front leg and the leg cut is from the hind limb. Both are cheaper cuts as they contain quite a large amount of connective tissue. However, this makes them ideal for stews and casseroles as it melts down during the long, slow cooking and gives extra flavour to the sauce. You could make stock from the shin or leg if the bone is left in the joint. The joint can be slow-roasted.

Sirloin
Sirloin is the premium cut of beef, which costs quite a bit more per kilo than some other cuts, but is more tender, so will taste better with less cooking. Sirloin can be bought as a joint for roasting, on the bone or boned and rolled. Fillets are often removed from the roasting joints, and are then sold separately as steak. Fillet steaks are also the premium steak cut from beef. Sirloin can tolerate high temperatures, which makes it ideal for grilling and frying as steaks or oven-roasting as a joint.

Topside and silverside
Two separate cuts of slightly different quality. Topside is similar to rump and can be roasted as a boneless joint. It's not quite as tender as sirloin, so can't stand high temperatures as well, but if treated with care, will provide an excellent roast. Silverside is a coarser cut of beef than topside and doesn't roast as well. It's often used for making boiled beef dishes or mince. However, there are no bones in silverside which means that it provides a great deal of meat per kilo.

Recipes

Smothered Beef Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS:

* 1/2 cup olive oil
* 4 pounds beef short ribs
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 2 cups chopped onions
* 1 cup chopped celery
* 1 cup chopped carrots
* 2 tablespoons minced garlic
* 3 bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme
* 1 cup red wine
* 8 cups beef stock
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Season the ribs with salt and pepper to taste and dredge them in flour. Fry the ribs in the oil in small batches, adding oil as needed, to sear the meat. This should take 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Set ribs aside.
2. In the same pot, add the onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery and carrots and saute for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and then stir in the garlic, bay leaves and thyme and cook for 1 more minute.
3. Deglaze the pot with the red wine, scraping up all the bits on the bottom. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer. Add the ribs and continue to simmer for 2 hours, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley and serve.

Green Bell Peppers stuffed with Tomato Lentil Couscous


INGREDIENTS:

* 5 green bell peppers, chopped
* 2 pounds ground beef
* 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 6 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 (28 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
* 1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
* 1/2 cup chopped onion
* 1 (6 ounce) package tomato lentil couscous mix
* 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cut peppers in half, place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish, and set aside. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups chopped onion, chopped green bell pepper, and garlic. Reduce heat to low, add tomato sauces, and let simmer while preparing the couscous.
3. Prepare couscous according to package directions, but add the remaining onion to the water before adding the couscous. When couscous is done, combine it with the sauce. Fill bell peppers with the mixture. Top each with shredded cheese.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown on top.

Spicy Crispy Beef


INGREDIENTS:

* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1/4 tablespoon salt
* black pepper
* 12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced
* 1 quart oil for frying
*
* 4 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
* 1/2 tablespoon rice wine
* 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
* 7 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/2 tablespoon chile paste
* 1/4 cup water
* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger root
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/4 cup sliced onion
* 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, salt and pepper together. Mix thoroughly. Toss the steak slices in the cornstarch mixture and coat well.
3. Deep fry the coated steak slices until golden brown. Check to make sure they are cooked through. Remove from oil, and set aside.
4. In another mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine and honey. Add sugar, chili paste, water, and ginger. Mix well and set aside.
5. Heat a wok or deep frying pan over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, and quickly saute the onion, garlic and red pepper for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture, and cook another 30 seconds. Finally, add the strips of fried steak and toss to heat through and coat with sauce.

Editor's Note:

We have determined the nutritional value of oil for frying based on a retention value of 10% after cooking. The exact amount may vary depending on cook time and temperature, ingredient density, and the specific type of oil used.

German Rouladen


INGREDIENTS:

* 1 1/2 pounds flank steak
* German stone ground mustard, to taste
* 1/2 pound thick sliced bacon
* 2 large onions, sliced
* 1 (16 ounce) jar dill pickle slices
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 2 1/2 cups water
* 1 cube beef bouillon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cut the flank steak into thin filets; about 1/4 inch thick and 3 inches wide.
2. Generously spread one side of each filet with mustard to taste. Place bacon, onions and pickle slices on each filet and form into a roll. Use string or toothpicks to hold the roll together.
3. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Place the rolls in the butter and saute until browned.
4. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of water and add the bouillon cube; stirring to dissolve the bouillon cube. Simmer the rolls for about an hour.

Maria's Pepper Steak


INGREDIENTS:

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 2 large bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
* 1 1/2 pounds flank steak, cut into thin strips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, bell peppers, and garlic in oil until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour soy sauce, honey, and red wine vinegar in pan, then add beef. Cook beef, stirring frequently, until done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in cooked vegetables, and cook another 10 to 15 minutes.

Note:

If you prefer a thicker sauce, stir in a little flour or corn starch before removing from heat.