“There is a lot of good meat out there, and there are lot of neat, fun, and tasty ways to cook it. So, walking up to the meat counter should be an occasion for excitement. But even for an experienced cook, it can often be a prelude to bewilderment instead.
And why not? At any given time, there are about a hundred and fifty separate cuts of red meat on display in the meat section of an average large supermarket. Not only that, but the same cut may have a different name depending on the state, the city, or even the particular shop where you’re buying it. Some differences are geographic. Until recently, for instance, butchers in Kansas City called the boneless top loin steak a Texas strip, while those in Texas (and much of the rest of the country) referred to it as a New York strip, and in New York, they called it a Kansas City strip. Other cuts of meat, like Boston butt and picnic shoulder, derive their names from butchering practices of the distant past.
There are also plenty of local names that were coined simply because they’re more enticing than the more “clinical” names. In much of the South, for instance, the beef chuck neck pot roast is known as a bell roast because it comes from the part of the neck where the cow’s bell used to hang. All in all, meat industry experts estimate that there are over a thousand different names used for the three hundred or so standard cuts of red meat in this country.
So, the real question is, how do we make sense of all this? … When an animal is butchered, it is first separated into a number of large sections called the ‘primal cuts.’ These are then broken down into smaller sections known as ‘sub-primals,’ and the subprimals are divided into retail cuts — steaks, chops, roasts, and all the rest. But of course you won’t see these primal cuts in the supermarket.” [Editorial note: You will at the Union Square Market Basket.] -Chris Schlesinger
Grill – Roasted Rib Roast (Prime Rib) with Potato – Garlic Hobo Pack, Sour Cream, and Bacon Bits
Balsamic – Braised Pot Roast with Tomatoes, Lemons, Raisins, and Black Olive – Pine Nut Relish
Puerto Rican Vinegar – Braised Flank Steak with a Cabbage, Corn, and Yucca Salad
Mr. Perfect Steak for Two
Laotian Style Aromatic Beef Salad
Sliced Grilled Skirt Steak on Greek Salad
Korean Style Grilled Short Ribs with Ginger, Chiles, and Quick Kimchee
The World’s Hottest Chili, with Scotch Bonnet Peppers and Yucca and a Cucumber Mango Coolant
Señor Sanchez’s Salvadorean Soup of Kings with Short Ribs, Corn, and Plantains
Corned Beef and Sweet Potato Hash with Red Wine Caramelized Onions
Rack of Veal with Roast Chestnut Stuffing, Brandied Oranges, and Light Basil Jus
Tomato Braised Veal Shanks with Pumpkin Risotto and Lemon Pistachio Power Pack
Grilled Veal Shoulder Chops with Nectarine – Ginger Chutney and Cucumbers with Mint and Yogurt
Veal Birdies Tidewater Style with Smithfield Ham, Backfin Crab, and Lemon – Caper Sauce
Grilled Veal, Sweet Potato, and Red Onion Kebabs in the Piccata Style
A Hot Open Faced Veal Meat Loaf Sandwich with Arugula and Blue Cheese – Tomato Relish
Grilled Sweetbreads over Wilted Spinach with Sweet and Sour Bacon Dressing
Grill Roasted Bone-In Leg of Lamb of Lamb with Grilled Peaches and Red Onion – Cilantro Salsa
Grilled Peppered Lamb Leg Top on Arugula, Fennel, and Oranges with White Bean – Roasted Red Pepper Relish
Broiled Double Thick Lamb Rib Chops with Slicked Up Store Bought Mint Jelly Sauce
Broiled Sherried Lamb Skewers with Dried Apricots and Green Olive Dressing
Lamb, Leek, and White Bean Stew with Oregano, Walnuts, and Hard Cheese
Grill Roasted Rum Brined Fresh Ham with Mango Salsa and Grilled Pineapples and Bananas
Roast Pork Loin with Spicy Hoisin Sauce, “Peking Duck Style”
Ginger Rubbed Rack of Pork with Chile – Lychee Sambal
Molasses Glazed Pork Tenderloin with Seared Sweet and Sour Red Onions and Sage – Date Power Pack
Grilled Pork Loin Fillets on Latin Style Salad with Sour Orange – Oregano Dressing
Grilled Thin Pork Chops with Avocado – Corn Salsa
Grilled Baby Back Ribs, Buffalo Style
-Excerpt and images courtesy of the Internet Archive, “How to Cook Meat,” by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby, 2000
Roger Sherman, also of Connecticut, was known to have given one of the shortest speeches in history at a bridge dedication ceremony when he said, "I think it will hold up all right," while testing the strength of the bridge with one foot.
View all posts by Arthur Mullen
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar 