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For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation).
Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle. Beef is one of the principal meats used in the Cuisine of Australia, European cuisine and cuisine of the Americas, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. In the Middle East, lamb is usually preferred over beef. Beef is taboo for Hindus and is not eaten by the Hindu population in India. It is also discouraged among some Buddhists.
Beef can be cut into steaks, pot roasts or short ribs, or it can be ground. The blood is also used in some varieties of blood sausage. Other beef varieties include the tongue, which is usually sliced for sandwiches in Western cooking; tripe from the stomach; various glands—particularly the pancreas and thymus—referred to as sweetbreads; the heart, the brain, the liver, the kidneys; and the tender testicles of the bull popularly known as "calf fries", "prairie oysters", or "Rocky Mountain oysters." Beef bones are essential for making certain varieties of soup stock.
The better cuts are usually obtained from the steer; the heifer tends 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 usually tougher, so it is frequently used for mince (UK)/ground beef (US). 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, where they are usually fed grain.
The United States, Brazil, Japan and the People\'s Republic of China are the world\'s four largest consumers of beef[citation needed]. The world\'s largest exporters of beef are Australia, Brazil, Argentina and Canada[citation needed]. Beef production is also important to the economies of Uruguay, Nicaragua, Russia and Mexico.
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The flesh of bovines has been eaten by hunters from prehistoric times, some of the earliest know cave paintings such as those of Lascaux show Aurochs in hunting scenes. Domestication of the cow occurred around 8000 BC Late Neolithic megalithic structures at Nabta Playa. Retrieved on 2008-02-27., providing ready access to beef and the other products of cattle, milk and leather . Most cattle originated in the Old World with the exception of bison hybrids. Examples include the Wagyu from Japan, Ankole-Watusi from Egypt, and longhorn Zebu from Pakistan & Bangladesh .History of Cattle Breeds. Retrieved on 2007-04-17. Cattle were widely used for meat across the Old World except in religious or draft uses. Some breeds were specifically bred to increase meat yield or improve texture like the Murray Grey, Angus or Wagyu etc.
Beef is first divided into primal cuts. These are basic sections from which steaks and other subdivisions are cut. 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. The closer to the middle back, the more tender the meat. There are different systems of making and naming of the cuts in America, Britain and France.
See the external links section below for links to more beef cut charts and diagrams.
American cuts of beef.
The following is a list of the American primal cuts, ordered front to back, then top to bottom. The short loin and the sirloin are sometimes considered as one section.
British cuts of beef.
European Union recognises the following Protected Designation of Origin beef brandsProtected Designation of Origin (PDO) / Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
Spain - Carne de Ávila, Carne de Cantabria, Carne de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Carne de Morucha de Salamanca, Carne de Vacuno del País o Euskal Okela
France - Taureau de Camargue, Boeuf charolais du Bourbonnais, Boeuf de Chalosse, Boeuf du Maine
Portugal - Carnalentejana, Carne rouquesa, Carne Barrosã, Carne Cachena da Peneda, Carne da Charneca, Carne de Bovino Cruzado dos Lameiros do Barroso,Carne dos Açores, Carne Marinhoa, Carne Maronesa, Carne Mertolenga, Carne Mirandesa
United Kingdom - Orkney Beef, Scotch Beef, Welsh Beef
In the United States, the USDA operates a voluntary beef grading program. The meat processor pays for a trained USDA meat grader to grade whole carcasses at the abattoir. The carcass grade is bean 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 (at the 12th rib cross-section), 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
Traditionally, beef sold in steakhouses and supermarkets has been advertised by its USDA grading; however, many restaurants and retailers have recently begun advertising beef on the strength of brand names and the reputation of a specific breed of cattle, such as black angus"Branded Beef Booming", Denver Post, 2003-06-17. Retrieved on 2007-04-17. Michael Chu. USDA Beef Quality Grades. Cooking for Engineers. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
Roast 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 Introduction. Hormel Foods. Retrieved on 2007-08-10.
Tender cuts of beef from the loin and rib are best cooked via dry cooking methods, such as charcoal grilling, broiling, roasting, and sautéing.[]
Tougher cuts of beef from the round, brisket, flank, plate, shank, and chuck are best cooked by moist heat cooking methods, such as braising, pot-roasting, and stewing. (Some of the tougher cuts may be prepared by dry heat methods given they are tenderized first with a marinade).[]
Beef is cooked (roughly) on the following scale, based on the internal temperature of the meat:Hormel Foods- Beef Doneness
| Cooked | Traditional Temp. (USA) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Very rare | 115 – 125°F (46 – 52°C) | Blood-red meat, soft, very juicy |
| Rare | 125 – 130°F (52 – 54°C) | Red center, gray surface, soft, juicy |
| Medium rare | 130 – 140°F (54 – 60°C) | Pink center, gray-brown surface, often remains juicy |
| Medium | 140 – 150°F (60 – 66°C) | Pink throughout, becomes gray-brown towards surface |
| Medium well | 150 – 160°F (66 – 71°C) | Thin line of pink, firm texture. |
| Well done | >160°F (>71°C) | Gray-brown throughout, tough texture. |
Sliced beef.
Steak tartare is a French dish made from finely chopped or ground raw meat (often beef). It is often served with onions, capers, seasonings like fresh ground pepper and Worcestershire sauce, and sometimes raw egg. Kibbeh nayyeh is a similar Middle-Eastern dish. And, in Ethiopia, a ground raw meat dish called Kitfo is eaten.
Carpaccio of beef is a thin slice of raw beef dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Often the beef is partially frozen before slicing to allow very thin slices to be cut.
Bresaola is an air-dried salted beef that has been aged about 2-3 months until it becomes hard and a dark red, almost purple colour. It is lean, has a sweet, musty smell and is tender. It originated in Valtellina, a valley in the Alps of northern Italy\'s Lombardy region.
Pastrami is often made from beef, the raw beef is salted, then partly dried and seasoned with various herbs and spices and smoked.
Corned beef, is a cut of beef cured or pickled in a seasoned brine. The "corn" in "corned beef" refers to the "corn" or grains of coarse salts used to cure it. The term "corned beef" can denote different styles of brine-cured beef, depending on the region. Some, like American-style corned beef, are highly seasoned and often considered delicatessen fare.
Cow is considered a sacred animal by Hindus and hence beef is not generally consumed by Hindus. Some non-religious Hindus nowadays consume beef. Beef eating is not considered a taboo in some parts of India - Kerala, Coorg - just to name a couple. Beef eating is also discouraged among some[citation needed] Buddhists.
Beef is rich in zinc, especially its shank and chuck parts. [1]
A study released in 2007 by the World Cancer Research Fund indicated “strong evidence that red meat and processed meats are causes of bowel cancer”. 2007 report by the World Cancer Research Fund
The Harvard School of Public Health recommends that consumers use red meat sparingly (along with soda, sweets, and refined starches) due to high levels of saturated fats.Harvard School of Public Health – Healthy Eating Pyramid
In 1984, the use of meat and bone meal in cattle feed resulted in the world\'s first outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE or, colloquially, mad cow disease) in the United Kingdom.Timeline: BSE and vCJD. NewScientist.com news service (13 December, 2004). Retrieved on 2007-08-10. 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 a few in France. BSE is an illness that cattle can contract when they are fed infected animals (especially the brains and spines) The perception of beef as potentially lethal damaged the UK beef industry. Attempts to wipe out BSE in the UK by a kill-and-burn campaign further damaged the beef industry.
Since then, other countries have had outbreaks of BSE:
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