Beef is one of the meats that are usually included in dishes that originated in various countries including America, Australia and Africa. The meat can be cut into short ribs, steaks and roasts. Learning how to cut beef is very essential to prepare an enticing, luscious and delectable dish. The methods used in cutting this meat differ on the cooking methods that will be used for the preparation of the dish. To help you know the basics in cutting beef, below are guidelines or pointers that you can follow when cutting a beef tenderloin and corned beef. The steps in cutting beef into steaks are also discussed below.
Cutting a Beef Tenderloin
The materials that you will need if you will cut a beef tenderloin are a cutting board and a sharp but not serrated knife. To do this, you need to place the meat on the cutting or chopping board. Use the knife to slice and remove the wider section of the meat. This section is commonly called as the head. Afterwards, cut the other end or the narrow section of the tenderloin, which is also called as the tail.
Get the center section and place at the middle of the cutting board. Slice this section into several portions. Make sure that each portion is at least an inch thick. The slices are called as the filet mignon. Place the meat slices in a refrigerator. Depending on the dish that you will prepare, you can cut the head and the tail into strips or into cubes.
Cutting Corned Beef
The initial step in cutting corned beef is to determine the direction where the grain of the meat is going. Position the knife in a 45 degree angle and carefully slice the meat. To ensure that the meat will be sliced easily, it is best to use an electric knife.
Cutting Beef Into Steaks
The materials that you will need to slice the meat into steaks include a chopping board, a long and sharp knife, a platter and a plastic wrap. Put the meat on the chopping board. Make sure that the length of the meat is parallel to the position of your body. Put the knife one and a half inches away from the end of the meat. Move the knife through the meat. Repeat the procedures until the meat has been sliced into steaks. To avoid food contamination, place the sliced meats in a platter. Cover the platter with a plastic wrap and place inside the freezer.
