Cattle have been kept by humans as pets and for slaughter since ancient times. Some are mainly kept for the production of milk. Other cattle mainly for the meat. A farmer who has cattle that can fulfill both functions is a bacon buyer. At the butcher it is not immediately clear to everyone what is which piece of meat. That is why it is useful to know which types of beef there are and which part of the beef is involved.
Livestock farming
Cows have always been an important source of income and life for humans. The primal cattle, the wild ancestor of our cattle, is now extinct. It is estimated that cattle have been kept as pets by humans for 9,000 years. The Netherlands without pastures with cattle and cows is hardly conceivable. The cow offers us a lot. Numerous dairy products, company and especially meat.
The butcher
A butcher without beef meat is almost inconceivable. Nevertheless, it is not clear to many customers which part of a beef is a particular piece of meat. Therefore an overview below.
What beef do you want?
With a beef you can choose from many pieces of meat. The best-known cuts of meat are named on the basis of the accompanying schematic drawing. By clicking on the attached picture it will be enlarged and you will know exactly what you are buying:
- Part 1. This is the neck. Meat is used for braising and stewing, or as soup meat. A powerful broth can be drawn from it.
- Part 2 is thick rib. This is great meat for a stew. The lean ribs come from this portion. You know those pieces of ground as beef tartare.
- Part 3 the fine rib. The ribeye comes from this, but also a rib steak with an edge of fat. In other words, with a vet eye, hence ribeye.
- Part 4 is the shoulder stew. This is used as hash or goulash meat.
- Part 5 is the thick shoulder for steak and baking, or roast beef. In the shoulder we also find the sucad piece for sucadapps and the shoulder mouse. The shoulder mouse is a great roast, which is also used to make roast beef.
- Part 6 is the shank with bone. You can draw broth from this.
- Part 7 is the brisket for marbled rags and ground beef.
- Part 8 is the chest. Again for the stew. The Amsterdam brine meat made from this is known.
- Part 9 is the afterbreast for the stoop flaps, hash meat and minced meat.
- Part 10 is the folding rib for steak and goulash meat. Also great for a stock or stews.
- Part 11 is the catch for the roast roulade and minced meat.
- Part 12 is the sirloin, known for the contra fillet and sirloin steak. Fine cuts of meat. The tenderloin is also cut from this, the most expensive piece of meat from which the chateaubriand and tournedos are extracted. Contra fillet is actually prime rib in one piece. This is divided into counter fillet or sliced like sirloin steak and tenderloin
- Part 13 is the tailpiece. Out of this comes first class roast beef.
- Part 14 is the beefsteak for steak, roast beef and baking.
- Part 15 is the flat bottom for the roast beef.
- Part 16 is the tail. This is used for ragout and the famous oxtail soup.
Tenderloin like beef
The tenderloin is often prepared for the holidays. For all beef, you must first sear it over a high heat. Sprinkle it later with a little salt or pepper to taste. If you sprinkle it with salt or pepper beforehand, the salt and pepper will extract moisture from the fresh meat. and that does not benefit the result. You can sprinkle the meat with herbs beforehand. Let the beef rest for a while after cooking. This is especially true for a large slice like the roast beef. Think of a resting time of about 20 minutes for a piece of meat of 750 grams or up to 10 minutes for a piece of meat of 300 grams. Finally, never let your roast beef, roast, steak, entrecote, and tenderloin get fully cooked, as this will make the meat tough. Enjoy your meal!
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Incidentally, it is quite conceivable that you choose a nice piece of meat from another animal. Maybe a piece of pork or lamb. It can still differ a bit per country. In France, an entrecote is slightly different from ours. In France you will get a ribeye. In our country, stew comes from the sukade piece, but also from the neck and neck. With us, these are called lean beef cuts and ribs, also known as stewmeat. In Thailand people treat beef differently, it is often tougher and stiffer. The better restaurants in Bangkok buy imported beef. An alternative can be lamb and mutton, which are also very suitable for stewing