All the Different Parts of the Cow Part 2
Part TWO. Yo. I decided to split this up because one post is just too much to read in one sitting. Here's the second part.
Ribs
The ribs come from the backbone and ribs of the cow. Subprimal steak cuts include the cowboy steak, rib steak, ribeye steak, and Delmonico steak. The cuts with rib bones are called back ribs. The back ribs are slightly tougher than the backbone area. The backbone steaks have a lot of marbling, which make it delicious and juicy. I really don't have to explain this part too much. BBQ. RIBS. BBQ. RIBS. BBQ. RIBS. If you don't enjoy these, please move to another universe. Ribs are fun, messy, and tasty. You're missing out on some serious happiness if you don't eat ribs at least once a month.
Short Plate
The short plate is underneath the ribs. It holds the short rib bones and skirt steaks. Skirt steak is cooked well with dry heat or on the grill but short ribs are better when cooked with moist heat at lower temperatures. YES baby. THE FLAVES. I don't know too much about all the varieties of galbi but basically, it's a marinaded short ribs in soy sauce, garlic, and some sugar. The meat is cut across the bones, which lets the marinade seep through the meat and helps the meat cook quicker. It's delicious, fun to eat and cook, which makes for a great overall eating experience. We thank you for this, Korea. Don't even get me started on the slow-cooked braised short ribs. It melts in your mouth better than ice cream.
Short Loin
Short loin is located along the center of the cow's back. This cut includes the porterhouse steak, t-bone steak, tenderloin roast, tenderloin steak, hanger steak, strip steak, and the boneless top loin steak. Short loin is more expensive but very tender. The muscle is not used very often, which means it does not toughen as quickly. I don't even know what to say about this cut. It's juicy, it's flavorful, and it's perfect on its own. Dry-aged and seasoned short loin will really bring out all the heavenly tastes. After a certain point, the quality of the beef will play a huge role in the taste. I'll probably try to do a few posts on the different types like Kobe, Waygu, etc.
Sirloin and Bottom Sirloin
The sirloin comes from the lower back and down towards the stomach. Sirloin cuts include sirloin steak, top sirloin steak, tri-tip steak, coulotte steak, bottom sirloin, and ball tip steak. Again, the loin is very tender and is low in connective tissue. Compared to short loin, it has more flavor but it's slightly less tender. Again, the flavor is just insane when cooked well. For the sirloins and the short loins, I'd probably recommend everyone to eat them medium-rare to medium (if you don't like seeing a lot of blood). If you ever eat these well-done or well, you're just missing out on all the flavor. If you don't trust the restaurant, it's still pretty safe to just order your steak medium. Especially when eating the higher quality steaks like Wagyu, you'll probably best off eating them medium to medium-rare.
Round
Round is composed of the cow's entire back leg. The round cooks well whether it is used with moist heat (braising) or dry heat (roasting). Cuts from the round include round roasts, round steaks, London broil, top/bottom round steaks, and eye round. It helps a lot to marinade the round before cooking. The London broil has a really confusing history to it, you can find it here. But really, it's just a specific method of cooking the round. The round is great, inexpensive, and you can always turn it into roast beef for some sandwiches later on.
Flank
The flank is below the loin, along the underside of the cow. The flank is tough and can be used for flank steak or ground beef. Since flank is a tough cut, it benefits a lot from marinading. Below is a picture that links to some crazy flank dishes. The Jack Daniels Flank Steak sounds pretty awesome with a bad ass marinade recipe. Bomb.com. The stuffed flank steak creates little flavor bombs of red pepper, spinach, garlic, blue cheese, and flank to give you a mind blowing experience.