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Beef Tips - Cooking Tips
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| Pot roasts come from the fore- and hindquarters of the carcass. These muscles are more heavily exercised and contain more connective tissue. These two factors make them less tender. They require moist-heat cooking to tenderize and to develop the natural beef flavors. |
| Family-Priced Oven Roasts are from the round and bottom sirloin. They are leaner and more economical. They are suitable for family fare, casual gatherings, and health-conscious meal preparers. Family priced roasts include tri-tip, round tip, rump, bottom round, and eye round. |
| Premium Oven Roasts are from the rib and short loin and are more costly than standard roasts. They are perfect for holidays, entertaining, and other special occasions. Premium roasts include rib, ribeye, and tenderloin. |
| A roast is a cut of beef thicker than 2-inches that is suitable for cooking by dry heat on a rack in a shallow open pan in the oven or in a covered grill (indirect heat). |
Tips for tender steaks:
- Pat beef dry with paper towels for better browning
- Turn steaks with tongs, not forks that piece the beef allowing flavorful juices to escape
- Salt beef after cooking or browning since salt draws out moisture and inhibits browning
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| Due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients often used in meatloaf, such as onions, celery, and bell peppers, meatloaf may remain pink even when a 160 degree internal temperature has been reached. |
| Use an instant-read thermometer to make sure beef is cooked to the proper internal temperature. Ground beef should be cooked to 160 degrees internal temperature. Steaks and beef roasts should be 145 degrees internally. You can get a great meat thermometer in the Beef Store! |
| When stir-frying, cook beef and vegetables separately, then combine and heat through. |
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| When carving a roast, remember that oven roasts become firmer and easier to carve when allowed to stand 15-20 minutes before carving. For uniform slices, hold the knife at the same angle for each cut. The more tender the roast, the thicker the slices may be. Beef tenderloin, rib, and ribeye roasts can be sliced 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick. Beef tri-tip and round roasts should be carved no more than 1/4-inch thick. |
| Always marinate in the refrigerator. Never marinate at room temperature. |
| When marinating, allow 1/4 - 1/2 cup of marinade for each 1-2 pounds of beef. |
| When cooking with acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, citrus juices, or wine, use pans with non-reactive interior surfaces like non-stick, anodized aluminum, or stainless steel. Reactive metals such as aluminum and cast iron can affect the taste and color of dishes with acidic ingredients. |
| Use the pan size specified in the recipe. If the pan is too small, the beef will be crowded and browning will be inhibited. If the pan is too large, overcooking may result. |
| When preparing beef for stir-frying, partially freeze beef for easier slicing (about 30 minutes). |
| Turn steaks and roasts with tongs, not with a fork. A fork pierces the beef, allowing flavorful juices to be lost. |
| Dry rubs consist of herbs, spices and other dry seasonings. Paste-type rubs are dry seasonings held together with small amounts of wet ingredients, such as oil, crushed garlic, mustard, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and horseradish. |
| Do not overcrowd beef when cooking. Overcrowding prevents the browning of beef, which caramelizes the proteins to create intense flavors and aromas found in many of your favorite beef dishes (commonly known as the Maillard Reaction). |
| Flavoring marinades are used with tender beef cuts for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Tenderizing marinades are used with less tender beef cuts, usually chuck, round, flank, and skirt. |
| When using marinades for basting or to serve as a sauce, reserve a portion of the marinade before adding it to the raw beef. Marinade that has been in contact with uncooked meat MUST be brough to a full, rolling boil before it can be used as a sauce. |
| The secret to moist, flavorful meatloaves and meatballs is to mix lightly. Over-mixing results in a firm, compact, less tender texture after cooking. |
| Salt beef after cooking or browning. Salt draws out moisture and inhibits browning. |
| For tender cuts, dry heat methods like grilling, pan-broiling, broiling, roasting, and stir-frying are best.
For less tender cuts, moist heat, covered methods like braising, pot roasting, and stewing work best. |
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