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Having a freezer full of meat is a must when you own a restaurant. Whether you serve meat as the main protein, such as a steak or roasted chicken, or use it as an additional ingredient, running out of it is never an option.
Aside from stocking up on the cuts that you use for most of your dishes, it also pays to keep a supply of other cuts that you can whip up into other savory masterpieces.
Frozen meat suppliers in the UAE say that there are several cuts of beef versatile enough to be used in a variety of dishes. They can also work as substitutes if you run out of ingredients for your other menu items.
Best Cuts of Meat to Stock Up On
Below are the six most versatile cuts of beef you should always have in your commercial freezer:
1. Chuck
The beef chuck is a large cut that comes primarily from the shoulder section and parts of the neck, rib, and upper arm of a steer. A whole cut makes up 30 percent of an entire side of beef and weighs more than 100 pounds.
Because of its size, a chuck cut is further divided into the following:
- Chuck eye steak, also called chuck steak or chuck roast
- Chuck tenders or petite tenders
- Chuck short ribs or chuck flap tail
- Flatiron or the shoulder clod
- Shank
Cuts from the chuck are often best cooked slowly with sauce or broth, such as braising, stewing, or pot-roasting.
Also, beef chuck is relatively fatty and loaded with immense, beefy flavor. Collagen from this cut also melts when cooked, making the meat flavorful. Because of these reasons, chuck is often used for making hamburgers.
However, chuck is not only best used as hamburger meat. Chuck eye steak is an excellent substitute for ribeye since they are nearly similar in terms of tenderness and flavor. However, the chuck eye steak is less expensive than the ribeye.
Chuck short ribs are rich, flavorful, moist, and tender when slow-cooked. They are best braised and sous vide.
2. Cube roll
The cube roll, or ribeye roll, is a primary cut where the ribeye and tomahawk steak cuts come from. The prime rib is the ribeye cut with part of the rib attached, while the tomahawk is an on-the-bone rib steak from the forerib with the whole rib bone left.
Both cuts have a wonderful balance of marbling and flavor and are succulent and tender, making them a favorite among steak lovers. Ribeye and tomahawk steaks are best cooked pan-fried, grilled, or roasted. Cube roll cuts can also be cut into smaller and thin slices to add to stews, soups, noodles, and pasta dishes.
3. Short loin
A short loin is a cut of beef coming from the back of a steer. It contains part of the spine and includes the tenderloin and top loin. Cuts from the short loin are some of the most expensive in the market. Short loin cuts are very lean but often lack the flavor of some of the other beef cuts that contain more fat and connective tissue.
The short loin yields different cuts of steak, including the porterhouse, strip steak or Kansas City strip and New York strip, and T-bone. However, the T-bone is a cut that contains less of the tenderloin than the porterhouse.
Grilling, broiling, and roasting are the best ways to cook short loin cuts. Make sure you avoid overcooking these since they can lose their natural tenderness.
4. Striploin
A striploin is a boneless cut that comes from the short loin, near the tenderloin and, below the rib cage. It is well-marbled and renowned for its great balance of flavor and tenderness. It is one of the best cuts of beef since it is infused with the succulent taste of red meat and juicy fat.
Striploin is also known as the New York steak and is one of the most popular types of steak ordered in many restaurants. Because of this, striploin is compatible with any kind of cooking method but is often grilled, broiled, roasted, pan-seared, and baked to bring out its flavor.
Aside from cooking it as steak, you can cut striploin into strips or smaller pieces and add them to stir-fried dishes, salads, sandwiches, and pasta.
5. Tenderloin
Tenderloin is a beef cut between the sirloin and top loin. The meat from this part is tender and flavorful, even if it has a low fat content. Tenderloin is among the most expensive and popular steak cuts in high-end restaurants. The meat steak is ideal for barbecue and grilling since due it has a low amount of fat layer, causing minimal flame flare-ups.
Due to its size, a tenderloin can be shared by two or more people. Also, thanks to its mouthwatering flavor, most of the time, it does not need any sauce. The tenderloin is also the cut of choice for use in beef wellington.
6. Filet Mignon
Filet mignon steak is a cut of beef from the tenderloin that is part of a steer’s short loin. Fillet mignon is also known as filet de boeuf and tender steak. As one of the most expensive and luxurious cuts of beef, filet mignon has a soft, buttery texture that gives way at the touch of a steak knife and melts in your mouth.
A filet mignon, though, does not have a high fat content, which means it has a milder flavor and is less juicy. Because of this, it is recommended for people on a diet.
The filet mignon is also versatile enough to be cooked in various methods, including pan-roasting and grilling. Additionally, there is low fat to compensate for overcooking, so you can also sous vide it.
Regardless of which cuts you buy, ensure you get them from a trusted supplier. Doing so gives you a guarantee that you only order high-quality meats that you can store in your freezer and use in your menu items. Once you find a reliable meat supplier, build a good relationship with them since it is a great strategy that can help you boost the growth of your food business.
Jad Asaad is the Marketing Manager at Bidfood UAE with more than eight years of experience in digital, online and offline marketing. He started his career in Beirut working in a creative agency and then moved to Dubai to further expand his career. He created and implemented award-winning high-impact digital and offline marketing campaigns that consistently generated revenue streams and improved performance in targeted segments.
