The cut of meat I chose is the shank and it comes from a cow. I decided to write about this cut of beef because its not as popular as some of the other cuts and also because I thought that it would be something interesting to research about since I don't know much about it.
Beef is either grass-fed or grain-fed. Grass-fed beef is better for you because it's diet is primarily grass which is what it should be. The cow's diet makes it so that the meat has less fat, calories, and it is also much healthier, as well. grass fed cows usually live better lives. Grain-fed beef is cheaper but it also pumped full of drugs and hormones to grow faster and antibiotics to survive the unsanitary conditions in the feeding lots they are put in. Their diet is mainly corn and soy based, sometimes even with added animal bi-product. In Canada all beef is graded and tagged, the top 4 grades that we concern ourselves with are A, AA, AAA, and Prime. The largest amount of beef comes from Alberta and All beef inspection in Canada is controlled by the Canadian Food inspection Agency. When choosing beef you also have the choice between dry aged or wet aged. Dry aged being more expensive but having more flavour and tenderness, and wet aged, which is cheaper and more available, but doesn't have as much concentrated flavour. There are 12 primal cuts of beef that come from the cow. There are the forequarter cuts which include the ribs, brisket, chuck, etc. Then there are the hindquarter cuts, the more tender, luxurious, "expensive" cuts, which include the round, loin, and flank. The shank is a primal forequarter cut. Beef shanks comes from the cows leg also know as the shin or fore shank. Since the cow uses this muscle the most the shank is very lean and doesn't have much fat, which intern makes it a very tough and "gamey" cut of meat. But if cooked the proper way it can be quite tender and tasty. The cut is best cooked for long periods of time with moist heat.
As I previously stated beef shanks are best cooked for long periods of time with moist heat, when cooking beef shanks think low-and-slow. They can be braised, browned & then put in the slow cooker, or used in soups & stews. These methods are best when cooking a tough cut of meat like this because they break down the connective tissue and make the meat tender. The added bonus is the bone marrow inside that people consider decadent beef butter that you can sop up with bread or add to a soup. Since the beef shank isn't as popular as the other cuts of meat it can be inexpensive which in turn is light on your wallet and big on flavour.
A consideration that you have to make when purchasing beef shanks is that they are not stacked, if they are stacked you could be getting pieces that are mostly bone with little meat. It is recommended that you look for pieces with small bones, they will have more meat, and less tough membranes. Furthermore as with all beef if you can find grass-fed beef it will be better, also look for meat that says no antibiotics or added growth hormones. If you don't see the bone marrow in the meat case just ask your butcher to check if there are any in the back. Another consideration to think about would be going to a butcher instead of your local grocery store, you'll have more luck finding them and they may be cheaper.
Beef is either grass-fed or grain-fed. Grass-fed beef is better for you because it's diet is primarily grass which is what it should be. The cow's diet makes it so that the meat has less fat, calories, and it is also much healthier, as well. grass fed cows usually live better lives. Grain-fed beef is cheaper but it also pumped full of drugs and hormones to grow faster and antibiotics to survive the unsanitary conditions in the feeding lots they are put in. Their diet is mainly corn and soy based, sometimes even with added animal bi-product. In Canada all beef is graded and tagged, the top 4 grades that we concern ourselves with are A, AA, AAA, and Prime. The largest amount of beef comes from Alberta and All beef inspection in Canada is controlled by the Canadian Food inspection Agency. When choosing beef you also have the choice between dry aged or wet aged. Dry aged being more expensive but having more flavour and tenderness, and wet aged, which is cheaper and more available, but doesn't have as much concentrated flavour. There are 12 primal cuts of beef that come from the cow. There are the forequarter cuts which include the ribs, brisket, chuck, etc. Then there are the hindquarter cuts, the more tender, luxurious, "expensive" cuts, which include the round, loin, and flank. The shank is a primal forequarter cut. Beef shanks comes from the cows leg also know as the shin or fore shank. Since the cow uses this muscle the most the shank is very lean and doesn't have much fat, which intern makes it a very tough and "gamey" cut of meat. But if cooked the proper way it can be quite tender and tasty. The cut is best cooked for long periods of time with moist heat.
As I previously stated beef shanks are best cooked for long periods of time with moist heat, when cooking beef shanks think low-and-slow. They can be braised, browned & then put in the slow cooker, or used in soups & stews. These methods are best when cooking a tough cut of meat like this because they break down the connective tissue and make the meat tender. The added bonus is the bone marrow inside that people consider decadent beef butter that you can sop up with bread or add to a soup. Since the beef shank isn't as popular as the other cuts of meat it can be inexpensive which in turn is light on your wallet and big on flavour.
A consideration that you have to make when purchasing beef shanks is that they are not stacked, if they are stacked you could be getting pieces that are mostly bone with little meat. It is recommended that you look for pieces with small bones, they will have more meat, and less tough membranes. Furthermore as with all beef if you can find grass-fed beef it will be better, also look for meat that says no antibiotics or added growth hormones. If you don't see the bone marrow in the meat case just ask your butcher to check if there are any in the back. Another consideration to think about would be going to a butcher instead of your local grocery store, you'll have more luck finding them and they may be cheaper.
Picture of raw beef Shanks at the top of the page from:
http://northernnewmexicoranchito.blogspot.ca/2012/04/wine-braised-beef-shanks-with-goat.html
http://northernnewmexicoranchito.blogspot.ca/2012/04/wine-braised-beef-shanks-with-goat.html