A few weeks ago I went to a steak tasting event held by the Meat Standards Australia (MSA). Yes, I know. Itand#8217;s a hard life being a food blogger, isnand#8217;t it?
The event was to announce the MSA has a new logo (see picture above) that will be displayed in supermarkets and butchers to show the meat has been officially graded by each cut (eg. striploin, t-bone etc) for flavour, tenderness and juiciness. This logo will make it easier for you to choose beef cuts that are perfectly matched to their correct cooking method (braising, pan frying etc).
A video was shown detailing all the rigorous tests that carcasses are put through in order to make the grade and I found it absolutely fascinating. I wanted to post the video here, but alas the flash file was too big and I donand#8217;t want to crash my site!
After being schooled on marbling, ageing, fat colour and meat colour we got to taste-test lots of steak and grade them ourselves in accordance with how tender and juicy we thought they were.
Being quite an overachiever, I was a bit nervous about getting the answers wrong, so I was very pleased it was an anonymous test! Interestingly, most people could tell which cooked beef was the best quality. However, it was a bit of a biased crowd; food writers, food editors and dedicated foodies, no less.
On the way out we were given cooler bags filled with gorgeous prime steaks and I used everything I had learned that night to cook the best steak of my life! See step-by-step instructions below.
My Hubby and brother-in-law were served the steaks and they whole-heartedly agreed they were cooked perfectly. Right, boys? Hopefully they will leave a comment here so you know Iand#8217;m not BS-ing you.
Iand#8217;m curious, do you get confused as to which beef cut will be best for what you are going to cook?
Christie x
Fig andamp; Cherry attended the steak dinner with compliments of the MSA and Haystac Public Affairs. Images above supplied courtesy of the MLA / MSA.
How to cook the perfect steak
Step 1 – Coat the meat in oil instead of adding oil to the barbecue grill or hotplate. If the meat has been marinated lightly pat it dry with absorbent paper (this helps the meat brown rather than stew).
Step 2 – Ensure the barbecue is hot before you cook; the meat should sizzle as it makes contact with the plate or grill.
Step 3 – Let the meat cook on one side until moisture appears, then turn once only. Use tongs rather than a barbecue fork to turn the meat.
Step 4 – With practice you can judge the meat’s readiness by touch. Rare is soft, well done is very firm. Rest the meat for a few minutes before serving.
{source: themainmeal.com.au}
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