What are the best cuts of meat?

Meat is one of the most widely consumed types of food in the market nowadays and most people (except vegans and vegetarians) eat meat frequently. As a matter of fact, an average of about 90{bca87cf1efa19e3a118426d32da7a1d646aa2bdb8fdd33986a3a02672676b9d0} of the entire world population has meat of any form in their diet.

Throughout the world, different kinds of meat can be consumed, with the most common being from the following animals: chicken, beef, cows, pork and pigs.

The meat we all eat comes from their muscle areas and there are different cuts of meat for each of these animals.

What makes meat cuts Different from Each Other?

As previously mentioned, there are different sources of meat from a single animal. The places where these are obtained are referred to as “cuts”, and parts of the carcass would refer to different “cuts”. These different parts have different qualities and quantities of meat in them, with some of these parts being layered by fat.

Moreover, some meat cuts are softer than others, as determined by how frequently these muscles were used when these animals were still alive.

Other factors that make the meat cuts from each part different from each other would most definitely have to be the diet of the animal, as well as the amount of fat. The more fat the animal has, the lesser the meat it will contain.

Given that each of these meat cuts have different qualities and quantities, some parts are more highly preferred than others. Moreover, there are certain “premium cuts” that are more expensive due to the fact that it’s found in lesser quantities in animals, and are coveted for their taste.

In order to bring out the best there is in each meat, there are ways in which they are cooked that’s deemed most ideal. If you are wondering about the best cuts of meat, then the factors are listed below.

4 Best Meat Cuts

Tenderloin

Another more popular and fancier term for Tenderloin is Filet Mignon or simply Filet. Out of all the cuts of meat, this is the most expensive. The reason for this is that it’s from under the ribs, the muscle that’s used the least, making it the softest and tenderest among all of the cuts of meat in the animal.

Also, the quantity is not as abundant as that of others. Its purest form is small and could be seen once the fat, silver skin and the gristle have already been removed.

It’s known for having a flavor that somehow resembles butter, and when cooked the right way it definitely melts in your mouth. It’s also distinct for being smaller and thicker than other parts due to its small size.

The best way of cooking the tenderloin cut is as thick as possible and seared on the pan until it has been browned, after which it goes to the oven to be cooked according to your desired taste.

Top Sirloin

The Top Sirloin also goes by names such as contre-fillet, top loin, top sirloin and strip. Just like the Tenderloin variety, it’s usually boneless, and it also comes from the back of the ribs, but this time, the short loin area.

It’s characterized by having a visible layer of fat on one of its edges, with marbled fat scattered across. The meat has fine grains in this part as well, and hence has a nice and soft texture to it.

With a fat content higher than that of tenderloin, these sirloin cuts are soft as well. This also makes it one of the “beefiest” tasting parts.

The best ways through which this can be cooked include stove-top, high-heat cooking, typically through grilling, boiling, or stove-top pan searing.

Porterhouse

The T-bone or the Porterhouse cut is the third among the most popular kinds of cuts for meat. One of the ways in which it stands out is that it comes with the bone.

While people may interchange Porterhouse from T-Bone, the USDA regulates that the tenderloin region has to be one and a quarter of an inch wide, whilea T-bone steak has to be half an inch wide. This cut originates from the short loin section that has not yet been filleted. The reason why it’s also called a T-Bone steak is simply because of the bone that’s shaped like a T, found in between 2 sides of meat, with one side being the New York Strip and the other being Tenderloin.

Fat is abundant in this area, with extensive marbling found all throughout. This makes it one of the most tender and juicy steaks there are in the market.

The way of preparing this meat, however, is one of the trickier ones given that you would need to use a multiple-level fire when you grill, as one side would cook faster than the other. The T-Bone Steak is ideally Grilled or Broiled.

Ribeye

Last of the 4 most popular cuts of meat is the Ribeye. It’s located at the upper ribcage and is also known as prime rib or the standing rib. It’s got a lot of fat surrounding it, with interspersed levels of fat found all throughout.

It’s also fine-grained, and is claimed to be the juiciest, beefiest and most flavorful part. To bring out the best flavors, it could be cooked in any way you like, whether grilled, broiled or seared.

Conclusion

Apart from the cuts, one of the things that you have to keep in mind is that you can’t enjoy the great taste of these premium meat cuts if they are not bought fresh, or if they are not seasoned the right way. Always make sure that you buy the meats straight from the market, and that they are in the finest of conditions.