Prime Cuts

Know how to recognize the best

By Loretta Haring

Salads are nice. Baked beans are a staple. And a cookout isn’t really a cookout without watermelon.

But meat is the heart of most grill gatherings.

What’s the best?

The answer is simple, says Steve LeBarron, owner of The Butcher’s Block in Annapolis. “What you like is what is best. I find that people tend to like what they grew up with.”

People usually buy based on geography, LeBarron says. “Did you grow up on the West Coast? In the Northeast? That’s really what determines what most people buy.”

There are only a few things to keep in mind when selecting beef for your cookout: number of people attending, how you are going to cook the meat, and how you like it done.

“If you like your meat rare, don’t buy a thin-cut steak.”

LeBarron says meat gets its flavor from two sources: the amount of internal fat or marbling and the aging. He says to reach the peak of flavor and tenderness, meat needs to be aged about 3 weeks.

The best beef is USDA Prime. Only around 2 percent of all beef produced in the United States earns this grade. USDA Choice is the next-highest quality.

Select follows on the quality scale. LeBarron says much of the meat sold in large grocery chains is Select. “Sometimes it will be labeled (brand name) Choice. But it’s not really ‘Choice’ unless it’s USDA Choice. So (brand name) Choice is just the top of the USDA Select that that store is selling.”

Labeling tends to confuse consumers, LeBarron says. Beef labeled “Angus” doesn’t guarantee the meat came from an Angus animal, but that it does meet strict standards established by the American Angus Association. “You are paying for hand-picked meat,” LeBarron says.

People have started asking for grass-fed beef, LeBarron says, thinking it is a healthier option. “But they don’t realize that it tastes different. Choice beef is all going to be from ‘fed’ cattle, cattle eating corn in a feed lot. You won’t get that flavor from grass-fed.”

“All-natural” and “organic” labeling also causes confusion. “Certified organic must follow much tighter specifications than all-natural,” LeBarron says. “Certified organic means there can be no use of chemicals for many years. That drives the price.”

LeBarron assures that the major cattle packers are all buying “good and clean” beef, so there isn’t a need to worry about growth hormones or antibiotics in your meat.

Another key to a good cookout is buying fresh meat, not frozen. Meat has a very high water content, so freezing causes the expansion and breakage of internal cell walls. And when the cell walls break, the “water goes out,” LeBarron says.

When cooking, internal temperature is key. “An experienced cook can push on the meat with his finger, and know where it stands. As it cooks, it gets firmer.”

A meat thermometer can assure perfect results. “Just don’t forget that as meat rests, it will go up a few degrees.”

LeBarron recomments 120 to 125 degrees for rare meat; 131 to 135 for medium rare. Poultry should be cooked to 165 degrees for safety. While health officials recommend 165 for pork, too, LeBarron says you’ll have better results at 145 to 150 degrees. “Trichinosis has virtually been eliminated from the American food supply. A little bit of pink is OK. You don’t have to kill the pork.”

The proliferation of “celebrity” chefs, cookbooks and cooking shows has affected how people think about food, LeBarron says, and “not always for the better. They suggest things, then people come in and what to duplicate it. Of course, we always give the customer what they want, but sometimes it doesn’t make a lot of sense. The chef is trying to distinguish himself, but he’s not taking into account a person’s pocketbook.”

The Butcher’s Block offers handcut USDA Prime beef, as well as pork, chicken, sausages and a variety of exotic meats. It also carries a selection of wines, cheeses, spices and other gourmet foods, plus has a deli and lunch and dinner menus. It is located at 302 Harry S Truman Parkway, Suite K in Annapolis. 410-266-6633. www.thebutchersblock.net

From the butcher’s block

Steve LeBarron, owner of The Butcher’s Block in Annapolis, offers these meaty tips to make your next cookout a success:

• Use 80 percent lean ground chuck for the best burgers.
• When you buy ground beef, check with the butcher to make sure it is ground on the premises. Some chain stores receive already-ground meat from the packers, so it will not be as fresh.
• The best ground meat comes from whole muscle meat. Whole muscle meat is meat that has fat attached. “The meat and fat are natural to each other, so they work together better. Some places grind trimmed meat together with trimmed fat. Since they come from separate sources, they tend to separate when you are trying to cook.”
• Tougher cuts of meat — round, flank or skirt — require marinade or rubs.
• Salt can hinder browning, so don’t use it at the beginning of cooking.
• Look for Duroc or Berkshire pork. The meat from these breeds still contains internal fat, which some producers have tried to eliminate. “And if you breed the fat out of it, you breed the flavor out of it.” The internal fat allows for meat that is more moist and tender, even if done on the grill.
• Specialty meats offer a leaner alternative. Bison, venison and elk are all very lean, and can add variety to your menu. “Just remember they will cook faster, and you don’t want them to be well done.”
• Kobe beef is not a leaner meat; it is highly marbled but has a high percentage of unsaturated fat. Kobe burgers are a good option for people who want to enjoy this high-end specialty meat but have a limited budget.
• Never boil your ribs. “When you throw away that water, you throw away the flavor.” Instead, cook them in a 400 degree oven with a little water, then brown them off on the grill.
• Rib cuts are also a matter of preference. Baby back ribs are cut from nearest the backbone, from the loin muscle. Spare ribs are closer to the belly. “Spare ribs are the same meat as bacon. The baby back is more like the pork chop. Both can give you absolutely tender, flavorful meat. But it’s easier to cook the back rib, so that might be why more people like them. Of course, it also can be a regional preference.”
• Don’t sauce until the last few minutes of cooking. The sugar in the sauce will caramelize, and will burn if exposed to heat for too long.
• Always allow meat to rest before cutting. “If you let it rest for 5 minutes or so, the molecules, which are moving around when they become heated, will settle down, so you’ll have a juicy steak, not a juicy plate. The flavor will end up in your mouth, not on your platter.”
• Always use fresh chicken. Avoid poultry with dried out, or brown or gray spots. Check at the joints; if the bones look black the chicken was previously frozen.
• The color of a chicken’s skin is influenced by its diet. Local favorite Perdue chickens have a golden yellow skin because their feed includes yellow corn and marigolds. Chickens raised in Maine, by contrast, usually have a whiter skin because their diet includes clam shells.
• Higher-quality sausage stands up better to grilling. Why? Because lower-quality sausages use more fat and water as filler, and the higher the fat and water content, the greater the “sizzle, pop and flame. That will give you burned up and shriveled sausage.”
• Read labels. Some discount stores “pump” poultry, adding up to 15 percent water. It may cost you less money, but you’re also getting less real meat.
• If you are buying prepackaged meat at the grocery, you may not be able to find particular cuts you’ve favored in the past. “Cuts have changed. Especially, there are not as much meat with bones in it. If you don’t see something you like, ask the butcher.”
• Listen to your butcher.