Marbled beef is on everyone's lips today. After all, steaks are one of the most popular dishes among Russians, and best of all they are obtained from such meat. Today, the most popular option for marbled meat is Black Angus beef. However, not everyone knows what exactly she is.
Premium meat - this is the name of such beef as Black Angus (Black Angus). It is from such meat that the best and most delicious steak is made. This kind of beef is classified as a marble product. And this is the highest standard. At the same time, few really understand why the original steak can only be made from such beef, and how exactly the same marbling can be achieved.
Product description
Black Angus (another name for Aberdeen Angus) is a first-class breed of cows whose meat compares favorably in taste, nutritional value and calorie content from other varieties. This breed was bred already 2 centuries ago - in the 19th century. Black Angus is native to Angushire in Scotland. Breeding of the new breed was already engaged in the county of Aberdeenshire. Due to this, this breed received two names at once. Angus bulls are usually black or red. The second, by the way, is considered the most common.
Representatives of the breed are fairly large animals that have a thick dark withers. At the same time, an interesting fact, but such animals have no horns at all. Since this beef is premium, the breeders initially "programmed" the animals so that they can quickly build muscle mass. Therefore, representatives of this breed are rapidly growing and increasing in volume - experts note that with the right approach and care, such cows and bulls can gain one and a half kilograms of weight per day.
When compared with other breeds, the yield of clean meat after slaughter for this breed is more than 65%.
What is the marbling of meat?
For most people, the name Black Angus is associated primarily not with the cows themselves, but with the way their meat looks. Marbled beef has a special value. This name is given to meat due to the presence of thin fatty layers in the muscle tissues, which form an interesting pattern. The more such layers there are, the more juicy and tender it will be at the output. You can usually use this for various delicacies and unusual gourmet dishes.
The layers appear due to the genetic predisposition of animals of this breed. The proper nutrition of the bulls also plays a role. So, for example, when, 3 or 4 months before slaughter, the weight of the animal is already 350 kg, they begin to transfer it from fresh grass in the diet to special grain feeding. It is this measure that becomes the reason for the formation of fatty layers of the required thickness. The grain diet of gobies implies that they will be fed mainly with corn or barley. And the period of such feeding lasts up to 200-200 days. Such a measure allows not only to achieve the appearance of veins between the muscle fibers, but also changes their color from yellow to white.
An interesting variant of obtaining marbling of meat is practiced in Japan. The gobies are fed a plant like alfalfa, wheat is added to their diet, they are given special beer, and then they are hung over the stall so that the fat is stored and not splashed. The lack of movement is compensated for by massage, and to relieve stress in the animal, they let the bulls listen to classical compositions.
Typically, in cattle, fat builds up on top of the meat, not inside it. And if you cook a steak like that, then as a result it will be slightly rubbery. So marbled meat is a good option for preparing a good and high-quality steak. When heated, the fat is heated, soaking the whole piece with juice. The right black angus steak, cooked in a cafe or restaurant, or at home, will literally melt in your mouth.
How to check the quality of meat?
Naturally, anything is possible. Therefore, it is worth studying how high-quality and good meat under the Black Angus brand should look like. Experts highlight several points that you need to pay attention to when choosing marbled beef:
- The meat should have a rich red color if it was obtained from an adult mature animal, or be slightly paler if it was taken from a calf
- The meat must remain dry when touched with your hand
- There should be no mucus on the surface of the meat
- The smell of meat should be pleasant - there can be no trace of sourness
- The veins of fat in the piece must be evenly distributed
It should be understood that if the meat is packed, for example, in a vacuum, you should not try to assess its freshness right away - after opening the package, you should let it sit for about half an hour and rest slightly. Regular beef can be studied right away, but here you need to give time to fully enjoy the cooking process.
Black Angus Beef Myths
Today there are many myths associated with this breed of beef. For example, it is often believed that the best product is imported from abroad. It is in these proportions of fat and muscle fibers that are optimally observed. In fact, the right type of meat for the perfect classic steak can be easily found in Russia today. People engaged in breeding various breeds of cattle have long learned to breed the necessary options on Russian soil.
Some people think that it is better to cook fresh beef - it will not taste so good when it is lying down. In fact, the meat needs a little time to ripen, and for this it just needs to lie down a little.
What steak options can you cook
You can cook different steaks from marbled beef - it all depends on which part of the carcass the meat is taken from. So, today the most popular options are distinguished, including:
- Ribeye is the most premium option that can be made at home, while it will be delicious and juicy. The name of the steak is translated as a combination of two English words rib and eyes, i.e. indicates where the piece comes from and the shape of its cross-section. This option is the juiciest and easiest to prepare.
- New York - steak from a thin sirloin edge, is a strip with a rectangular section. The marbling of this option is slightly weaker, but at the same time the muscle fibers in such a piece are more tender
- Tenderloin is a tenderloin that is obtained from a unique muscle that is not normally involved in the movement of a bull.
- Cowboy - a piece of beef from the most marbled part of the carcass when the rib part is preserved
- Shortloin - lumbar steaks
- T-bone - a piece of meat that is named so because of its T-shaped bone that separates the meat into two different types
A portion of steak is usually selected according to the personal preferences of a particular person. In addition, attention should be paid to the degree of roast, which can be:
- Vary Rare - Strongly Raw
- Rare - meat with blood
- Medium Rare - medium-moist when a lot of pinkish juice
- Medium - medium roast with slightly pink juice
- Medium Well - almost fried
- Well Done - completely fried
One piece of meat steak is usually from 300 grams. When you look at a photo of a well-cooked Black Angus steak, your appetite flares up instantly.
