How to Cook Beef

How to Cook Beef
If you're like me, you are probably intimidated by a big chunk of beef. Did you purchase the right cut? How should you cook it? What happens inside the piece of meat while it cooks? And how can you best bring out the flavor and juiciness?
Most people serve large cuts of beef only on special occasions. A standing rib roast, a beef tenderloin, or pot roast is expensive and merits a formal occasion like a holiday or birthday. Your beef entree will be a huge success once you understand a bit about meat structure and how it cooks



Meat is a muscle. Whether it has a lot of fat or a little, needs wet or dry heat to cook it, and is light or dark colored depends on its location on the animal. Fat, collagen, protein, sugar, and water behave in specific ways inside the beef muscle as it is prepared and cooked.
For beef, there are eight 'primal cuts'. At the top of the animal, starting near the head and going back toward the tail, they are chuck, rib, short loin, sirloin, and round. Underneath the animal, from front to back, they are brisket, plate, and flank. The tenderness or toughness of the cut depends on how much the animal has had to use the muscle. Therefore, cuts near the shoulder or leg, which are used often for movement, are going to be tougher. The muscles that are not used as much, in the center of the animal, include the rib, plate, and loin. These cuts are cooked in different ways to maximize flavor and tenderness.

Making Great Hamburger (or Sandwich) Buns

Making Great Hamburger (or Sandwich) Buns
We've said it before, “Buns make the burger” and nothing makes a better burger than homemade buns.  In fact, once you've had a burger on a fresh homemade bun, burgers will never be the same. 

You can use your favorite bread mix (or bread recipe) to make some terrific hamburger or sandwich buns.  A two-loaf mix will make about eighteen large hamburger buns and a single-loaf mix or bread machine mix will make eight or ten. 

Mix the dough according to the package or recipe directions and then remove the dough to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic. Let it rise until it is doubled and very puffy--an hour or more.


Grease two large baking sheets (for a two loaf mix) or cover them with parchment paper. Once the dough has risen, deflate it and divide the dough into eighteen equal pieces with a sharp knife (or scale the pieces at 3 ounces each on your kitchen scales). Form smooth round balls by pulling the dough around the center and pinching the seams together on the bottom of the roll. Place them on the greased sheet allowing room for them to expand. (You can place a dozen of them on a 12-inch by 18-inch baking sheet---three rows of four buns each.)On the baking sheet, gently press the balls into flat discs with your hand. The dough will tend to spring back. Allow the dough to relax a few minutes and then press again. You may need to repeat the process again until you have discs that are 3 1/2 to 4 inches in diameter and 1/2 to 3/4-inches thick.


Lightly dust the tops with flour (we use a screen or strainer to distribute the flour). Cover the rolls lightly with plastic and allow them to rise again until doubled and puffy--about an hour. Let them rise completely for soft, light buns.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 15 minutes or until the tops are a rich golden brown.  If you are baking both sheets at once, switch the top sheet with the bottom sheet half way through the baking so that the buns will bake evenly. Immediately remove the rolls to a wire rack to cool.

from - http://www.google.co.th/images?hl=th&q=make%20hamburger&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1007&bih=455

Make the Best Sirloin Beef Steak dinner with Sweet Green Beans & Onions

Make the Best Sirloin Beef Steak dinner with Sweet Green Beans & Onions
How to make the Best Beef Steak Dinner ever with sweet Green Beans and onions. This recipe is one sweet tasty dish with a taste that will blow your mind. Its quick and easy to make – Enjoy cooking this yummy recipe. -heres the items you will need-Sirloin Beef Steak (or use your Favorite kind or Steak)- Green Beans fresh or caned – soy sauce – 1 onion – Garlic Powder – Butter – 2 cups of Rice – powered sugar – salt – black pepper – aluminium foil – 2 cooking pots with lids- 1 shallow cooking pan – cutting board or plate to cut Onion-…

from - http://1001how2.com/make-the-best-sirloin-beef-steak-dinner-with-sweet-green-beans-onions/

Italian Dressing Marinated Steaks

Italian Dressing Marinated Steaks

One of the best marinades you can buy is Italian Dressing. The combination of oil and vinegar with the herbs and spices makes it flavorful and a powerful tenderizer. This is one the the best shortcuts to marinating meats.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 steaks
• 1 container of Italian dressing
• Lawry's seasoning salt
• lemon pepper seasoning
• black pepper

Preparation:

Use a sealed container and place both steaks in it. Pour the entire bottle of Italian dressing over them and let marinade overnight or for several hours with the container sealed in the refrigerator. (The vinegar in the dressing breaks up muscle tissue and makes a very tender steak) A hour before cooking, combine seasoned salt, lemon pepper and black pepper and season steaks to preference. When steaks are cooking continue seasoning with lemon pepper until cooked to preference.

 

from - http://bbq.about.com/od/steakrecipes/r/bln0206b.htm

How to Make Cube Steak Casserole

Cubed Steak Casserole

This recipe for Cubed Steak Casserole is easy to make with just a few ingredients. You will need cubed steak, butter, onion, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and paprika. Cube Steak Casserole is delicious served over rice, noodles or served alone. This dish also freezes well and is quick for those nights you do not have time to prepare a full meal, add a dinner salad and you have a great quick meal.
 
Ingredients needed for Cubed Steak Casserole:
2 cubed steaks, ½ to ¾ inch thick
¼ to ½ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup onion, chopped
3 cans cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash of paprika
Salt and Pepper
Flour for dredging steak cubes about ¼ to ½ cup
Directions for making Cubed Steak Casserole:
Step 1: Remove fat from cubed steak.
Step 2: Cut steaks into cubes, about ½ or ¾ inch size.
Step 3: Salt, pepper and dredge meat cubes in flour.
Step 4: Place butter or margarine in a large regular or electric skillet, heat until melted.
Step 5: Brown steak in melted butter or margarine.
Step 6: Add onions, cream of mushroom soup, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce and paprika to meat.
Step 7: Cook on low heat, about 1 hour.
Step 8: Serve over rice, noodles or alone.
Tips:
For cubed steak sirloin or round steak will work well.
Freezes well
Serve over rice, noodles or alone.
Great served with a dinner salad
Warning:
Use caution when browning meat in hot skillet.

Image by Dryad & Sprite Photography
from - http://www.firehow.com/2010111221474/how-to-make-cube-steak-casserole.html

How to Make Steaks

Your not going to get the perfect steak unless you start with the perfect cut.

What you have there is a select single ribeye steak from the chuck end. It ways around 1.75 to 2.50lbs and is approximately 2-3 inches thick.



A steak this thick is not going to cook in 8 minutes. It would come out way to rare. For most steaks around 1.5 inches thick, this method would work. But for that thick steak you have there, i would Finish it on the oven rack at 325 for about a half hour catching the drippings for au juis.

Good video none the less. Grapeseed oil is I good tip. Are there other oils that handle high heat well?

check out my cooking instructable.. Beef Florentine Pinwheels