Why you can’t beat US beef

[rooster59]

Why you can’t beat US beef

By Jintana Panyaarvudh 
The Nation Weekend

 

You choose the right grade of beef, your preferred cut, and then fire up the grill.

 

Stetson-capped celebrity chef Jay McCarthy shows Bangkok shoppers how to grill a real fine steak

 

FOR STEAK lovers who enjoy cooking their own juicy chunks of beef, this week’s visit to Bangkok by American celebrity chef was a Texas-sized blessing. Jay McCarthy came armed with tips on how to get the most out of meat.

 

McCarthy was in town as America’s Beef Ambassador, promoting US beef with a demonstration on how to select the most suitable cut and how to turn it into the perfect steak dinner at home. 

 

He began by explaining that the US government grades beef in descending order of quality as either “Prime” (with the most marbling of fat), “Choice” or “Select”.

 

American chef McCarthy

Both the amount of marbling and the animal’s maturity are taken into account in predicting the tenderness, juiciness and flavour of the meat, McCarthy said.

 

Most restaurants in the US serve Choice or Prime despite the higher cost both to them and the customer, knowing these grades produce the best results. 

 

For home cooking, Select beef from the supermarket is still great, he said, though it’s true that the more marbling, the more taste and juiciness.

 

“I know a lot of Thai people don’t like marbling because they think it’s just wasteful fat, but that’s what gives beef its flavour,” he said.

 

You choose the right grade of beef, your preferred cut, and then fire up the grill.

 

Wearing his signature cowboy hat, McCarthy fired up the grill and demonstrated how to cook Tomahawk and Rib Eye steaks the way it should be done at home.

 

First, he said, the meat has to be at room temperature – 15 to 18 degrees Celsius. “Don’t take it straight from the refrigerator and cook it because it cooks differently when it’s cold. At room temperature, it will cook more easily.”

 

McCarthy believes adding a little pepper and sea salt makes the meat tastier, and he advised against flipping the steak too often while it’s cooking. “Flip it when you see the juice pooling on top. Once you get the meat to the desired redness, it’s done.”

 

His final tip was perhaps the one the fewest home cooks know about. Once the meat is off the grill, he said, let it rest and cool for three or four minutes before you slice into it.

 

McCarthy said a robust beef like New York strip loin is probably best suited to spicy Thai cuisine because it’s so strongly flavoured.

 

Tomahawk steak is here to tempt.

 

“Squeezing lime or lemon over grilled steak will both add flavour and suit the Thai palate,” he said.

 

For Thai beef salad or a marinated and grilled dish, he recommended flank steak, which comes from the cow’s abdomen or lower chest.

 

“My mom has always cooked flank at home. It’s better value than New York strip loin and rib eye, which are more in demand and higher priced,” McCarthy said. He prefers strip steak because it’s a muscle that’s done little work and is thus tender.

 

Born in New York, raised in Jamaica and educated in Texas, the kitchen magician has earned accolades for his innovative style and won awards for his restaurants. 

 

McCarthy appears often on cable television’s Food Network and on radio and is a much-sought-after food critic and judge. He spends much of the year consulting, teaching and lecturing at home and abroad.

 

McCarthy serves Tomahawk steak at a “Tasty America” promotion at Siam Paragon’s Gourmet Market.

 

His cooking demonstration helped kick off a “Tasty America” promotion organised by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) office at the American embassy in Bangkok. It continues through Tuesday at the Gourmet Markets at Siam Paragon, EmQuartier and Emporuim.

 

The US exported $4 million worth of beef and beef products to Thailand last year – up 30 per cent from 2016 – according to the country’s agricultural attache, Paul Welcher. He credited the steady rise in demand to the meat’s high quality and tastiness.

 

The USDA says US beef is popular thanks to its uniform grading system, which gives consumers confidence in the meat’s quality and safety.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/tasty/30350886

 

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-28

[George Bowman]

My budget allows me to eat a Thai steak or at Sizzlers once a month. What if I saved up all year to taste the best steak in Bangkok. Where would I go?

[from the home of CC]

A little biased but I like Alberta Canada beef, though I had a great steak in Columbia once which came from Argentina. 

[worgeordie]

I think the Oz,Japanese and even British beef 

producers would disagree.

regards worgeordie

[scubascuba3]

The best beef I've had was whilst in Argentina, outstanding

[colinneil]

What a load of b++++ks, give me prime UK Angus anyday, nothing better, also Aussie beef takes some beating.

[FritsSikkink]

Kobe beef beats them all

[Oztruckie]

19 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a load of b++++ks, give me prime UK Angus anyday, nothing better, also Aussie beef takes some beating.

Totally agree, it's not where the beef comes from, it's the breed, like Angus, Hereford, Murray Grey is another good one, and the conditions where their raised, lots of good green grass. 

[from the home of CC]

27 minutes ago, colinneil said:

What a load of b++++ks, give me prime UK Angus anyday, nothing better, also Aussie beef takes some beating.

They call bull b++++ks prairie oysters back where I'm from, supposed to be good but I never had the b++++ks to try them. lol

[Andrew65]

54 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I think the Oz,Japanese and even British beef 

producers would disagree.

regards worgeordie

Take Angus beef cattle from Scotland, or Hereford beef cattle from England (maybe Wagyu from Japan also), add growth hormone, mix it all up with great marketing etc, and you have the best "American" beef.??

[chippendale]

Trump steaks are the bigliest and tremendousest!

[billd766]

I had some great steaks in both Chile and Venezuela and Chilean wine was far better then French any day. 

[jvs]

2 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

A little biased but I like Alberta Canada beef, though I had a great steak in Columbia once which came from Argentina. 

In my younger days i also really liked Alberta beef,worked on a large feedlot in Iron Springs at that time.

[HAKAPALITA]

Thais dont like Steak.Have you been told that.!. Yet when i go to buy the USDAW expensive stuff i need to camp overnight to get the best cuts, and risk being trampled by a Heard of OLD THAI MOOS.?[emoji243]


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[ThaiFelix]

He obviously has never tried Aussie or Argentinian beef before.  I have also had some really good steak in Zimbabwe believe it or not (but it was called Rhodesia back then).

 

But hey lets keep it quiet eh, so not to hurt his feelings.....Americans think they are the best at everything.

[HAKAPALITA]

He obviously has never tried Aussie or Argentinian beef before.  I have also had some really good steak in Zimbabwe believe it or not (but it was called Rhodesia back then).
 
But hey lets keep it quiet eh, so not to hurt his feelings.....Americans think they are the best at everything.

They are, but my Wife says Thais are.[emoji86]


Sent from my iPhone using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[DGS1244]

2 hours ago, Andrew65 said:

Take Angus beef cattle from Scotland, or Hereford beef cattle from England (maybe Wagyu from Japan also), add growth hormone, mix it all up with great marketing etc, and you have the best "American" beef.??

Totally agree it knocks the US Beef into a cocked hat any day. Wagyu in Japan is fantastic unfortunately  copies (especially US ones) of it are being sold around the world and nowhere near as good. There are only five producers in Japan registered for Wagyu beef, Kobi being one of them.

[Andrew65]

2 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

Totally agree it knocks the US Beef into a cocked hat any day. Wagyu in Japan is fantastic unfortunately  copies (especially US ones) of it are being sold around the world and nowhere near as good. There are only five producers in Japan registered for Wagyu beef, Kobi being one of them.

A year or so ago they held a competition in London to find the best beef, I think Wagyu finished top in some categories.

 

As I said in my other comment, what some people believe to be the "best" is often just a result of aggressive/good/successful marketing.

 

There was a bit of an ad campaign in Thailand a few years ago promoting Australian beef as the best (no doubt it is very good), almost certainly funded by the Aussie Beef Federation, or similar.

[DGS1244]

2 minutes ago, Andrew65 said:

A year or so ago they held a competition in London to find the best beef, I think Wagyu finished top in some categories.

 

As I said in my other comment, what some people believe to be the "best" is often just a result of aggressive/good/successful marketing.

 

There was a bit of an ad campaign in Thailand a few years ago promoting Australian beef as the best (no doubt it is very good), almost certainly funded by the Aussie Beef Federation, or similar.

My view does not come from any marketing etc. but from actual eating and trying it, including Kobi in Japan where it was 950 USD for five steaks. Tried Beef in the US when I lived there, not impressed.

[NanLaew]

7 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

...including Kobi in Japan where it was 950 USD for five steaks.

How do you say, "they saw you coming" in Japanese?

[DGS1244]

13 minutes ago, NanLaew said:

How do you say, "they saw you coming" in Japanese?

They don't as it was a local Japanese gentleman paying, a frequent visitor to the restaurant. Some places prices were even higher.

[Chassa]

Someone told that all american beef cattle are slaughtered before they are two years old, before Mad Cow Disease sets in!

[scorecard]

 All personal taste, OZ and Japanese for me.

[from the home of CC]

44 minutes ago, DGS1244 said:

My view does not come from any marketing etc. but from actual eating and trying it, including Kobi in Japan where it was 950 USD for five steaks. Tried Beef in the US when I lived there, not impressed.

Paying 200 usd for a steak would make me nauseated.

[oldrunner]

Here come the Brits again, my steaks are better than YANK steaks, of course, always.

[keeniau96]

The trendy cognoscenti in the USA these days are eschewing the feedlot fattened beef praised by the griller and demanding "natural" grass-fed beef, free range chicken and similar fads. Grass-fed, you know, like those scrawny Thai cows you see by the roadside that wind up on your plate around here.

[GWS]

Best steak  i have tasted in Thailand was from Sakon Nakon. Direct to public shop freshly slaughtered french variety of beef cattle at cheap prices. 2 inch T-bones cant go wrong at a 1/3 of the price of BKK or other cities

[alfieconn]

Just now, keeniau96 said:

The trendy cognoscenti in the USA these days are eschewing the feedlot fattened beef praised by the griller and demanding "natural" grass-fed beef, free range chicken and similar fads. Grass-fed, you know, like those scrawny Thai cows you see by the roadside that wind up on your plate around here.

Yeah their milk is terrible as well ?

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Nice press release masquerading as a news article...

 

Next time I don't need to pay the rent for the month, I'll plan to buy one imported U.S. ribeye steak from someplace like Paragon or EmQ.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[AsiaHand]

5 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

Kobe beef beats them all

True Kobe beef is so expensive and rare you will never see it grilled as a single stake.There are many places all over the world claiming that they are serving Kobe beef  but it is not .