If you want to add some slow-roasted dishes like stew and pot roast to your menu, then it's time to get in touch with your meat supplier. Cuts like rib eye and sirloin, which you use for quick-cooking dishes, are not suitable for slow cooking and will turn out dry and tasteless if stewed or braised. Instead, here are three beef cuts that are perfect for cooking low and slow.
Chuck Roast
Chuck roast is a cut made from the muscle above the shoulder. It is a tough cut of meat with a lot of marbling and connective tissue. However, when it is cooked for a long time over low heat, the connective tissue and fat break down, rendering a tender and delicious result. Many chefs use chuck roast to make classic pot roast. Paired with onions, carrots, and potatoes, it makes for a hearty meal on a cold winter night. You can also use chuck in soups and stews, but know that the results are fattier than when using top round or bottom round.
Round
Both top round and bottom are cuts of beef from the breast of the cattle. These cuts have a lot of connective tissue running through them, but they are quite lean. This makes them good for dishes like stews in which you don't have the opportunity to drain fat off the dish during the cooking process. You need to season top and bottom round well because the fibers are close together; they don't take up flavors as well as the fibers of other cuts. When cooking with round, it's helpful to slice or dice the meat before cooking, instead of afterwards.
Short Ribs
If you want to serve a more upscale slow-cooked dish, order some short ribs from your meat supplier. The short ribs are the ends of the ribs. The bones are left in, and the meat is quite tough -- unless you cook it over low heat for hours. When cooked low and slow, short ribs are luxurious, and the meat essentially melts in your mouth. You can turn short ribs into a savory dish, cooked with tomato and garlic, or a sweet one, made with barbecue sauce and apple cider.
Once you start cooking with these cuts of meat, they'll become the stars of your menu. So many restaurants offer steaks and burgers. You can set yourself apart with stews, pot roasts, and short ribs. Contact a meat supplier for more help.
As I watched new restaurants opening up all over my small town, I became curious about where they sourced their food from. I connected with some of the business owners and inquired about the restaurant food sourcing business, learning a lot along the way about food suppliers, shipping, and storage. If you've ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes of your favorite restaurant when they are ordering and receiving food supplies, this site will help you understand. I've created this blog to help others better understand the industry in the hopes of increasing the appreciation of restaurant operations and food handling.