Morton's NYC

Morton's overall score: 85

Morton's is one of my top 3 favorite steakhouses in NYC.

1) Flavor: 10

I've been to Morton's twice, and both times I was extremely pleased with the flavor. They seem to cherish the meat, and they know just how to prepare it to maximize and enhance the natural flavor of the beef. I've tried the ribeye, the NY strip, and the filet.  I think my wife liked the filet Oskar, an interesting preparation of the filet.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality: 8

The main 4 cuts (strip, filet, porterhouse, and ribeye) are all represented on the basic menu, however they really only offer those four in terms of beef, varying them slightly in size to accomodate different appetites (double cut, single cut, petit cuts).  Other meats are represented, like lamb, but no other types of beef.  Only the ribeye and the porterhouse are offered on the bone (though their website pictures a bone-in "Kansas City" steak, which is another name for a NY Strip).  This is common, since strips and filets are usually separated from the bone in order to serve them as individual cuts. I haven't been here enough to assess whether they offer specials often, or vary the cuts.  However I am giving it a high rating because the quality of the meats offered is exceptional, and everything is prime grade.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 8

The portions are average in size, but the great thing is that there is something from each cut of meat to suit every size appetite.  Plating is basic - nothing fancy.

4) Price: 10

Both times my wife and I have gone to Morton's it was during an awesome promotional period where they were offering a $50/pp prix fix menu.  Portion size for the entrees and appetizers were the same as normal menu items; I think there was just a slight surcharge for the filet or the lobster, which is reasonable, and we were limited slightly on which desserts and appetizers we could choose from.  Well worth the money for this kind of quality and flavor.

5) Bar: 9

Morton's has a really nice big bar.  This is the kind of swanky, old-school place to go for some sazeracs, slow gin fizzes, and pimm's cups.  It harks back to 1920's elegance.  I don't recall if there are TVs, but if so, this is the kind of place to go watch the Belmont Stakes if you can't get out to the track.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 8

Other than beef, Morton's really only offers lamb and chicken.  This is normal for steakhouses, since the main focus is on red meat.  Morton's strikes me as the kind of place, however, that could execute a good double cut pork chop as well, perhaps roasted or boiled with whole fresh cherry peppers; something robust and bold.  I have not been there enough to know whether they offer specials off-menu with any regularity.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8

For appetizers, Morton's offers typical steakhouse style shellfish items.  We had bacon wrapped scallops, which were fine, but not amazing (the scallops were cooked properly, but the bacon wasn't crispy enough for my liking).  We enjoyed the shrimp alexander, however.  The crabcake was above average, and I vaguely recall my wife trying the 5-onion soup and liking it very much.  Sides and desserts were average to above average.  We were slightly limited in what we could choose since we were eating off of a prix fix menu, so I have not deducted points based on an incomplete review.  I would imagine the Oysters Rockefeller are wonderful.

8) Seafood Selection: 7

I've never tried Morton's seafood entrees, but they offer salmon, sea bass, and a few basic variations of both lobster and shrimp.

9) Service: 9

The staff at Morton's are trained to display sample cuts of beef to every table before patrons order their meals.  While you are snacking on the delicious onion rolls in the basket of table breads, the waiters will come by and explain each cut of beef, physically pointing at the meats under plastic wrap on a display platter.  Drink refills and general attentiveness was great, as expected.  Occasionally my wife and I will make birthday or anniversary reservations online, and, if you tell Morton's it is your birthday or anniversary, they will do something special.  On out first visit, for an anniversary, they had a photographer come by and snap our photo, which they then gave to us in a cardboard "Morton's" frame.  On the second trip, also for an anniversary (a year later), they printed a special menu with our names on top, and gave us a complimentary cake dessert.

10) Ambiance: 8

Morton's definitely has a 1920's feel to it when you step inside.  It is set up with a large, high-ceiling, art-deco inspired dining room on the main floor, which features the impressive bar.  In the rear there is a stairway to a smaller elevated dining room that overlooks the main dining room.  Walls in both areas contain authentic photos of famous people who have eaten there. The crowd is a mix of tourists, businessmen, and Manhattanites.  Bathrooms, flatware, and silverware are clean, and the music is a mix of jazz and typical dinner music.

Primehouse NYC

Primehouse overall score: 91

Primehouse is a BR Guest restaurant.  My wife and I have gone to the NYC location on Park & 27th several times.  Overall this is one of my top 3 favorite steakhouses in New York.  

1) Flavor: 10

In all my years of devouring animal carcass, Primehouse is one of the best steakhouses I've been to in terms of flavor. The seasoning is just right; you never need to add salt, pepper, or sauces to the meat. They seem to take pride in the simplicity of the ingredient and do extremely well at showcasing it in a pure form.  This seems to be the case with most BR Guest restaurants I've been to as a matter of fact, whether it is steak, BBQ or seafood.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available: 10

The main 4 cuts (strip, filet, porterhouse, and ribeye) are all represented on the basic menu, often in several sizes and forms, such as bone-in or boneless. As the name of the restaurant suggests, they use prime grade beef, most of which is already aged. Occasionally they offer cuts of meat not listed on the menu, such as special aged cuts, but there is an amazing selection of aged meat on the normal menu. I've tasted their 40-day aged ribeye, both bone-in and boneless filets, and the bone-in strip; all were fantastic.  This place wins the prize for the best filet I have ever tasted to date.  On top of having the basic 4 cuts in several varieties, they also offer alternative cuts like the hanger steak, as well as other types of meat.

3) Portion Size & Plating: 9

The portions are normal to above average in size.  The "real" steaks hover around the 20oz mark, where they should be.  The bone-in filet is massive.  Plating is simple, but elegant.

4) Price: 8

Primehouse can be pricey if you go for the better cuts, but you get a lot for your money, and the quality is fantastic.  You WILL NOT leave hungry.  The food is well worth the price.  The fist time my wife and I went, they offered a $75/pp three course tasting which included a slightly smaller sized appetizer, a petit filet, and dessert. In reality it was more like a 4 or 5 course tasting because they brought over complimentary bite-sized samplings of their side items and other things the chef was experimenting with.  We try to go every time they offer specials like this, since you save a lot of money and still get all of their best food, but unfortunately we haven't seen it offered much anymore in the past couple of years.

5) Bar: 9

Primehouse has an amazing bar food menu.  A few times we were tempted to skip steaks and just sit at the bar and snack on pork belly all night.  They know how to mix a drink too, and the martinis are always made well.  Not too sweet, not too strong, most of the special drink menu items are unique and refreshing.  Great selection of wines, scotches and special cocktails.  This is a place you can definitely hang out in.  Several large TVs adorn the high-ceiling bar area, and the large windows offer a view of Park Avenue.

6) Specials and Other Meats: 8

I've really only ever saw chicken and veal on the menu, other than beef.  I'd like to see some lamb preparations, or a braised short rib.  I know this place can do a great job on those, despite primarily being a place for steak.  As I said above in section 2, the meats on the regular menu are already pretty damn special, but occasionally the waiter will read off some things that are not on the menu.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts: 9

On the appetizer angle, the big eye tuna tartare is probably the best preparation of tuna I have ever eaten.  The table-side ceasar is amazing, and so is the carpaccio, and all are good sized.  The crabcake was a bit small, but still tasty; I think it was small because the time I got it, it was from the special $75 prix fix tasting menu, where portions tend to be smaller.  The tomato bisque was really tasty and smokey.  It came with small squares of grilled cheese cut up in the empty bowl, and the server poured the soup into the bowl tableside.  Primehouse offers a great selection of raw oysters and shellfish towers that will feed more than one person.  For the sides, I wasn't impressed with the potato-based items (I've tried the lobster whipped, duck fat hash browns, and asiago fries), but the creamed spinach and grilled asparagus are great, as are the green beans and mac & cheese.  For dessert, the box of doughnuts is absolutely amazing.  They are fresh homemade doughnut holes topped with cinnamon and sugar, and they come in a brown Chinese-food container box with a few bottles of "fillings" that you squirt into the doughnuts.  Other than a generously filled flight of bourbons or a single malt scotch, that is all I have ever tried for dessert.  My wife tried a chocolate souffle once and said it was good.  Fuck chocolate - I can't eat much without getting sick of it.  The cold items are good to cleanse the palate

8) Seafood Selection: 8

Aside from the multitude of shellfish and seafood in the appetizer section, Primehouse offers a few basic preparations of the standards like salmon, tuna, sea bass, and of course lobster.  I've never tried, but they look delicious, and the selection is about normal for a steakhouse menu.  The seafood towers on the appetizer menu could also substitute as a meal.  The smaller "flatiron" size came with 4 oysters (raw), 2 clams (raw), 1/2 a lobster tail, 1 lobster claw, 1 king crab leg, a dish of salmon tartare, about a dozen mussels, and homemade potato chips. 

9) Service: 9

Primehouse is not a traditional style steakhouse with an all-male staff. The waiters/waitresses all know their stuff. They will suggest a less or more gamey steak, or a milder aged steak, if you explain what you like and dislike.  They are not out to get you to buy the most expensive item on the menu; they are concerned with making you happy.  They are on top of the bread and water refills, and the refreshing of booze.  Worth mentioning here is the bread served with dinner.  Freshly baked, warm, square bagels - some plain but naturally salty, some with chopped calamata olives inside.  And the butter is whipped and soft, easy to spread - not hard like it just came out of the freezer. I could eat these all day.  Tableside items like the salad and soup engage the diner in the culinary experience. Occasionally my wife and I will make reservations for special occasions online, and, if you tell them it is your birthday or anniversary, they will sometimes bring over a complimentary box of doughnuts for dessert, a pair of champagne flutes or a small cake with a candle and some writing on the plate.  They know how to take care of their patrons.  The only down side is that in recent months or the last year or so, some of the nice perks about this restaurant have started to fade away, like a free dessert or drink if you make anniversary reservations, the complimentary tasting-sized sampling of special items or palate cleansers between courses, or the olive square bagel (now they seem to only serve the plain, which is still delicious - don't get me wrong).  This is probably due to the recent economic downturn and its impact on the rising cost of food items, so it is understandable in that sense.  A business still needs to make money, right?

10) Ambiance: 9

Although Primehouse is not a traditional, wood-grained, Rockwell-print-adorned, tavern-like classic "steakhouse" restaurant, I still give it surprisingly good marks for ambiance.  Don't be fooled by the initial appearance of a club or lounge atmosphere. No one is rude, the music is a comfortable volume and a mix of things everyone knows, and the vibe is relaxed; no dress code. The floor is an amazing nod to the mod stylings of the 60s, with bold black and white circles embedded in the tile.  High ceilings make you feel light and not so weighed down by the massive meat wad that sits in your stomach as the meal progresses.  The crowd is hip and trendy, but not pretentious like some places in the city.  It attracts after-workers, young people, as well as daters and birthdayers.  Bathrooms are clean and spacious, flatware is clean, white and non-traditional/interestingly shaped, and silverware is robust and modern.  Overall Primehouse is a great change-up from the typical steakhouse feel.  I was pleasantly surprised, and now I have grown to love it, even though my meat bone still belongs to the classic steakhouse decor.

How I Review Steakhouses

My reviews are scored by examining 10 attributes and ranking them on a scale of 1-10, and then adding them up to a total score out of 100.  Currently this is a basic numbers game, but soon I may institute a system of weighting.  For example, the flavor category may be worth more than the bar category.  Eventually I will then average my score with those made by this blog's other reviewers (reviewers to be determined at a later date).  I plan to display the scores of each reviewer, as well as show their own words, so that you may get a better feel as to which reviewers you tend to agree with more.  Feel free to comment on our reviews as well; I wish this to become the "metacritic" of steakhouses. 

The reviews are broken down as follows:

1) Flavor Quality:

Obviously the most important measurement - when choosing your place to eat dead animals, this should be your main target review section.

2) Choice of Cuts & Quality available:

This analyzes which cuts are available.  Do they serve prime or choice?  angus, wagyu, kobe, grassfed, or organic?  Dry aged or wet aged, and for how long?  Which cuts are missing? Do they have a ribeye?  Do they have a hangar?

3) Portion Size & Plating: 

Are you gonna need to order two?  Does it at least look delicious?

4) Price: 

This is self-explanatory: How affordable is the joint?  Do you get your money's worth?

5) Bar:

Nothing goes better with steak than a nice, clean martini.  Do they make it correctly?  Do they make other drinks to your liking?  If you weren't hungry, would you still hang out at the bar and snack on the food they serve there?  How is the selection of top shelf liquor?

6) Specials and Other Meats:

Far be it the norm for me to order some other kind of meat besides steer when dining at a steakhouse, but some places offer great items like lamb, duck, chicken, pork, and veal (okay - same species, different age).  In addition, they may have a specialty menu if you ask - something special from the chef, like a few rare cuts of 65-day aged prime ribeyes, or a fresh delivery of kobe beef.  This plays along nicely with the "choice of cuts" review section, so be sure to check there as well.

7) Apps, Sides & Desserts:

How are the veggies like creamed spinach, grilled asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes and steak fries?  What about the shellfish appetizers and the raw bar?  I tend to prefer a scotch as my dessert, or perhaps a creme brulee, but what else do they have to help put the lion to sleep at the end of the meal?

8) Seafood Selection:

Oddly enough, aside from the typical shellfish appetizers, steakhouses offer some of the finest seafood you can find in the restaurant biz.  Often they have crab legs or lobster by the pound when in season, and various filets of fish like sea bass, tuna, salmon and cod.

9) Service: 

Too much service or too little?  Is everything clean and are they friendly and helpful?  Do they know their meat lingo? Are they all men waiters, or do they employ women?  Many traditional steak houses feature an all male waitstaff.  Nothing wrong with that.  Steakhouses are places for men.  Women should keep silent and look pretty if they are going with you. 

10) Ambiance:

Last but not least, everything from decor, lighting, noise levels, room temperatures, crowd type, flatware, silverware and table organization are taken into account.  Sure - a steak is a man's meal, and real a man is usually not concerned with such feminine things like these, but, for some places, they could make for a more or less enjoyable meat-eating experience, so we must take them into account.



MEAT 102 - Cuts, Anatomy & Preparation

For those new to the world of steak, or for morons who are just not well-versed in steak lingo, this section should serve as a jumping-off point for all there is to know.  The sections that follow trace the grades and quality, the origins, anatomy and cuts, the cooking styles, and the flavors of meat.  Stop drooling and read on... ONWARD TO THE STEAK!

There are several common cuts of steak on a typical steakhouse menu.  If a steakhouse doesn't have some of the main choices, then it needs new management, or perhaps it is not a real steakhouse.  These essential cuts are described and pictured below:

The Ribeye:

In most circles this is the true steak eaters steak; this is the real flavor of meat.  A man's steak, possibly only rivaled by the porterhouse in testosteronic manliness.  As a connoisseur of meat eatery I will almost always go to the rib chop to really test the meddle of a steakhouse to its very bones.  It is cut from the rib of the animal, and has a circular shaped chunk of meat encased in a thin layer of grizzle just off the bone.  In the center of the circle of carnivorous delight, there is ideally some good quality, melt-away marbled fat dispersed throughout.  Don't be alarmed at this.  Good preparation of quality ribeye steaks will render the fat into a liquid - meaning the fat melt into the meat and add flavor to it.  My favorite part of the cut, however, is the outer ridge, outside the grizzle and away from the bone.  This section is often several times more tender and juicy than the center of the chop, and it absorbs flavor like a sponge, so savor every bite.  Some restaurants will call the ribeye a "tomahawk steak" if the entire rib bone is left on and french cut by the butcher, since it then looks like a small hatchet.  It is common for butchers to cut the bone down a bit, however, for packaging purposes.  In its unbutchered form, it is a tear-drop shaped slab of beef containing several steaks along each rib.  French cutting exposes the bone neatly, trims away the excess and portions the ribs out into individual steaks.  The ideal way to eat a good ribeye is simply grilled or broiled with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.  A favorite for home cooking is to treat it beforehand with some olive oil and garlic if the quality is not prime (standard grocery store cuts), and then cook on a high-heat gas grill or BBQ for a few minutes on each side.  Sizes and portions range from anywhere between 14oz to 36oz, most often hovering around the 20oz mark in restaurants.  Often times it is seen served boneless, bone-in but with a shortened bone, or roasted whole and sliced as "prime rib" with some juices.

The Filet Mignon:

The Filet Mignon, meaning cute or dainty filet, is essentially a tube of "tenderloin" meat that runs along the spine of a steer.  There isn't much of it per animal, so it is coveted by meat enthusiasts, and therefore often expensive.  It is possibly the most lean, tender part of the animal, so it makes for a great steak.  This is the meat of aristocrats.  Carnivore connoisseurs will argue tirelessly over which is the most flavorful cut - the ribeye or the filet.  My personal opinion is that the ribeye offers the most flavor, but the filet consistently offers the best quality cut of beef.  Cooking a filet at home can present a challenge in avoiding uneven distribution of color, since, to get a large enough portion size, the meat often has to be cut thick.  The outside can be overdone and the inside underdone.  Masterful meat mongers and manipulators know how to get the job done, however, so have no fear.  Sizes range from 6-8oz petit filets (sometimes served alongside lobster for a "surf & turf" meal) to 10oz-12oz standard filets.  The term filet actually means boneless, but there is a trend lately to leave a portion of a nearby bone attached to the filet to impart a more rich flavor to the meat.  Hence the self-defeating, paradoxical "Bone-in Filet" verbiage you may see on a menu.  Common modes of preparation are roasted with a sauce (sometimes whole, banquet style after the tough "silver skin" is removed, as done with chateau briand), grilled, or broiled.  More recently masterful chefs have surmounted the problem of uneven cooking and temperature distribution by using the sous vide cooking method.  Raw preparations include tartar (finely chopped) and carpaccio (thinly sliced and pounded/tenderized), usually served chilled and drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with fresh herbs and garnished with micro greens and shaved hard cheese (such as parmagean).  The raw preparations are my favorite, and often times show up as an appetizer on steakhouse menus.  Nothing better than getting ready to eat a grilled steak by... eating some raw steak!

The Strip Steak: 

The strip steak is most often called the NY Strip, and often times called the Kansas City strip.  But screw that city.  New York is king.  It may also be seen as a "shell steak" but that term is often associated with lower quality cuts  The strip is cut from the short loin, from a muscle that does little work, like the filet.  It contains fat in levels that are somewhat in between the tenderloin (virtually none) and the ribeye (plenty of good, melty fat), and has flavors and textures that are more uniform throughout, unlike the ribeye which has varying textures.  For me, the Strip is best at medium or medium rare, to preserve the tenderness, and at a really great quality, something prime+.  Generally I will try the strip at a steakhouse only after I have tried the ribeye.  You will often see it marinated or rubbed with spices, to impart additional flavors, but grilling and broiling in the traditional style is fantastic as well.  It can be served bone in or boneless.  Leaving the bone in will impart more flavor and help with the cooking process, since the bone conveys heat into the center of the meat while locking in juices.  At home, marinade this puppy in something like soy sauce and garlic, and slap it on the BBQ for a few minutes on each side and you will have the perfect home-cooked steak.

The Porterhouse:

Quite simply, the porterhouse is two steaks in one, a strip on one side, and a filet on the other, separated by a bone - the vertibrae.  This is why you will often see it served "for two" - meaning two people - because they can be quite large (anywhere from 24oz to 48oz for a single portion, to more for multiple people).  But screw that - eat it all yourself and be a man.  Sharing is for assholes and pussies anyway.  The porterhouse for two is often served on a steaming hot plate right out of the broiler, pre-sliced while it is still on the rare side, and then allowed to cook the rest of the way on the hot plate as you shove slice after delicious slice into your mouth and down your esophagus after dipping your meat its own juices and masticating.

Below are some other cuts less commonly seen on steakhouse menus, though some are becoming more popular lately.  If a steakhouse doesn't have all these items, they don't need to close up shop.  However, I feel that every chop house should have at least the four main cuts above and perhaps Something from below: one or two preparations maybe, just to have some other options.

The T-bone:

After a certain stretch of vertibrae, the size of the tenderloin part of the Porterhouse gets smaller, and the strip side gets a little tougher, so the cuts are no longer considered top quality porterhouse, but, instead, standard T-bone steaks.  They are often cut thin and flash fried or grilled.  You don't see them on steakhouse menus often, since they are not top quality, but they still have a lot of flavor and can be creatively prepared.

The Flank:

The flank is cut from the abdominal muscles. It is broad, long and flat with heavy striations or grain in the meat. As such it is much tougher than the other beef cuts, and therefore moist cooking methods such as braising are often used.  It can also be quickly seared in a hot pan and eaten on the rare side to maintain tenderness. Flank steak is best when it has a bright red color. Because it comes from a well-exercised part of the animal, it is best prepared and eaten when cut across the bias or grain in the meat. Most stir-fried beef dishes and fajitas are prepared with this cut of beef (cut into small pieces and tenderized heavily).  Other preparations include marinating or service with a chimichurri sauce.

The Skirt:

Skirt steak is not vagina.  It is a long, flat, striated cut loved for its bold flavor. The outside skirt steak is the trimmed, boneless portion of the diaphragm muscle. This is covered in a tough membrane that should be removed before cooking. The inside skirt steak is a boneless portion of the flank trimmed free of fat and membranes. Skirt steak is also used for making fajitas, stir-fry dishes, and Bolognese Sauce. To minimize their toughness, skirt steaks are either grilled or pan-seared very quickly with high heat or cooked very slowly on low heat, typically braised, like the Flank. Similarly, because of their strong graining, skirt steak is sliced across the grain for maximum tenderness. To aid in tenderness and flavor, they are also often marinated. The skirt steak is sometimes called Roumanian steak. It is commonly grilled or barbecued whole, sometimes served with a chimichurri sauce.

The Hanger:

Sometimes known as "butcher's steak" because butchers would often keep it for themselves rather than offer it for sale, the hanger is derived from the diaphragm. Hanger steak resembles flank steak in texture and flavor. It is a vaguely V-shaped pair of muscles with a long, inedible membrane down the middle. The hanger steak is best marinated and cooked quickly over high heat (grilled or broiled) and served rare or medium-rare, to avoid toughness. Anatomically, the hanger steak is said to "hang" from the diaphragm of the steer. The diaphragm is one muscle, commonly cut into two separate cuts of meat: the "hanger steak" traditionally considered more flavorful, and the outer skirt steak composed of tougher muscle within the diaphragm. Occasionally seen on menus as a "bistro steak", hanger steak is generally marinated, grilled and served with chimichurri sauce.  it can also be used for tacos or fajitas with a squeeze of lime juice, guacamole, and salsa.

The Shank:

The shank is the upper leg. Due to the constant use of this muscle by the animal it tends to be tough, so is best when cooked for a long time in moist heat, such as a braise. As it is very lean, it is widely used to prepare very low-fat ground beef.  Beef shank is a common ingredient in soups and stock.

The Sirloin:

Sirloin is a steak cut from the rear back portion of the animal, continuing off the short loin from which T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is typically what is offered when one just buys sirloin steaks instead of steaks specifically marked top sirloin.

The Flatiron:

Flatiron steak is from the shoulder and is usually 8oz to 12oz.. They usually have a significant amount of marbling and can be very tender. It has become popular at upscale restaurants to serve flatirons from Wagyu beef, as a way for chefs to offer more affordable and profitable dishes featuring Wagyu or Kobe beef.

Beef Short Ribs:

Beef short ribs are chunks of meat from along the ribs that are highly marbled with fat.  Improper cooking can lead to tough texture.  Often you will see "braised beef rib" on a menu.  This is basically cooked in liquid, slow and low, until the thicker fat melts away, leaving you with extremely tender and soft, flavor infused meat.  Some grocery stores, and asian markets in particular, have short ribs that are cut thin (a quarter to a half inch thick), with two or three cross sections of rib bones embedded within.  The best way to prepare these thin cuts is to soak them in a marinade and then grill on high heat for a minute or two on each side.

Spare Ribs:

Spare ribs are the most inexpensive cut ribs. They are a long cut from the lower portion of the animal, specifically the belly and breastbone, behind the shoulder. There is a covering of meat on top of the bones as well as between them.

Brisket:

Brisket is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest. These muscles support about 60% of the body weight of standing/moving cattle. This requires a significant amount of connective tissue, so the resulting meat must be cooked correctly to tenderize the connective tissue. Slow and moist cooking methods are most common, utilizing spice rubs or marinades, then cooking slowly over indirect heat from charcoal or wood. This is a form of smoking the meat. Additional basting of the meat is often done during the cooking process. This normally tough cut of meat becomes extremely tender brisket, despite the fact that the cut is usually cooked well beyond what would normally be considered "well done". The fat cap often left attached to the brisket helps to keep the meat from over-drying during the prolonged cooking necessary to break down the connective tissue in the meat. Water is necessary for the process. The finished meat is a variety of barbecue. Other methods of preparation usually include braising or boiling for long periods of time, such as pot roast or corned beef, and sometimes spicing for making pastrami.

Chuck:

The typical chuck steak is a rectangular cut, about 1" thick and containing parts of the shoulder bones. This cut is usually grilled, broiled or cooked with liquid as a pot roast. The bone-in chuck steak or roast is one of the more economical cuts of beef. It is particularly popular for use as ground beef, due to its richness of flavor and balance of meat and fat. The average meat market cuts thick and thin chuck steaks from the neck and shoulder, but some markets also cut it from the center of the cross-rib portion. Short ribs are cut from the lip of the roll. The chuck contains a lot of connective tissue which partially melts during cooking. Meat from the chuck is usually used for stewing, slow cooking, braising, or pot roasting. 

The Chopped Steak:
Essentially a large hamburger; it is chopped meat or ground beef.

MEAT 101 - Basic Steak Terminology

Marbling: refers to the quality and look of the intra-muscular fat that is, ideally, evenly dispersed within the meat.

Choice: high quality, widely available beef (top 54% quality).

Prime: highest in quality and marbling, limited supply (top 3% quality).

Certified Angus Beef (CAB): a program founded by breeders in an effort to certify that Angus cattle have consistent, high-quality beef with superior taste. The terms Angus Beef or Black Angus are loosely and commonly misused or confused with CAB in the food service industry. CAB cannot be legally used by an establishment that is not licensed to do so.

Wagyu: a term used to describe 4 Japanese breeds of cattle that are genetically predisposed to intense marbling of fat.

Kobe: basically, this is beef from drunk, fat, happy Japanese cows, or so the myth goes. Under japanese law, Kobe beef is a very specific product from a specific place, from one breed of cattle, with very strict rules. It is said that the cattle are hand-fed using high-energy feed, including beer and beer mash, to ensure tenderness and high fat content. The cattle are also hand-massaged to reduce stress. I guess its only fair to pamper them if we are going to slice them up and grill them! NOTE that REAL Kobe beef is NOT available in the USA, so if you see it on a menu, understand that it is a knock off (though probably still very good) from a place other than Japan.

Grass-Fed: cattle that have been raised exclusively on forage.

Grain-Fed: cattle raised primarily on forage, but "finished" in a feedlot with grains to fatten them.

Organic: cattle raised without added hormones, pesticides, or other chemicals, though requirements for labeling it "organic" vary widely.

Antibiotic-Free: growing U.S. consumer concern about using antibiotics in animal feed has led to a niche market of "antibiotic-free" animal products.

Dry Aged:  after the animal is slaughtered and cleaned, cuts will be placed in a cooler. The  beef must be stored near freezing temperatures. Also, only the higher grades of meat can be dry aged, as the process requires meat with a large, evenly distributed fat content. For these reasons one seldom sees dry-aged beef outside of steak restaurants and upscale butcher shops. The key effect of dry aging is the concentration of flavor. The process changes beef by two means. First, moisture is evaporated from the muscle. This creates a greater concentration of beef flavor and taste. Second, the beef’s natural enzymes break down the connective tissue in the muscle, which leads to more tenderness. The process of dry-aging usually also promotes growth of certain fungal mold species on the external surface of the meat. This doesn't cause spoilage, but actually forms an external "crust" on the meat's surface, which is trimmed off when the meat is prepared for cooking. These fungal species complement the natural enzymes in the beef by helping to tenderize, enhance and increase the flavor of the meat. Dry aging of beef is rare in super-markets in the United States today, due to the significant loss of weight in the aging process. Dry-aging can take 15–28 days, sometimes pusposely done for longer periods of time, and will see up to a third or more of the weight lost as evaporated moisture.

Wet Aged: Wet-aged beef is beef that has typically been aged in a vacuum-sealed bag to retain its moisture. This is the dominant mode of aging beef in the United States today. Wet-aging is popular because it takes less time (typically only a few days) and none of the weight is lost in the process.

Broiled:
Heat source from above, preferably an open flame.

Grilled:
Heat source from below, preferably a flame heating a metal grill.

Seared:
Cooked on a hot flat usually metal surface, like in a pan.

Sous Vide:
Cooked in a sealed bag that is submerged in a temperature controlled bath of hot water.

Confit:
Cooked slowly at low temperatures while submerged in liquified fat.

Braised:
Cooked slowly at low temperatures in a reducing liquid such as wine or broth.

Roasted/Rotisserie:
Cooked slowly in surrounding heat, such as in an oven or over a pit, often rotated on a spit to ensure even contact with the heat source on all sides of the meat throughout the cooking process.

Fried:
Cooked in hot oil or fat/lard.

Well Done:
Grey throughout.

Medium Well:
Slightly pink center, thick grey edges.

Medium:
Pink center, grey edges.

Medium Rare:
Pink throughout with slightly red center, seared edges.

Rare:
Red center, pink edges with a sear on the outside.

Black & Blue:
Nearly raw.