IDENTIFYING TENDER STEAKS CAN BE RARE THING FOR CONSUMERS

January 7, 1997

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- American consumers might have a major beef with cooking: They're finding that it's tougher to recall which cuts of meat make the most flavorful meals--a trend that cuts to the bone of a nation once known for its consumption of steak. "I see a lot of misunderstanding and lack of knowledge about meats," says Edward Mills, associate professor of dairy and animal science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. "There is less cooking going on at home. More people are eating out, and when someone has to prepare a big family meal for a special occasion, I imagine there is a lot of fear on the part of an unprepared cook." A recent survey by Yankelovich Partners reports that more than half of the adults questioned thought they had less knowledge of cooking than their mothers. Mills also points to consumer preferences for low-fat meals featuring fish and poultry, changes in how the meat industry markets products, and lifestyle changes for a new generation of consumers as factors contributing to the trend away from steaks. Mills says per-capita beef consumption has held steady at about 66 pounds for most of the past decade. Previously, beef consumption had decreased from a historic high of 94.5 pounds per capita in 1976. In fact, per-capita consumption of beef cuts, including steaks, increased in 1995 and 1996. "People are still eating beef, but they're eating it in different forms," he explains. "Consumption of ground beef products in fast foods such as hamburgers and tacos has risen every year." Mills points out two other factors that contribute to America's lack of beef knowledge. First, meat processors began shipping pre-cut beef in vacuum-packed cartons, known in the trade as "boxed beef." Previously, beef was shipped by hanging half carcasses. "The boxed beef made it easier for grocery stores to prepare meat cuts, because the carcass was already broken down," Mills says. "Most bones also are removed, which is convenient but makes it harder for consumers to identify certain types of traditional steaks." Second, the move to boxed beef distribution eliminated the need for grocery stores to have an experienced butcher in every store. Consumers usually buy pre-packaged cuts these days, often without being waited on by a grocery employee. As a result, consumers can sometimes be at a loss to identify the most tender and flavorful cuts of beef. Mills says it's just a matter of imagining how a cow moves. The muscles that get the most use tend to be less tender. The cuts near the front legs, commonly known as the brisket and chuck sections, and the cuts near the back legs, known as the rump and round sections, are less tender. The cuts from the middle section of the animal, the loin, rib and short loin sections, are the most tender and flavorful. "The steaks from this section, called 'middle meat,' are New York strip, rib steak, Delmonico, filet mignon and porterhouse, which is a strip steak and filet together," Mills says. "Cuts from the chuck and round section, such as 'English roast' or 'eye of the round' can also be quite tender when properly cooked." Mills says some organizations tout beef from specific breeds of cattle, but he says that, among beef breeds in the United States, the differences in taste and tenderness are minor. The most common American beef breeds are Hereford and Angus. Some of the common exotic breeds, which are mostly of European origin, are Charolais, Limousin and Simmental. "The marketing program for Certified Angus Beef, which guarantees a certain level of tenderness, is very popular with restaurant owners and retailers who place a high value on tender beef," Mills says. "In spite of the name, Certified Angus Beef gets its tenderness primarily by selecting young animals and disqualifying any with a quality grade of less than 'middle choice.'" Another key to beef flavor is fat and juiciness, Mills explains. The amount of marbling, which is flecks of fat within a steak, can mean the difference between gourmet eating and sore gums. "If you seek out a really lean steak, you're probably going to be chewing it for a long time," Mills says. "Consumers should look for steaks with flecks of marbling throughout the meat."

EDITORS: To contact Edward Mills, please call (814) 865-2394.

Contacts:
John Wall
John_Wall@agcs.cas.psu.edu
(814) 863-2719
(814) 865-1068 fax  

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