By Bethany Johnston, UNL Extension Educator
“I have never eaten such a tough or dry steak,” the man told me. I began to ask him about the cut (it was a steak high in collagen) and how he prepared it (steak seasoning and pepper), and how he cooked it (slapped it on the grill for 20 minutes).
The “Husker” steak was the name the grocery store had given a round steak. The name appealed to the redblooded Husker football fans and they bought it to tailgate or grill at home during the game.
The football fan was surprised to find out the cook, not the steak, was the problem. The success of a tender cut of beef depends on the cut and how it is prepared. Collagen helps hold the muscle together. When collagen is cooked at dry high heat, the collagen turns tough as shoe leather. The Husker steak was a high collagen cut and when grilled, the steak became tough.
So how did my grandmother take that same Husker steak and make a tender, juicy meal? She knew how to manipulate the collagen. She pounded the steak with a mallet, soaked the steak in a tomato sauce overnight, and cooked the steak in a crockpot the next day.
Acidic marinades (like orange juice, soy sauce, or tomatoes) help break down collagen strands in less tender cuts. Mechanical tenderizing (using a meat mallet) physically breaks the collagen strands. Slow moist heat is an easy way to tenderize collagen, as the moist collagen cooks down into gelatin.
Cuts from the rib, loin, sirloin, and tenderloin are all tender cuts that can be cooked almost any way. The flat iron and Denver cut from the chuck are also tender cuts.
Many cuts from the round or chuck are less tender with more collagen. Marinade steaks for six hours to overnight for tenderness before you grill. Put chuck or round roasts in a crockpot or in a low oven for several hours, making sure the roast is tightly covered with foil or a lid.
How do you know which cuts to grill and which cuts to slow-cook? “Confident Cooking with Beef” is a guide on which beef cuts to choose and how to cook them. The guide is found at http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.
Make every meal a great meal with beef!