From marbled steaks to juicy burgers: Which beef to choose for grilling?
Taking a stand for quality meat
Why is beef ideal for the grill?
Beef is a popular choice for grilling for many reasons. Its rich flavor and variety of cuts offer endless possibilities. With proper preparation and grilling, the meat will stay juicy and gets a perfect crust. Extra beef absorbs marinades and spices perfectlywhich opens the door to many culinary experiments.
10 pearls of wisdom from Naše maso
At Naše maso, you will find a wide range of premium beef not only from Czech Fleckvieh cattle, which is perfect for grilling. We've put together 10 tips so that you won't go wrong with when grilling beef.
1. Aged low sirloin
Aged sirloin with bone (sirloin, strip loin steak) is premium steak meat from heifers and steers of Czech Fleckvieh cattle that have been aged for 50 days. It is the lean sister of the high sirloin - more tender, less overgrown and with a wonderful, complex flavour that has intensified with age. Ideal for a juicy steak, best done medium rare!
Butcher's Tip: Leave the chunky fatty part and the meaty bone on the surface and enjoy them, or remove them after cooking.
2. T-Bone steak: Two in one for gourmet
T-Bone steak is one of the best steak cuts from heifers and steers of Czech Fleckvieh cattle, which we allow to dry age for 50 days. It has a tender sirloin and juicy low sirloin, separated by a T-shaped bone.
3. Rib eye steak.
High sirloin steak or Rib eye steak is the go-to for most meat lovers, as the tastiest and most photogenic steak. This set of finely marbled, oval-shaped muscles with a meat "eye" (that's why it's called rib eye) in the middle, located between the shoulder and the chuck, on the higher part of the back behind the shoulder blades. It allows you to all degrees of roasting, but the best is medium rare.
4. Rump cap / Sirloin cap / Picanha.
Rump cap steak has a distinctive fat cover, up to a centimetre high. Its delicate flavour melts beautifully in the mouth. It is suitable for cooking, grilling and barbecuing. At Naše maso, they cook it to medium rare to medium. It is aged for a minimum of 30 days in a vacuum. Brazilians call it picanha.
Butcher's Tip: It is important to trim the fat properly - cut it and let it fry. Stand the meat upright on the pan like a chop. Only then fry it in the rendered fat until golden brown on both sides.
5. Tri-Tip, or Maminha
Tri-Tip is premium steak meat from heifers and steers of Czech Fleckvieh cattle. This irregular triangular cut resembles the wing of a dove in flight, found in the bottom sirloin subprimal cut. It is little known, a finely marbled flesh covered with tallow which will pleasantly surprise you with its delicate texture and a distinctive buttery flavour. In Amaso, it is prepared according to the experience of the old butchers, for whom it was a hidden treasure.
Butcher's tip: Never cut off the fat cover and then sear the meat on both sides. Just add salt, but it can also be marinated in advance and filleted (sliced thinly across the grain) for tacos or sandwiches after grilling. It is best cooked medium rare or medium, more rare might be tough.
5. Shoulder Steak: Tender and flavourful
Shoulder steak is a flat muscle, attached between the shoulder and the spine. It's not put under much strain, and right after the neck fillet, it's the most fragile part of the neck. The thick marbling gives it an impeccable flavour and makes it ideal for grilling steaks.
6. Lean but juicy steaks
Neck fillet is one of the muscles of the neck. It is tender and juicy, and although it is lean meat, it makes very juicy steaks full of flavour.
7. Peeled shoulder steak.
Peeled shoulder is a thick ligament runs through the shoulder and feathers it. It's great for grilling because of its distinctive flavour and its bloodier, iron-like taste.
8. Flank steaks.
Bavette steaks and Flank steaks are among the "bloodier" steaks with pleasantly iron flavour. The Bavette is more flavourful, the Flank has less marbling and a leaner texture.
Butcher's Tip: Grill them whole on medium rare or medium and then slice thinly across the grain.
9. The heart of the ham for subtle flavours
Rump steak is the most tender and juiciest part of the leg. After the sirloin, it is the muscle with the most delicate flavour. It's great for delicate carpaccio or grilled medium rare.
10. A rare delicacy with an intense flavour
Skirt steak is the meaty part of the diaphragm that is clamped directly on the ribs. It's the longest and thinnest part, but on the grill it can puff up nicely because it belongs to the diaphragm, which is constantly expanding and contracting. It has long fibres, hence the name. We recommend grilling it whole and then slicing it thinly across the grain. Look forward to a distinctive meaty flavour.
Tips for grilling beef to perfection
- Room temperature: Always take the meat out of the fridge at least one hour in advance, to bring it to room temperature. This will prevent temperature shock and the meat will cook through more evenly.
- Salting and seasoning: Add salt and pepper (freshly ground pepper) immediately before cooking.
- Two grilling zones: Create two zones on your grill: one with charcoal (to get the charcoal toasted and create a crust) and one without charcoal (for searing meat at a lower temperature, 100-120 °C).
- For searing the meat, the temperature is 100 °C. On a very hot part of the grill for 1-2 minutes on each side until a browned layer (crust) forms and the steak pulls away from the grill.
- Afterwards, move to the lower temperature part of the grill and leave to cook for 10-15 minutes, depending on the height of the steak. If you are preparing in a pan, finish in the oven on a roasting tray with a rack.
- Measuring doneness: The degree of doneness is best measured with a needle thermometer. For medium rare it is around 52-55 °C, for medium 57-60 °C.
- Rest is key: After grilling, remove the meat to a roasting tray with a rack, season with salt, cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes. The juices will spread evenly and the meat will be juicier and more tender.
Beef burger: a quick and juicy delicacy
If you're looking for a quick and juicy beef delicacy, reach for the a hamburger made with aged cheddar from Naše maso. Lean and fatty meats from 100% beef (aged front neck, ribs and brisket with a little tallow added) to keep it beautifully juicy.
- Preparation: Salt just before grilling. Grill or sear on a griddle for about 2 minutes on each side. Do not add any oil, the meat will release its own fat.
- Rest: Let the roasted meat rest. Either in a preheated oven at 100 °C for 10 minutes, or in a frying pan on minimum heat for 5-10 minutes.
- Serving: Toast the rye bun, place the meat on the bottom half, spread the top half with the with mustard, add sour pickle and red onion. Wrap the hamburger in baking paper or foil and let it rest for 3 minutes.
What to top the beef with?
A wide variety of side dishes are perfect for grilled beef:
- Grilled vegetables: Peppers, zucchini, aubergine, corn, asparagus, onions or mushrooms.
- Roasted potatoes: With herbs and garlic.
- Fresh salads: Take inspiration from recipes from Ambiente kitchens and practical gadgets to conjure up the perfect salad for the barbecue.
- Sauces: Our BBQ sauce, Pepper Sauce, perigord sauce, herb butter, chutney.
- And, of course, not to be missed. bread from Eska or from U Kalendů. Both can also be found in Naše maso.
- Extra bonus: Want to blow a little bit of money when grilling? In that case, try bacon & horseradish gin - this year's limited edition, enriched with Amaso sausages, mustard and cubeb pepper.
