Day 11: Did you say steak?

Today we learned how to fabricate beef. Chef began by drawing a picture of a cow and showing us all the different parts with their respective cut of steak. We learned that there are many tender cuts that can be used for grilling and sauteing. There are also less tender pieces that can be used in braises or stews. Their toughness can withstand high heat for a longer amount of time to make things such as brisket-my mom and grandma's specialty. We worked more with the tender pieces today since we were not focusing on cooking skills. Below is a slab of Filet Mignon before fabrication.

Before

We each got 1/3 of this slab to fabricate. We had to remove the fat with our boning knife, and take off any 'silver skin', a layer on top that is tough. We then cut it down into edible portions. We did the same thing for 3 different cuts of beef. Their shape, texture, and fat content varied and it was evident why these different cuts sell for different prices. After fabricating the meat completely chef prepared the three different types of beef for us to try. The shell steak and the Filet Mignon were very different in texture, obviously the Filet Mignon was superior and delicious. After lobster day and today I am starting to understand why the tuition for school is so expensive. I guess its worth it to have a steak house style lunch on a Monday?

                                     

                                                                           After