Favorite Cuts

Ground hamburger is wonderful, but there are many other cuts of meat you can get and use in a variety of ways. Here are some that I like to get.

T-BONE or CLUB STEAK: Marinated overnight, seared in a hot cast iron skillet, and then slow cooked in the oven until fall-off-the-bone tender — this is how I will fix a variety of steaks. The marinade really soaks into the meat and is absolutely delicious!

BRISKET: My mom loves to smoke meat, so I make sure to ask for the brisket and ribs when we get a beef butchered. There’s nothing much better than sitting down to a perfectly smoked slab of meat on your plate!

TENDERIZED ROUND STEAK: Typically in a package of four tenderized steaks, these get pulled out when company is coming over. Double battered and then fried in oil, chicken-fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy can be quite a crowd-pleaser.

TONGUE: This is one of the parts of a beef that a lot of people seem to have a difficult time with. I find that just sticking them in the slow cooker on low for several hours with plenty of water and some spices makes them cook up almost like a fine roast. (It’ll have a bit more fat among the meat and a slightly different taste than regular roast beef.) When finished cooking, peel off the taste buds and you have a delicate roastlike meat that can easily be served as is or made into a sandwich spread.

ROASTS: I will use just about any roast in the slow cooker. Throw in a package of onion soup mix, some fresh onions and garlic, water and a few spices, and let it cook on low overnight. The next morning, add some washed (whole) potatoes and carrots a few hours before serving. It’s one of the easiest and most delicious ways to prepare a roast.