Entertaining

A chef’s top three cuts of beef

"You probably think I'd like the most expensive cuts, but I acutally like the lesser cuts," explains chef Martin Boetz
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You’d be forgiven for thinking that a chef would choose the most expensive cuts of beef as their favourites, but in episode 14 of Cooks Co-op, chef Martin Boetz lists three of the more inexpensive cuts as his top picks. Check out Marty’s recommendations.

1. Osso bucco

Translating from Italian to mean ‘bone with a hole’, osso bucco is cut from the hind shank of the beef. It’s renowned for being tender and sweet, plus “it’s got a beautiful piece of marrow in the bone, which is a real surprise after it’s been cooked for a long time in rich tomato sauce,” comments Marty.

2. Round steak

A round steak is cut from the round of the beef, running down the rear leg to just above the knee. Marty prefers to use round steak for stir-frying, because “it’s easily cut into strips [for] quick cooking, which I love doing,” he comments.

3. Gravy beef

Typically a boneless cut, gravy beef comes from the shin. This area of the animal is a highly worked muscle with a high amount of connective tissue. The connective tissue in gravy beef is best broken down with a slow-cooking method, resulting in tender, moist and flavour-filled meat. How does Marty prefer to use gravy beef? “I love making slow-cooked curries like massaman or a really great casserole – really slow cooking, really rich and lots of flavour,” he explains.

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