Session 75 — Cuts, Grades & the Butcher Relationship
Skill: Identifying beef primal cuts; understanding USDA grade; shopping for value cuts
Read first: - A Complete Guide to Beef Cuts — understand where every cut comes from and why it cooks differently - The Best Cheap Steaks — skirt, hanger, flat iron, bavette
What you're learning: Beef price correlates with tenderness, not flavor. The most flavorful cuts — hanger, skirt, chuck — are often the cheapest because they require more skill or shorter windows for optimal cooking. Once you understand the primal map (chuck, rib, loin, round, brisket, shank) and what connective tissue content means for each cut's ideal cooking method, you can shop intelligently for the rest of your life.
Exercise: - Visit a butcher or good grocery and price-compare: ribeye vs. skirt vs. chuck steak vs. flat iron - Buy one "cheap" steak cut (hanger, skirt, or flat iron) - Cook it with the same dry-brine and sear method as Session 74 - Note: Where is this cut on the animal? What does that tell you about texture?
Full Meal: Value-cut steak + Serious Eats — Elote-Style Grilled Corn + Chimichurri
| Component | Notes |
|---|---|
| Protein | Hanger, skirt, or flat iron — seared with the Session 74 method |
| Veg | Elote-style corn — charred, creamy, tangy; steak's best companion |
| Sauce | Chimichurri — fresh herb sauce that brightens rich beef |
🎥 Compare Notes: Steak 201: Butcher's Cuts — Adam Ragusea — Adam breaks down value cuts and how to shop for steak on a budget. Compare his picks and cooking approach to what you found at your butcher.