Edible Sacramento Summer 2022

“Look for the seam at the top,” Johnson says. “Then slice right down.” Also called the coulotte or picanha, the cap can be cut up into baseball steaks, which are center cuts of top sirloin so

STUDY MEAT ANATOMY Knowing how the leg bone is connected to the hip bone can go a long way in guiding smart cuts. Familiarize yourself with butcher charts of the animal. Each side of meat is divided into “primal cuts,” such as rib, loin, and sir loin. For beef, chuck comes from the shoulder; round comes from the hip and hind leg. Themore tender cuts are in between them. Some names are misleading. A pork butt roast actually comes fromthe shoulder. Sirloin tip roast is fromthe round, not the sirloin. PRACTICE ON CHICKEN Carras can cut a whole chicken into eight pieces in 40 seconds, but for you at home, take your time. “Whole birds are your best value,” Johnson says. “With prac tice, anyone can learn to cut up a chicken. It’s all joints.” He explains his method: “Pop oŠ the wings. Flip the chicken over. Look for the seams and take oŠ legs. Tilt up the bird and pop the back oŠ. You’re left with the whole breast — and options.” Your choices are leaving it whole, cutting it in half, or boning it. TACKLE TOP SIRLOIN One of the easiest large cuts to break down at home is top sirloin. Whole beef top sirloinweighs about 16pounds, trimmed. It can be cut into roasts, steaks, and kebabs. Boneless, it separates into two parts: the cap and the top sirloin itself.

From left: Carras puts the final touches on the Taylor's meat counter contents; The cowboy steak and standing rib roast at Taylor's are dry aged for at least 30 days; A whole fryer from Mary's Chickens, which has been fully butchered

named for their round shape, or cubed for kebabs. TrimoŠ the sin ew; tough, fibrous tissue (also known as silver skin); and excess fat. Next, cut oŠ the smallmuscle (called the “mouse”) on topof the top sirloin; use it sliced thinly tomake stroganoŠ or pepper steak. The remaining top sirloin can be sliced against the grain into one-inch or 2.5-inch-thick steaks, often referred to as “Ameri can-style Chateaubriand.” Or it can be portioned into a mix of steaks and roasts. BUTCHERS’ SECRETS Every butcher has favorite secret bargain cuts. According toCarras, “Lambneck is special and very aŠordable. Braise it in redwine.” Beef chuck eye steak is one of Johnson’s favorite butcher cuts. “It breaks right oŠ next to the prime rib; it’s the best value.” For details and tickets to the World Butchers’ Challenge, visit Worldbutcherschallenge.com.

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