Weekend Cooking: Try A New Cut of Beef!

A while back, Dana posted a Weekend Meditation on moving outside the comfort zone, and that's just what we aim to do this weekend! After all our talk this week on beef and what to do with it, we're feeling inspired to go to the butcher shop and pick up something we've never cooked with before. What about you?

If you're normally cook a steak for weekend dinners, why not try a braise? Or if you normally buy ground meat for hamburgers, what about using it in something new?

As for ourselves, we might just try osso bucco - braised beef or veal shanks. We're a bit squeamish about eating things off the bone, so this would definitely be stepping outside the comfort zone for us!

Here are a few of our meaty posts for inspiration:

• What to Cook with Cheap Cuts of Meat
• 12 Ways to Prepare Ground Beef
• 8 Tips for Grilling the Perfect Steak
• Fresh Spring Cooking: Braise!
• Good Question: What's the Best Pot Roast Recipe?

What are you going to try cooking this weekend?

(Image: Emma Christensen for the Kitchn)

Comments (7)

speaking of cuts outside my comfort zone, i was all set to make braised beef cheeks for a holiday party last year. i hunted high and low all around chicago but couldn't find them anywhere. half of the butchers didn't even seem to know what i was talking about, but i still really really want to try them. has anyone here ever tried (or heard of) eating beef cheeks?

posted by kitkatkasha on March 13th 2009 at 12:37pm
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Meat on the bone is the best. It's tender and juicy. It usually costs less, too. Once you get into buying and cooking it that way, you won't want to go back to overpriced and undermoist boneless cuts.

posted by heather77 on March 13th 2009 at 12:39pm
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I'd love to try something new, but my friends have once again requested my cottage pie for our Pi Day party tomorrow. Guess I'll experiment next weekend instead!

posted by Nougat on March 13th 2009 at 2:00pm
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KitKatKasha,
I've had beef cheeks a few times at restaurants. It's always been braised first, then used in another way in a dish. I've had braised beef cheek croquettes (excellent!) and a deconstructed beef cheek ravioli ( just layers of pasta with braised beef cheeks in-between.

I've never seen it in the butcher shop to be honest, but i've re-created the croquettes with other braised beef, it worked quite well. My only suggestion would be to go to a real butcher shop, not the butcher counter at the supermarket, or try to order them in advance.

posted by Pulse on March 13th 2009 at 2:12pm
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Time to cook that beef heart in my fridge!

posted by Andy M. on March 13th 2009 at 9:13pm
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We use mince for heaps of stuff, Chili usually, but also bolognese, lasagne, burgers, meatballs, burritos, potato topped pie and of course there's meatloaf too (but I confess, I can't stand it). The best thing for a cheap cut of meat is a slow cooked casserole or curry. We had some chuck steak yesterday in a curry, it was on the stove for about 6 hours but it was delicious and we have some left for today (all up it cost about $12NZD for 4 meals). We certainly aren't wanting for money, but sometimes cheap cuts just do the job better,.

posted by Kim and Matt on March 15th 2009 at 4:14pm
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I've become a huge fan of the hanger steak, and of specifically grilling this cut. it is about 30-50% cheaper than a flank, and even cheaper than a skirt steak where i get meat - and it is by far better. it is more substantial, and though it take more work to prepare (there's a membrane that is much easier to take out before than after, IMO) - it is really a great cut of steak to grill...

posted by TDS7 on April 29th 2009 at 11:06am
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