Meat
Beef
Also called steak, brisket, beef bones
Cattle meat. Thin-sliced barbecue beef and a pot of phở share almost nothing but the animal.
Origin
Domesticated in the Near East, then wealth, draught and meat across Eurasia and Africa.
Flavour
Mineral when rare, roasted when browned hard, gelatinous when collagen melts. Grey boiled beef with no browning tastes of water.
How to use it
Match heat to collagen. Thin slices for bulgogi and japchae want a hot pan, a marinade of soy, sugar, sesame oil and pear or onion, and no stewing — they overcook in a minute. Short ribs need a longer marinade and a fierce grill. For phở, simmer bones low for hours and slice steak so thin it cooks in the bowl. Mince for sauces should show some fat or it goes sandy. Salt steaks ahead and get the pan properly hot; a timid pan stews the surface. Rest thick cuts so juice stays in the meat.
Storage
A few days in the fridge for steaks, less for mince.
Recipes using it
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