Posts Tagged ‘Alternative steaks’
Google “steak-out” reveals Mickey D’s meaty ingredients
September 24th, 2013
By donm
Is the new steak option really an upgrade?
Let me start out by saying I am not anti-McDonald’s.
I am not exactly the poster child for healthy eating and have indulged myself quite a few times on McMuffins on the way to work. Sometimes eating crappy food can be a guilty-pleasure.
However, as the operator of South Shore Meats, New England’s premier wholesale portion control meat manufacturing facility, producing the absolute finest cuts of Beef, Pork, Lamb and Veal for white-tablecloth establishments throughout the Northeast, my radar goes up when fast-food types start talking about steak.
McDonald’s recently announced it was launching “a new thick, juicy steak” as an option on all of the company’s available breakfast sandwiches.
Okay. Fast-food restaurants don’t typically don’t go all out when it comes to meat, chicken, and fish. We’ve all seen the chicken nuggets-beached-with-ammonia video circulating on social media.
So what exactly are the ingredients of this “new thick, juicy steak?”
Now you might think that as a fourth generation center-of-the-plate meat cutter, I would have inside information on what McDonald’s is using for beef.
Nope. I went to Google.
Here is what I found.
Previously, this “steak” option was only available on the bagel breakfast sandwich.
The main ingredient is “beef.” That piece of beef has over 1150 grams of sodium. 255 milligrams of cholesterol and 230 of its 550 calories coming from fat. That’s before you put it on a muffin with American cheese, onions, and liquid margarine.
The article states says “on the positive side it raises the menu quality.”
Really?
As portion control specialists, we at South Shore Meats would suggest leaving 1150 grams of sodium out of your breakfast options.
Don’t forget steaks when planning Labor Day ‘13
August 29th, 2013
By donm
Steaks on the grill.
Labor Day weekend is one of the big “grilling” holidays, along with the Fourth of July and Memorial Day. For many people, that means burgers and dogs, and maybe some barbecued chicken finding its way to the grill.
For me, it means steaks.
If you’re going to fill the gas tank, clean the grates, and invite people over to usher out the Summer of ’13 in style, you need to throw on some steaks; ribeyes, skirts, strips…sirloin tips, you get the picture.
South Shore Meats is New England’s premier wholesale portion control meat manufacturing facility manufacturing and we are use to working with and perfecting the finest cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and veal for white-tablecloth establishments throughout the Northeast.
I’m actually the fourth generation of this family-run enterprise and have learned how to combine our state-of-the-art portion control concepts with the Old World craftsmanship that has been passed down through the ages.
At South Shore Meats, we know steaks. So here’s an insider’s recipe for making the perfect grilling entrée for your Labor Day guests.
When it comes to grilling, my go to steak is the ribeye. For simple seasoning, brush it with olive oil before dousing with a generous portion of Kosher Sea Salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Season to taste.
The key to searing a ribeye is to get the grill as hot as possible. We’re talking 550-700 degrees hot. While the steaks are still in the fridge, put the grill on “high” and walk away.
When you hit that target temperature, place the steaks at angles of 10 and 2 o’Clock for proper grill marks
The objective here is to sear the steaks. Closing the lid of the grill here is not necessary. We are looking for surface heat. Closing the grill will bake the steak. Do not do this. Searing the steaks will lock in and trap a lot of the fat and juices. The salt and pepper will create a crust-like surface also.
I prefer my steaks to be rare or medium rare. When the steaks are done, place them on a surface to cool down for a couple of minutes before serving. Do not cut immediately after cooking or all the juices will escape. If taking this to the next level fits your taste, sometimes I like to add a nice compound garlic butter on top of the steak to enhance certain flavors.
Enjoy your Labor Day and thank you for visiting southshoremeatsonline.com.
Sincerely,
Carlo Crocetti
South Shore Meats hails the proper burger blend
August 12th, 2013
By donm
In selecting the proper burger blend, I like to keep it simple. At South Shore Meats we prefer the robust flavors of certain cuts, such as rib-eye, chuck, and hanger with the sweet tones of brisket blended in. Keep the fat/lean ratio at about 80/20 and cook medium rare.
Perfect.
Or perhaps you prefer the latest burger craze that was grown in a Petri dish by some scientists in the U.K.
The burger-hatched-from-stem-cells debuted in London last week with mixed results. While some are hailing it as a scientific breakthrough that could one day revolutionize the food industry, others are pointing to the real issue.
Taste.
According to Josh Schonwald, a Chicago-based author who served as a tasting volunteer, the concoction lacks the fattiness of regular meat and could be described as an “animal-protein cake.”
Not what I want on my plate for the upcoming Labor Day cookout.
The scientists, funded by Google founder Sergy Brin, are experimenting with ways to grow meat in labs as an alternative to raising livestock, which (according to one study) contributes 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions and uses 30 percent of the world’s ice-free land.
A noble effort, for sure, but misguided in my opinion. For one, if we are not raising livestock for beef, what are we doing with the livestock? Are they roaming the Great Plains? Wandering down Main Street? If the value of these animals is reduced by a meat-alternative, how will they be treated then?
The original All-American hamburger was created by grinding up trimmings from cut steaks that contain various pieces of steak and associated fat that when cooked has become an iconic American food staple. In fact, it is as much of a symbol of America as the automobile and a summer afternoon baseball game.
The alterna-burger is made using fetal bovine serum, taken from the blood of calf fetuses. The serum cost $250 a liter so the cost of producing the burger is astronomical. If the fake meat were to become accepted practice it is still at least two decades away from mass production.
Burgers have become a high-end product of late, with white tablecloth establishments opening up to accommodate the demand for the perfect burger. Hard to imagine the American public trading in rib-eye, chuck, and hanger with the sweet tones of brisket for fetal bovine serum…..
Smithfield’s sale to Chinese firm could impact prices
May 30th, 2013
By donm
Here is some breaking news out of the industry. China’s Shuanghui International has made a $4.7bn bid to takeover Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, in what would be the biggest takeover of a US company by a Chinese firm to date – if it passes regulatory hurdles. What will happen to pork prices if this sale goes through? Opening up the Chinese market could send pork prices soaring.
Alternative Steaks For Food Service
May 29th, 2012
By carlo
Over the past few years I have seen beef commodity pricing go through the moon. They have never recovered since 2000. Between the cattle ranchers limiting the kills and our ongoing increased exporting, I really do not see any relief coming our way in the food Service industry any time soon. To give you an example of what I am talking about, currently on my wholesale distributor sell sheet, USDA Choice Center Cut Strip Steaks are consistently circumnavigating the $12 per pound range. In 1995 they were on my list for $5 per pound. USDA Choice Center Cut Tenderloin Steaks are always hovering $22 per pound. Again, back in 1995 they were $13 per pound. Did we have it good back then or what ?
With these high prices being the “New Norm”, it can be extremely daunting to come up up with new creative culinary ways to make up profit shortfalls. Some chefs think that simply cutting their own steaks from primal pieces is the best solution. This cannot be any further than the truth. Between the trim that is not used to the over/under portioning to the expensive bi-products to the shelf life of product wrapped in plastic “Saran Wrap” , this is not the answer.
Portion Control from a USDA certified manufacturing facility the answer.
I am constantly visiting restaurant owners, chefs and food Service professionals up and down the East Coast showing them new and exciting steaks that not only eat great and extremely versatile, but profitable at the same time. We could talk all day about Flat Irons, Culottes, Hangers and Teres Majors which are all great alternatives, but truly a distant second to the 3oz Tenderloin Medallion.
In my facility, we fabricate the 3oz Medallion from the 6oz Tenderloin Tail which is a bi-product from the Filet Mignons that are processed daily. As we cut down the Tenderloin we are left with a 6oz tail. The first cut is the 3oz Medallion and the leftover tip is mixed in with my random weight Tenderloin Medallions.
Our 3oz Tenderloin Medallion has a pound price consistently around $8-$9 per pound resulting in our 3-3oz pack at about $5 per pack or $1.67 per piece. This item fits all three criteria listed above.
1. Great Eating
2. Extremely Versatile
3. Very Profitable
These can be easily grilled with shrimp or lobster tails for a Surf “N’ Turf or simply grilled as Filet Mignon Sliders. The ideas are not only endless but can be creative for all of your customers giving them a higher end item with a lower budget ticket while at the same time maximizing your profits.
What are some of your favorite alternative steaks ?
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SOUTH SHORE MEATS
12 Taylor Avenue, Brockton, Ma 02302
t: (508)-941-0458 f: (508)-586-8551