The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional's Guide to Butchering and Merchandising

Book Synopsis: The ultimate guide to beef fundamentals and master cutting techniques. An ideal training tool that's perfect for use in grocery stores, restaurants, foodservice companies, and culinary schools, as well as by serious home butchers, The Art of Beef Cutting provides clear, up-to-date information on the latest meat cuts and cutting techniques. Written by Kari Underly, a leading expert in meat education, this comprehensive guide covers all the fundamentals of butchery and includes helpful full-color photos of every cut, information on international beef cuts and cooking styles, tips on merchandising and cutting for profit, and expert advice on the best beef-cutting tools. This is the only book on the market to include step-by-step cutting techniques and beef fundamentals along with information on all the beef cuts from each primal. Includes charts of NAMP/IMPS numbers, URMIS UPC codes, and main muscles for each beef cut; Latin American cut names and cooking methods; and cooking tips for each cut for easy reference. The author is an expert meat cutter who has developed some of the newest meat cuts for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association and created their current retail beef cut charts. The Art of Beef Cutting is the perfect reference and training manual for anyone who wants to master the basic techniques of beef fabrication.

From the Book: Shoulder Center

What a great beef find! This shoulder center is readily available and a great addition to any meat case and menu. Low labor, high profitability, and a happy steak consumer are all packed into this great offering. The shoulder center can make an excellent alternative for moderately priced steak or a great stir-fry, and it is excellent for kabobs.

Location and Composition

The shoulder center is contained within the larger muscle group called the shoulder clod. The main muscle contained in the shoulder center is the triceps brachii.

Cuts

• Beef Shoulder Center (Ranch) Steak, Boneless
• Beef Shoulder Center (Ranch) Steak Thin, Boneless

Ethnic Cuts

• Bistec Ranchero
• Beef Shoulder Center Pepper Steak 1

Beef Shoulder Clod

The shoulder is composed of three main muscles:

1. Shoulder Center – triceps brachii
2. Top Blade – infraspinatus
3. The teres major is not attached.

From the Book: Meat Purchase Specifications

Check out a chart from the book on meat purchase specifications.