Have you ever watched a professional chef prepare the perfect roast, sear the perfect steak or plate the perfect burger, only to think to yourself “how do they do it”? Well we have the answers just in time for the holidays. We knew we needed to bring in the big guns to help level up our holiday cooking game this season. Enter: Canada Beef.
Not only has the organization been supporting and promoting the Canadian beef industry globally, but they’ve also been bringing us the know-how on all things beef. From behind-the-scenes secrets of raising beef to lip-smacking recipes to health and nutrition, Canada Beef has us covered every step of the way through our holiday cooking journey. And when we reached out to them for pro tips on mastering our holiday meals (‘cause no meal is complete without red), they happily obliged.
Whether you plan on grilling it on the patio bbq (it’s bbq season in Canada all year round) or indoors on a cast iron skillet, here are 6 tips (and a bonus) that’ll help take your beef game (and holiday cooking) to a whole new level.
#1 Put a bow on it
Or in more non-holiday terms, knot your meat! Tying your roast helps cook the meat more evenly, and even makes your roast a little dressier for the occasion. If you don’t master the Butcher’s Knot — ‘knot to worry’ – a simple bow like you’re tying your shoe looks cute and is just as effective.
#2 Master of the medallion
Cutting a large beef tenderloin roast into neat, beautiful medallions might seem challenging to novices like us, but get ready to wow at your next dinner party by following the experts. Pro tip: don’t make your medallions too thin or you’ll run the risk of over-cooking leaving your meat dry and less tender.
#3 Silver skin shenanigans
It’s common knowledge that silver skin is the tough, chewy layer on tender soft meat that doesn’t soften. So, you’d think it would be obvious to people that it ought to be removed. Unfortunately, home cooks often forget to do it or don’t know how to do it the correct way. Thanks to Canada Beef, we have that taken care of as well, but if you’re very clever, chat with your butcher or person at the meat counter and ask them to remove it for you before you buy it.
No sense paying for what you’re going to trim off! But seriously, pro tip: make friends with your butchers or staff at the counter, ‘cause they can help you get just what you want and are likely at the ready with recommendations to make your cooking plans a breeze.
#4 Temperature tales
The key to a consistently perfect beef burger patty is to cook it to just the right temperature 160°F.. Check out how the culinary experts get it right every single time.
#5 A splendid sear
Just like a hamburger, the perfect seared meat is allowed to cook for the right amount of time at the right temp. The trick is to know when to switch the side and when to take it off the pan. Oh, and also be sure to let your steak rest after cooking! This is an absolute must, as it allows the juices to settle before carving into it. No more precious juices (aka flavour) left on the cutting board!
#6 Flawless diamond
You know that perfect diamond pattern on our steak at restaurants that somehow makes it look so much more delectable? Well, you can easily do that at home by merely grilling your beef at the correct angle as demoed in this video.
BONUS TIP!
The key to bringing out the best in beef is a little attention to detail, a few cool tools (a.k.a. digital instant-read thermometer) and some good basic instructions from some tried and true sources Once you have these things down, you’re well on your way to perfect steaks, roast beef & burgers time after time!
That was the end of our list but certainly not the end of Canada Beef’s expertise. If you’re looking for something specific or just need a few more tips, we suggest you check out their YouTube channel. It’s got just about everything there is to know about picking, cutting, prepping and preparing beef. Or head over to the Canada Beef website for some unique recipes to impress your loved ones this season.
