Your guide to beef cuts
The flavour of the beef is dependent on what the animal eats and the quality of life it leads. You couldn’t choose better than the free ranging, grass fed Hereford/Angus cattle, that have 500 acres to roam on the O’Rourke family farm in the Burren, Co. Clare. The beef is enhanced by ageing it 21 days and the selected cuts are chosen for our meat boxes.
Learn about beef cuts
As a rule of thumb, the pieces furthest from the horn and hoof are the most tender cuts. This includes cuts such as ribeye and entrecôte, which are both cut from the rib.
Cuts from shoulder and leg are the toughest and require often a long cooking time. These cuts are excellent for stews and pot roasts, which tenderise the meat and bring out the great flavours of these pieces.
For the most flavour, choose the beef brisket, also suitable for pot roast as it is fairly tough. The same goes for the shank cut, where slow cooking is also recommended.
Premium cuts for steaks would be the rib eye, t-bone, sirloin and the tenderloin; the last is the most tender cut of beef and needs a very short cooking time. The striploin is the larger part of the T-bone steak and boneless.
Strip loin
Cut from the short loin and is one of the most tender cuts, even more tender than sirloin and full of flavour. It often used as a roast or cut into steaks.
Rib Roast on the bone
Also called Prime Rib and is the ideal cut for roasting. Allow the beef to rest after cooking, but keep in mind that the beef will continue cooking while resting.
Brisket
Cut from the breast section, and can also cine with the bone attached. As it is one of the tougher meats it is good for pot roasting and slow cooking.
Sirloin
Ideal cut for a variety of dishes, full of flavour but still a lean cut with high protein and little fat. The sirloin is also part of the t-bone steak, which has sirloin on one side and fillet on the other, separated by bone.
T-bone
Cut from the short loin and includes a “T” shaped bone that divides the strip loin and fillet. This meat is ideal for grilling and is always cooked on the bone.
Eye of round
A lean cut most often used for roasts or stew meat. Ideally used for roast and slow cooking, resulting in tender meat. The cut comes from the rear of the cattle, the “round”.
Much of the beef we buy in the larger retailers is most often not of the best quality. While it is not an unsafe product, the quality and flavour is lacking. In most cases it moves fast through the cycle, from growth, butchering to sale. It may be from cattle that have travelled long distances, often from international destinations, grown in fast intense environments or feed, and the beef not aged the ideal length of time.
As consumers we should, when possible, opt for locally grown, slowly reared cattle, that eat natural food – grass. Not only will these choices benefit local and national economy, support good animal husbandry and welfare. It would also provide us with exceptional beef. take advantage of and sustain one of Ireland’s natural resources – our green grass. As consumers and meat eaters, we deserve the best meat which can sustainably be produced in Ireland.
What to think of when you buy beef:
- Choose beef that has hung and aged for 2-3 weeks.
- Know the origin and breed of your beef
- The colour of the meat should be deep red, not a pink or crimson.
- Look for good marbling, which is fine threads of fat through the meat. Marbling gives meat flavour and makes it more tender.
What is in our beef boxes?
-
We do a selection of boxes, allowing you to choose the most suitable for your consumption. You can also gift a box to someone.
Grass fed & free ranging cattle
Quality meat from grass fed cattle
Burren Premium Beef delivers excellent Irish beef – reared, butchered and sold in Ireland. Delivering fresh meat boxes from grass fed and free ranging Hereford/Angus cattle, reared on the unique landscape of the Burren national park, in Co. Clare. Ageing the beef for 21 days gives both succulent and tender beef cuts, suitable for both a family dinner and a gourmet feast. Order a beef box of our Premium Burren Beef, cut by our artisan butcher and carefully selected
.