Sirloin beef - restaurant v butcher

Gwynston

Why does "sirloin" not mean the same at a butcher's as in a restaurant?

What you would get as a sirloin steak in a restaurant seems to be called "striploin" by butchers, who use the term sirloin for what I would call rump (being from the UK).

Surely it's misleading terminology?

Blub2k4

I would have said striploin was fillet steak?

I'll have a look tonight in my Meat book although someone else will no doubt beat me to it.

Gwynston

No, I think fillet would be "tenderloin" using the American terminology.

I'm thinking striploin might just be a slightly different cut of sirloin, which is a bit of a general term I think, as a sirloin steak might come from further along the cow than the "sirloin" part of the T-bone.

That's all restaurant speak though. What I'm confused by is what butchers here are calling sirloin, but looks like rump to me and is obviously cut from a much larger piece than a sirloin steak could ever be.

The Hill Billy

Striploin & sirloin are pretty much the same cuts from the beast.

See here for more info on meat cuts.

Alun

I'm from the UK originally too, and I'd never come across the term striploin before. I can't say I've noticed a great disparity between the butcher's and the restaurant's descriptions of particular cuts, but generally I'd agree that what is called a striploin here would be more in line with what I'd call a sirloin, and the sirloin steaks I've seen in some butchers have been more like what I'd describe as (sometimes very large) rump steaks.

And while we're on the subject, what on earth is a "round steak"? Never came across that one either until I came here.

Tazz T

I've often wondered why it's impossible to find rump in the good old ROI. It's my favourite steak. Is it called something else?

And what on earth are ya supposed to do with round steak? Answers on a postcard please.

The Hill Billy

Round steak is a relatively tough cut that is good for braising/stewing. Quite cheap too.

You can't beat the good ol' Shin of Beef for a stew though.

The Hill Billy

Tazz T wrote:

I've often wondered why it's impossible to find rump in the good old ROI. It's my favourite steak. Is it called something else?

And what on earth are ya supposed to do with round steak? Answers on a postcard please.

I forgot to mention above that rump comes from the round. Problem solved!

rubadub

My tescos now has vaccum packed steaks, round and sirloin. It says on the pack that it keeps maturing in these packs as the juice is kept right in against the steak. It says the steak will change colour in 5-10 seconds upon removal from the package.

Dunno if this is just hype, I have a nice sirloin the the fridge that I will try tomorrow. 25% off the regular price at the moment.

Gwynston

Interesting! Let us know how you get on with that.....
What colour is it now, and what colour will it turn I wonder?

Might check out our local Tesco. I know they get all their beef in big joints vacuum packed and cut them up in store. Once they come out of the vacuum pack, they will have a limited shelf life.

We've had a few steaks (shelf packs, not off the deli) which we kept at home for a couple of days before using, only find they'd gone off! Before the use-by date!

Upon returning it once, I was told that you can't keep them that long at home because a domestic fridge isn't nearly as cold as theirs in the shop. What bollocks! I doubt those open shelves are even as cold as our fridge! If what she says was true, why don't they say so on the pack, rather than display a supposed use-by date?

Anyway, store-bought steaks often don't taste as nice as ones you can get in restaurants which are longer matured. Obviously, I've given up trying to mature them a few days before using them, so I'd be interested in trying these vacuum packed ones!

Blub2k4

W

Gwynston wrote:

Interesting! Let us know how you get on with that.....
What colour is it now, and what colour will it turn I wonder?

Might check out our local Tesco. I know they get all their beef in big joints vacuum packed and cut them up in store. Once they come out of the vacuum pack, they will have a limited shelf life.

We've had a few steaks (shelf packs, not off the deli) which we kept at home for a couple of days before using, only find they'd gone off! Before the use-by date!

Upon returning it once, I was told that you can't keep them that long at home because a domestic fridge isn't nearly as cold as theirs in the shop. What bollocks! I doubt those open shelves are even as cold as our fridge! If what she says was true, why don't they say so on the pack, rather than display a supposed use-by date?

Anyway, store-bought steaks often don't taste as nice as ones you can get in restaurants which are longer matured. Obviously, I've given up trying to mature them a few days before using them, so I'd be interested in trying these vacuum packed ones!

I'm curious what do you mean by gone-off?

Is it possible that some people would call that "well-hung"?

Gwynston

No - it smelled off and tasted off. Was not edible.

Last Christmas Eve was the worst time. Being a busy time of year, we'd done a big shop a couple of days earlier and had expensive steaks for our dinner on the 24th (not yet out of date). Didn't notice they were off until we sat down to eat. First bite, we both looked at each other - Yuk! Completely ruined our evening.

Like I said, I can tell a well-matured piece of beef in a restaurant, but you can't really buy it like that in the shops. It's always too fresh and tasteless (I eat steaks medium rare).

rubadub

Gwynston wrote:

Interesting! Let us know how you get on with that.....
What colour is it now, and what colour will it turn I wonder?

Just looks like normal steak, maybe a bit darker red, lots of blood in it, looks like those long vaccum packed pork steaks.
I would imagine it will turn browner. I trim down rib steak and liquidise it to make burgers, after a day in the fridge it goes brown. I think it is oxidation. I think with normal sealed steak packs they are filled with inert gas like packs of crisps are, this means they do not oxidise but the juice can run out.

Gwynston wrote:

Upon returning it once, I was told that you can't keep them that long at home because a domestic fridge isn't nearly as cold as theirs in the shop. What bollocks! I doubt those open shelves are even as cold as our fridge! If what she says was true, why don't they say so on the pack, rather than display a supposed use-by date?!

That is bull ****, home fridges are usually set far lower. I cannot drink milk straight from the supermarket, not cold enough.

I would like to hear some tips on how to mature supermarket meat at home

MadsL

I would like to hear some tips on how to mature supermarket meat at home

1. Don't buy your meat in supermarkets.
2. Make friends with a good butcher
3. Enjoy the taste (and price difference)

The Sweeper

You can't really mature steaks at home - meat is best left on the bone in large sections to mature.

There's a group of home-hangers out there who think about meat the same way you'd think about cheddar cheese. Ever pick a piece of cheddar out of the fridge to discover blue mould on one or two corners? Do you throw the whole block away, or just trim the mouldy bits? You can do the same when hanging beef.

Hugh Fearnley-etc had a show once where he'd hung four ribs of beef wrapped in muslin on his porch (it was winter). When he came to unwrap them one face was furry. He just trimmed it and then sectioned the rest as required.

You're not going to achieve the same effect by leaving a single-cut sirloin steak to go a week over it's use-by date. (Though I have left vacuum packed sirloins go nearly a week over their use by date in the past - they've still been fine. I doubt it adds to them though.)

I have seen Irish butchers sell what they call sirloin steak in pieces the length of your computer keyboard. Makes me suspicious all right.

Gwynston

Minesajackdaniels wrote:

There's a group of home-hangers out there who think about meat the same way you'd think about cheddar cheese. Ever pick a piece of cheddar out of the fridge to discover blue mould on one or two corners? Do you throw the whole block away, or just trim the mouldy bits?

I'm definitely of the "trim" brigade, although that's really perfectly OK with cheese, because that's how it's made and matured anyway! Meat on the other hand can really only stay fresh so long, but I appreciate what you're saying. The bacteria is mostly likely to build-up on the outside.

Minesajackdaniels wrote:

I have seen Irish butchers sell what they call sirloin steak in pieces the length of your computer keyboard. Makes me suspicious all right.

Exactly what I'm talking about! Looks like rump to me...

Builderwoman!

I have also bought steak in Tescos that went off practically over night. It's the butchers for me for meat without doubt. You won't beat Laz Murphys Butchers in Tullow, Co. Carlow for EXCELLENT steaks and meat of all kinds! Would drive to get his steak no problem! Best ever!

JPA

Streak and all meat in Tesco is not of a good standard in my experience.
Steak is not very tender at all and their chicken is poor quality.

Do yourself and your butcher a favour and shop for meat at a dedicated butchers.

quazzy

MadsL wrote:

1. Don't buy your meat in supermarkets.
2. Make friends with a good butcher
3. Enjoy the taste (and price difference)

I would normally agree here about buying meat in butchers, but as ever there can be exceptions to the rule.

I went to superquinn recently a got some savage fillet steaks - great colour (not a super bright red) and nice marbling (sp?) - yummy.

Also they cut the steaks to size from the main fillet - no vaccum packs or styrofoam anywhere.

brianthebard

MadsL wrote:

1. Don't buy your meat in supermarkets.
2. Make friends with a good butcher
3. Enjoy the taste (and price difference)

So true. Most meat in a supermarket won't have been left to rest for even a fortnight. I don't buy red meat from the supermarket and I try to buy free range chicken if I have to get some in Dunnes although last night they were all sold out and I was stuck with icky 20% extra water pumped into it or more chicken, possibly even pig hormones. I should probably start a new thread about that...