{"id":25704,"date":"2017-06-30T10:06:43","date_gmt":"2017-06-30T14:06:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev-gordon-food-service-canada.pantheonsite.io\/ideas\/the-value-of-alternative-cuts-of-beef\/"},"modified":"2025-04-23T09:22:01","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T13:22:01","slug":"the-value-of-alternative-cuts-of-beef","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/the-value-of-alternative-cuts-of-beef\/","title":{"rendered":"The Value of Alternative Cuts of Beef"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-there-s-more-variety-and-more-opportunity-to-expand-your-menu-using-these-underutilized-cuts\">There\u2019s more variety and more opportunity to expand your menu using these underutilized cuts.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The challenge of satisfying customers in the face of rising beef costs has operators stewing. And braising. And using secondary cuts in creative bistronomic approaches that are as satisfying to the bottom line as they are to customers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSecondary, or bistronomic cuts, bring value to operators because they provide the possibility of creating signature dishes at lower cost, and enable them to generate more margin per plate,\u201d says Qu\u00e9bec-based Gordon Food Service&nbsp;Corporate Chef St\u00e9phane Renaud. \u201cThese cuts are appealing to customers because they resonate as comfort food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Although they lack the tenderness and cachet of prime cuts, there\u2019s nothing secondary about bistronomic cuts\u2019 ability to deliver an outstanding eating experience. And, while it can take days of brining\/marinating and hours of slow-cooking to coax the best out of them, these cuts actually require little effort.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a culinarian to do something special,\u201d says Alberta-based Gordon Food Service Business Development Specialist and former chef Art Beattie. That\u2019s good news for labour-strapped operators. The even-better news? So fully flavoured that smaller portions satisfy, bistronomic cuts carry a high perceived plate value and command profitable price points. And they hold multigenerational appeal: baby boomers are sentimental about tender-braised cuts that bring back memories of childhood comfort foods; for millennials and Gen Z who didn\u2019t grow up with much home cooking, they\u2019re something new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-cuts\">The cuts<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEconomic cuts have more potential for creating unique recipes than a strip loin or a tenderloin,\u201d Beattie notes. \u201cThe flavour is so much richer than a lot of other cuts. There\u2019s more variety and more opportunity to expand your menu using these underutilized cuts. It can make you stand out from other guy next door.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following cuts, Renaud and Beattie recommend, are ideal for the bistronomic approach:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Chuck&nbsp;flat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Skirt steak &nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shank&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Short ribs&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tri-tip<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hanger steak<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The following specialty cuts, Renaud notes, are among chefs\u2019 favourites because they can be grilled:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Teres major (aka bistro filet or chuck shoulder blade)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Top blade<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flat iron<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAll these,\u201d Renaud says, \u201ccan provide the customer with a great experience if the chef is preparing the cut properly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-techniques\">The techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDepending on the cut used, the cooking technique will vary from grilling to saut\u00e9eing to braising,\u201d Renaud explains. \u201cIt all depends on what the chef is looking for as an end result. Marinate skirt steak in a signature marinade and then grill it \u00e0 la minute. Or, braise skirt steak slowly, then pull it to make some great pulled-beef sandwiches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Factors such as the size, grain and fat content also factor into the bistronomic equation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Braising.<\/strong> Larger, heartier bistronomic cuts benefit from slow-roasting &nbsp;in a small amount of liquid. The resulting fork-tender meat can be sliced or shredded and cross-utilized in everything from salads to sandwiches to entr\u00e9es.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor braising-meats, there are tremendous opportunities because every demographic appreciates comfort food and the very high levels of satisfaction that come from the rich and flavourful gravies and sauces based on the cooking liquid,\u201d says Michigan-based Gordon Food Service Corporate Consulting Chef Gerry Ludwig, CEC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Custom cuts.<\/strong> Selective cutting and trimming can reduce cooking time and\/or produce specific results. One example: \u201cCut chuck tender into medallions for quick saut\u00e9eing or grilling as for a steak,\u201d Ludwig advises. \u201cThere\u2019s little marbling, so avoid overcooking.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Slicing.<\/strong> How value cuts are served also shapes diners\u2019 enjoyment of bistronomic cuts. For example, Ludwig notes, \u201cbecause flat-iron steak is cut with the grain, serve it sliced against the grain for that nice tender eating experience.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-menu-opportunities\">Menu opportunities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEach cut will bring it&#8217;s own personality and flavour to a dish,\u201d Renaud explains. \u201cSome will need to be marinated over a long period of time or braised, but all of them, prepared properly, will enable chefs to create great signature dishes that will please their patrons. Also, secondary cuts will bring back old classics forgotten over time, bringing back great memories and comfort for the soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Chuck&nbsp;flat.<\/strong> Braise for four hours in a dark-beer reduction and serve with smashed potatoes and grilled vegetables.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Skirt-steak fajitas.<\/strong> Grill marinated skirt steak and serve in soft tacos with shaved lettuce, pico de gallo and guacamole.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Beef shank.<\/strong> Slowly braised in rosemary demi-glace served with Israeli couscous and fresh ratatouille.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tri-tip steak.<\/strong> Grill and serve with french fries and Cafe De Paris Sauce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The bottom line? Innovate and put bistronomic cuts to use in unexpected ways that delight diners and differentiate your operation from the competition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese cuts,\u201d Beattie says \u201care so tender and flavourful they\u2019re opening customers\u2019 eyes to alternatives to New York strip, filet and ribeye.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s more variety and more opportunity to expand your menu using these underutilized cuts. The challenge of satisfying customers in the face of rising beef costs has operators stewing. And braising. And using secondary cuts in creative bistronomic approaches that are as satisfying to the bottom line as they are to customers.&nbsp; \u201cSecondary, or bistronomic [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":26963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68,112],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culinary-ideas","category-restaurant-bars"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v22.9 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The Value of Alternative Cuts of Beef | Gordon Food Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.ca\/en-ca\/ideas\/the-value-of-alternative-cuts-of-beef\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Value of Alternative Cuts of Beef\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There\u2019s more variety and more opportunity to expand your menu using these underutilized cuts. The challenge of satisfying customers in the face of rising beef costs has operators stewing. And braising. 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