Middle Meats vs. Outside Meats

When I use the the terminology middle meats vs. outside meats, my reference is to the location of the cuts in the animal.

Example: Middle Meats: Rib and Loin
Rib : Rib eyes, Rib Roast etc.
Loin: Strip Loin, Tenderloin, Sirloin

These middle meats are your non-working muscles so there more tender usually best grilled, pan seared or broiled marinating should not be needed if you're purchasing your meats from a reputable butcher. These steaks may just be lightly seasoned and quickly cooked to your preferred internal temperature.

My favorite middle meat is the Porterhouse. You have the strip on one side and the tenderloin on the other. If you're buying for two, ask for a thick porterhouse steak so you can grill just one and split between the two of you. Grilling meat on the bone is always the best - the bone adds a lot more flavor to your steak.
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Example: Outside Meats: Leg, Shoulder
(H) Leg:Top Round, Eye Round, Rump, Hind Shank
(F) Leg: Chuck, Brisket, Fore Shank
Belly: Flank, Skirt

These meats are considered working muscles so they're proned to be cooked either with moisture (braised) or roasted slowly. If you are grilling an eye round, top round or chuck eye steak, marinating the steak beforehand is a must. The muscle fiber in these cuts are tight and need to be broken down. Some cuts need more marination than others. If you're purchasing your product from My Butcher and More or another reputable market, ask the butcher the recommended time for your cut to marinate.

My favorite outside meats are the briskets. They have enough internal fat to keep the meat fork tender if you slow roast or smoke it for several hours. The other is the skirt steak. With just a little marinating in our bourban glaze or just using salt and pepper, this meat is awesome!

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