You may select tough cuts for your steaks but there are a few facts and FAQs to know before you finalize your choice. First, you must know what are the things that you should look for in the tough cuts. Ideally there are four specific things to look for. First make sure that the cuts have coarser muscle grains, several muscle groups, a considerable amount of fat in it and a lot of connective tissue. If you want the meat or the steak to be more succulent, you must choose a piece of meat that has some or all of these features. Fatty chuck or short ribs will typically melt in the mouth after braising.
The visible muscle grains
Usually, tough cuts that have visible coarse muscle grains are good to choose. The meat will have a lot of meat fibers that you can see clearly. These grains indicate that the muscle is hard working and the meat was strong once. Therefore, when this type of meat is cooked slowly on a low flame it will give the steak that desired tender and juicy braised texture. One of the best examples of tough cut beef is brisket that has a lot of coarse muscle grainsthat makes it ideal for slow cooking to get a rich taste that it is known for. Don’t know how to get the taste? Visit https://www.flannerybeef.com/to get a clue.
Connective tissue and tough cut
A tough cut of meat will have visible muscle fibers and a tender cut will have more uniform texture. However, it is the connective tissue as well as the fat in these types of cuts that make it so common and popular to make steaks. Connective tissue is made of collagen. This belongs to the family of proteins and has the properties that lets it break up into tender gelatin if it is cooked for a long time. it is this gelatin that gives the steak its desired succulence and flaky texture. This is the most appealing and iconic feature of braised meat.
Looking for the connective tissue
You may find it a bit difficult to see the connective tissue in the cut due to the fat that surrounds the number of muscle fibers. However, look for the silvery sheath surrounding and separating the individual muscles. These are the visible signs of connective tissue. Connective tissues will be opaque and have a waxy feel when it is cold differentiating it from fats.