Around the World of Beef in 80 Ways

Giunta expects rotisserie-grilled, churrascaria-style beef, already popular in foodservice, to migrate to retail. Tweaks in the concept will include premarination of the meat and a store-based rotisserie system that can handle the product. “The size has got to be right,” he adds. “It’s got to be 2 to 3 lbs. to work in retail.” And he suspects we’ll see more roasts than steaks. “You’ll have chuck roasts, the sirloin, and round cuts that you could do with this method.”

Another concept that should translate well to America is the Tuscan T-bone, bistecca alla Fiorentina. Not a lot separates this simply grilled steak from the fare at our own steakhouses, but two aspects make it special, notes Giunta. First, there’s the beef itself. “That’s another breed—the Chianina—that roams the rocky terrain of Tuscany,” he says. “It’s very well-exercised. And because this is a T-bone or porterhouse for two, generally, it’s a tender cut.” Then there’s the light hand that cooks use with seasoning. “It’s a traditional marinade with rosemary, garlic, black pepper and great olive oil,” he says. “But right as it comes off the grill, they squeeze a little fresh lemon juice on the steak, and that just does a world of good to beef. We’ve been doing it here, playing around with preserved lemons and different flavor profiles. But lemon and beef—you wouldn’t think of that. It’s a ‘wow’ experience.”

Although there aren’t any major differences in muscle-fiber characteristics between between Kobi/Wagyu, Angus and Chianina breeds, notes Bucky Gwartney, Ph.D., executive director, research and knowledge management, NCBA, how to approach aging them is another story. “In general, the higher-quality grades—more highly marbled—will require less aging to get to a certain end point than a lower-marbled product.”

Cooking is also a factor. “In terms of palatability,” says Zino, “research shows that endpoint temperature has a higher impact on palatability than a USDA quality grade.” In other words, even a lean Select steak will be as enjoyable as a more-heavily marbled Prime cut if cooked to a modest medium-rare.

Another Asian import with promise, in large part for the fun factor, is Japanese shabu-shabu. Think of it as that country’s take on fondue, but with hot broth replacing the cheese. “They bring the broth to the table with all the vegetables and whatever you want to put in it,” says Giunta, “and then you take thin-sliced, tender beef and quickly dip it.” The name, legend has it, derives from the swishing sound the beef makes as diners swirl it in the hot broth with their chopsticks. And the grand prize, Giunta says, is slurping up the beefy-flavored broth at the end—a great fit for “interactive” dining.

BRINGING THE BEEF BACK HOME

Some of the most-irresistible global beef traditions are our very own. Take the standing rib roast, complete with Yorkshire pudding, which traces back to America’s British forebears, says Giunta. “I see people going back to that for their holiday traditions here,” he says. And considering that it’s not exactly something Mom or Dad is likely to whip up on a Wednesday night, they’d be more than happy to let a nearby restaurant or supermarket service deli do the honors for them.

Giunta encourages chefs to make beef more user-friendly: “What can we do with beef and flatbreads, or beef and hand-held things, so that we can enjoy beef in a different way?” He loves the satay idea. “I think there’s a lot more that we can do with that as an industry.” It not only “right-sizes” our massive portion sizes, but it does so in an exciting way that doesn’t leave diners feeling cheated. “If you’re balancing it with a slaw or something healthy, or maybe even just a lettuce cup that you’re putting the satay in, you’re actually balancing out the meal a little more.”

In the end, Giunta’s verdict is simple: “Beef just needs to be fun. We do a lot of neat dessert preparations and presentations in foodservice, and we do cool stuff with appetizers. We need to have some of that fun with beef.”

Kimberly J. Decker, a California-based technical writer, has a B.S. in Consumer Food Science with a minor in English from the University of California, Davis. She lives in the San Francisco Bay area, where she enjoys eating and writing about food. You can reach her atkim@decker.net.