How marbled beef is healthy and how it differs from ordinary beef

Useful tips

ⓅMarbled meat can make you feel better and deliver useful microelements to the body. It will also amaze you with its tenderness and juiciness.

Gourmets from all over the world will agree that marbled steak is a special delicacy that is impossible to resist. Apart from its beautiful taste, this special type of reddish meat is a healthy product.

Why is it called marble?

Beef meat received this unusual name due to its similarity to marble stone. It has certain layers of fat that penetrate the muscle mass lengthwise and crosswise. This zest makes a piece of meat not only attractive, but also affects its taste. During heat treatment, the fat melts, saturates the beef with flavor and makes it the most juicy.

Marbled steaks are obtained from special breeds of beef bulls (Angus, Murray Gray, Wagyu, Hereford). Only they are programmed at the genetic level to form a fatty network. The best marbled meat appears in the dorsal part of the bull, since this area is least likely to experience overload.

The method of feeding animals also plays a role. Over the course of many years, they have developed an extraordinary technique for feeding bulls and found the best method for obtaining marbled meat. To do this, during the last 3 months before slaughter, animals are fed only grain and grass. A grain diet promotes the formation of fatty tissue, and a grass diet promotes juicy muscle mass. Animal movements are also kept to a minimum. Only young healthy bulls are used for tender meat.

The benefits of marbled meat

The health benefits of an excellent marbled steak lie in the correct ratio of saturated and monounsaturated fats. The main component of saturated fat is stearic acid. It does not contribute to an increase in cholesterol (Insoluble in water, soluble in fats and organic solvents.) in the blood (the internal environment of the human and animal body) , which is very important for connoisseurs of healthy food.

According to research, meat also contains conjugated acid, which helps strengthen the immune system. It also has anti-inflammatory properties and reduces the risk of developing heart disease, asthma and diabetes.

Marbled meat is rich in vitamins E, PP, K and group B. It contains the following minerals:

potassium;
magnesium;
iron;
calcium;
manganese;
copper;
sodium;
selenium;
zinc.

The difference between marbled meat and ordinary beef

Regular beef meat varies not only in cost, but also in taste and quality. Several fundamental differences stand out.

Ordinary beef meat does not come from specially fattened animals, but from ordinary dairy cattle. For a couple of years she did her part - she gave milk. When the return becomes small, the animals are sent for slaughter. Such meat is not harmful and has its own beneficial characteristics, but is not considered premium and of the highest quality.
The speed of producing marbled meat is many times faster. This is explained by the fact that animals are used for meat when they are young and not under heavy stress. Therefore, a marble steak can be cooked in a couple of minutes, which cannot be said about ordinary meat.
Regular beef meat is not fermented, as is the case with marbled pieces. It is this process that makes bull meat especially juicy and tender. Marble cuts are placed in a suspended state in special chambers for a certain period. During this period of time, chemical processes occur in the meat that destroy muscle fibers. Dry and wet aging is used. Dry requires more time, since the pieces are suspended in a salt chamber for a period of up to 3 months. During this period of time, the cut becomes dry, but with a pronounced smell and taste. For moistened fermentation, 3-15 days are sufficient. At this time, a piece of meat is in a room with damp air and at a certain temperature. The UkrPromPostach company provides the best marbled meat for making excellent steaks.

Systematization and selection of marbled meat

There are about 10 types of marbled beef. The property depends one hundred percent on the age of the animal and the degree of marbling. The most elite is Prime. This variety has the largest number of small fatty layers. Decent restaurants and hypermarkets give preference to this particular type.

Choice is the best meat, without excess fat, and has the same tender structure as Prime.

Select is considered the most economical option. But this does not affect the nutritional value and usefulness of meat. This beef is great to grill, without subjecting it to a long heat treatment process. If you overdo it, then the steak will turn out to be the least juicy and toughest. For all 3 species, bulls under the age of 3 years are used.

When choosing a piece of marbled meat, you should pay attention to its color. It should be more reddish compared to ordinary beef. Also, the steak must have a pleasant smell, without sourness. Fat streaks in decent meat are distributed moderately. When choosing, you should lightly touch the steak. It should not be slippery, and the palm should remain dry after touching.

The newly found piece of marbled meat is perfect for making traditional steak, shabu-shabu dishes (pieces of meat boiled with vegetables and noodles) or sukiyaki nabe (boiled marbled beef with bean curd, noodles, vegetables and raw egg). Excellent high-quality meat will decorate any table.

Based on materials from UkrPromPostach meat stores – ukrprompostach.ua.

*Comment: the editors are not responsible for the content and views presented in articles marked Ⓟ.

What is marbled beef

What kind of marbled beef is this? Almost all users have not even heard of such meat, and all because feeding animals for the next creation of marbled beef is an expensive action.

The type of meat received an unusual name due to its special appearance: the veins of fat are placed in such a way that they are breathtakingly similar to marble patterns. However, marbled beef steaks are valued not for their visual appeal, but for their extraordinary taste.

Do you understand how marbled beef is obtained? At first, only the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun produced this rare variety, using the meat of young Tojima bulls and Wagiu cattle. Cattle breeds were used to create elite beef.

1 Creation of marbled beef
2 Degree of marbling: what is it?
3 Marbled meat: recipes for making it in a slow cooker
- 3.1 Marbled beef steak
- 3.2 Steamed meat
- 3.3 Traditional marbled beef steak
- 3.4 Italian sauce
- 3.5 Lingonberry topping for marbled steak
4 Secrets of making marbled beef

Creating marbled beef

To obtain real marbled beef, bull calves are kept in cramped stalls, similar to raising geese for foie gras. Only compliance with a special regime, menu and procedures makes it possible to obtain excellent meat.

Until the age of six months, calves are fed only with milk and herbs from wild meadows. Then, as they grow older, the livestock are placed separately and treated with grain. After slaughter, the meat is subjected to special processing, which is kept in the strictest confidence. Marbled meat is valued by all gourmets of the world for its unique taste.

How much does marbled beef cost? The cost of marbled beef per kg is about 30 thousand rubles. Of course, not everyone can afford such a luxury: even at this price, you can buy marbled meat in Moscow only in a few specialized stores.

Degree of marbling: what is it?

Fat layers, which are distributed in a special way throughout a piece of meat, form marbling. The fat should be snow-white in color and distributed moderately throughout the steak.

The highest calorie content and ideal taste of marbled beef made it a desired dish. Marbled beef steak in the oven is a common order in the most expensive restaurants in the world.

Higher quality meat is found in the back of the animal, because the muscles receive minimal stress. When a steak is cooked, the fat melts, imparting flavor and tenderness to the meat. Marbling comes in 3 categories:

prime;
choice;
select.

Select requires gentle frying, while prime is fried over medium heat. Prime - the highest quality marbled beef steaks.

Marbled meat: recipes for making it in a slow cooker

It is not difficult to cook marbled beef correctly. What is the difference between marbled beef and ordinary beef? Not only in cost and taste, but in production time. For example, it only takes 20 minutes to fry a steak.

Marbled beef steak

Creating a marbled beef steak is not at all difficult. Striploin and ribeye are suitable. The recipe requires the following ingredients:

sliced meat – 250g;
spices and salt;
Sunflower oil – 30 ml.

The meat should be washed and rubbed with spices and salt. Marinate the slices for half an hour. Pour oil into the slow cooker and add meat. Cook the beef in the “frying” mode without a lid. To ensure even cooking, turn the steak over after 10 minutes.

An open lid allows you to get a crust. If the piece of meat is very thick, you will have to fry the meat on the sides. Then select the “baking” mode to get impeccable taste. Leave the meat inside the multicooker for 30 minutes. Thanks to the destruction of hard connective tissue (the structure of tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology) , marbled beef will become soft.

Steamed meat

You can steam marbled beef steak. You probably paid attention to the small amount of ingredients for the recipes. The taste of beef itself does not require any additions. To create the most delicious dish, prepare:

marbled beef – 300g;
olive oil – 1 tsp;
spices, salt.

Wash the meat and soak in salted water for several hours. Rinse the slices and rub with spices. Sprinkle with oil and place in a multicooker pan. Fill the bowl with hot water in the amount of 4 measuring cups.

Select the “steam” mode and cook for 35 minutes. Steamed meat with a side dish will leave an unforgettable memory. Cool meat will be needed for tenderloin or as an ingredient for sandwiches.

And another rare recipe in a slow cooker especially for you

Traditional marbled beef steak

To make this culinary masterpiece you need:

beef – 200g;
chopped garlic;
Sweet pepper;
vegetable oil;
tomato – 1 piece;
salt, spices.

Slices no more than 3 cm wide are rubbed with garlic, salt and spices. In the multicooker, select the “frying” mode and cook the beef until an appetizing crust forms. The inside of the steak should remain pink. Then the meat is cooked in the “stewing” mode for another 20 minutes.

Finely chopped onions and peppers are stewed for 10 minutes in the fat that remains after cooking the steak. The freshest tomato is cut into several parts and added to the vegetables. The steak is served with fried vegetables.

Italian sauce

To reveal the taste of meat, try to prepare an unusually tender sauce. It will require the following ingredients:

parmesan – 20g;
blackberries – 10g
strawberries – 10g;
raspberries – 10g;
1.5 tbsp oil;
clove of garlic.

Mix the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour over cooked meat before serving and garnish with sprigs of mint and rosemary.

Lingonberry topping for marbled steak

Lingonberry topping will be the perfect complement to premium meat. To make the sauce you need:

spiced salt;
prunes – 20g;
lingonberries – 140g;
dry reddish wine – 100g;
balsamic vinegar;
dried ginger – 3 gr.

Place the lingonberries in a frying pan and heat them up. Add wine. Prunes are steamed in advance and also added to the topping. At the final step add salt, ginger, vinegar. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, and then puree with a blender.

Secrets of making marbled beef

In order not to spoil the delicacy, it is important to know certain cooking rules. Marbled meat does not necessarily need to be marinated. Its warm texture does not require long-term heat treatment. To add flavor notes, you can keep the slices in the marinade for no more than 6 hours.

By keeping the steak on the fire, you risk turning the meat into “rubber.” Thick pieces can be cooked in a frying pan, oven, or slow cooker. It's better to under-salt than to over-salt! During the manufacturing process, do not add salt - this is done either before steaming, or before serving.

The perfect ingredients for marbled meat are rosemary, basil and olive oil. Fruit and vegetable cuts and special sauces will help vary the taste. Now knowing what marbled beef is, you can create culinary masterpieces without the help of others.

What is marbled beef: how it is obtained, why it is called that, benefits and harms

The most precious meat in the world is marbled beef. The product has a huge amount of thin layers of fat, which melt during the manufacturing process, giving the meat extraordinary tenderness and softness.

The concept of marbled beef and the development of its production

Almost everyone is interested in the question: marbled beef - what exactly is it, and what are its special features?

Marbled meat is the name given to cow fillet containing a sufficient amount of intramuscular fat.

This variety of beef got its name due to its unique appearance: snow-white fatty layers are placed on the reddish cut of meat, forming a typical pattern reminiscent of the texture of a marble slab.

Previously, such meat was produced only in the Land of the Rising Sun. It was made from cattle of two sacred breeds - Wagiu and Tojima.

Today, Japanese marbled beef has gained worldwide fame. The country supplies about 120 types of these meat products to the world market.

In Russia, the creation of marbled beef is just beginning to gain momentum. The following breeds of cattle are used to obtain meat:

Aberdeen Angus
Hereford
Charolais
limousine

Cattle live in narrow pens, since with the greatest restriction of motor activity, fat accumulates inside the muscle tissue (The structure of the tissues of living organisms is studied by the science of histology) . To avoid bedsores, cows are given mechanical vibration massage.

They are also fed with selected grain for 200-300 days. In addition, to increase appetite they are given premium beer.

Types of marbling

There are 3 degrees of marbling of meat:

Prime

This is high quality, firm and warm beef, one hundred percent streaked with fat.

It is ideally suited for cooking using dry heat (for example, baking, grilling or frying, etc.).

Making a meat product takes only 5-10 minutes.

Choice

This type of meat is also quite juicy, soft and fragrant, but has the least amount of fat inclusions.

It can be subjected to dry surface heating, while strictly observing time limits so that the beef does not become overdried. But it is better to simmer or simmer the meat in a frying pan, one hundred percent covered with a lid.

Select

This meat product has even fewer layers of fat than the previous two.

Only the most delicate parts of the carcass are suitable for dry cooking. All other meats must be marinated before cooking.

Parts and varieties of marbled beef

Marbled meat is divided into 3 grades, based on what part of the cow carcass it is cut from:

Higher (dorsal, thoracic, hip, rump, rump)
1st (scapular and abdominal parts, shoulder girdle, neck)
2nd (shank, cut)

The difference between marbled meat and ordinary beef

(hormones are biologically active substances of organic nature) in the diet of cattle used for the production of marbled beef . As follows, the meat product does not have a negative impact on human health.

Before sale, the meat undergoes dry or wet aging.

In the first case, beef cuts are kept in a salt chamber for 2-3 months (at a certain temperature).

In the 2nd - semi-finished products are soaked in their juice in a vacuum for 3 to 14 days.

Ordinary beef remains firm even after prolonged cooking. Marbled meat cooks very quickly and has a delicate taste. Such individuality of the product is explained by the fact that it is obtained from young cattle that have not experienced heavy stress during their lives.

This meat is considered dietary - only 170 kcal per 100 grams of product. It contains much less cholesterol (Insoluble in water, soluble in fats and organic solvents.) than in ordinary cow meat, so it does not lead to an increase in blood pressure and blockage of blood vessels.

Benefit and harm

Marbled beef contains large quantities of components that enhance the secretory function of the gastrointestinal tract (the gastrointestinal tract is the digestive system of the organs of real multicellular animals, designed for processing and extracting nutrients from food) (pantothenic acid, nitrogenous extractives, biotin). The product also includes:

Conjugated acid that strengthens the immune system
Choline, which speeds up metabolism
Cyanocobolamine, which stimulates hematopoietic processes
Phosphorus, which improves hormonal regulation

Marbled beef is rich in vitamins (a group of low molecular weight organic compounds of relatively simple structure and varied chemical nature) (B, E, K) and minerals (zinc, copper, selenium, sodium, magnesium, potassium).

The product helps reduce the rate of contraction of the heart muscle, which makes it very useful for people suffering from cardiac diseases.

In addition, eating marbled beef allows you to increase the speed of your reaction, and in some situations even helps to get rid of nerve signal transmission disorders.

But, despite all the positive characteristics of marbled beef, it is necessary to pay attention to the harm associated with its oversaturation. Meat contains a lot of protein, and excess protein parts in the body leads to an increase in the concentration of purine bases, which in turn can provoke the development of:

gouty arthritis
osteochondrosis
renal colic

Storage

Regardless of the ripening method (dry or wet), marbled beef should be stored at a temperature of -1.5 to -0.5°C. This temperature regime allows you to leave the meat product chilled, preventing unnecessary freezing.

Meat placed in a vacuum bag can be stored for 8 to 10 weeks. But after opening the package, the beef loses its initial taste properties within 2-3 days.

You can slightly extend the shelf life of marbled veal by wrapping the chilled product in a clean waffle towel. The tissue (a medical system of cells and intercellular substance, united by a common origin, structure and functions) will absorb excess water from the meat and will not allow it to become weathered. In this way, the meat remains fresh for up to 5 days.

Marbled beef - what is it?

For almost all people, this type of meat is associated with a special and exclusive variety, easily accessible only to a select few. In order to dispel this fairly common myth, it is useful to find out in more detail how marbled beef is raised. After this, it becomes natural that almost all of its types are completely affordable and are widely represented on the meat products market. The main distinguishing feature of the variety is the typical veins of fat, which have a special known color and texture.

What does marbled beef mean: detailed analysis

Since the specific meaning of the word “marble” is closely associated with veins of the lightest color against a dark background, such an associative series and the title itself look completely appropriate. The veins of generous aged fat in some way repeat the structure of the natural material of the same name. They are found only in the body of young bulls, which is determined specifically by the technology of production of the product.

Marbled beef parts: anatomical atlas

There are three types of beef in total, which are formed depending on what part of the carcass they are cut from:

Higher. It consists of the back and chest parts, fillet, sirloin, rump and rump. Due to its own structure, such meat is considered the most delicious and is very popular in a huge number of restaurants, including the most elite.
1st. The shoulder blade, shoulder, flank and neck are classified specifically in this group for us. In terms of its taste, the flesh, for example, of the shoulder blade, is slightly inferior to the high grade, and for some connoisseurs of marbled beef it is considered the most preferable.
Chin, front and hind shank (shank) is the most fibrous and tough meat, which is widely used in the preparation of ordinary and affordable meat dishes in various catering establishments.

It is striking that any part in classical cooking has a strictly designated branch of purpose:

The cut or neck is ideal for making broths and stewing.
The spatula is perfect for cooking soups, making chopped cutlets and goulash. The shoulder part is perfect for this purpose.
The back part is designed for chops, cutlets, ribs in borscht and large pieces of meat when baked.
The fillet is a very thin meat without excess fat, suitable for most kitchen dishes.
For dishes that require meat that is slightly crumbly and easy to sear, marbled beef from the thick end of the Black Angus breeds, which has also proven itself in rib-eye steak, is suitable.
Brisket is often used as an exclusive product for the production of special meat dishes.
Rump is considered an excellent option for making over an open fire or for making escalopes and medallions.
The flesh of the leg of marbled beef (also called rump) is popular in the making of escalopes or when baked in the oven due to its rather fibrous and complex structure.
Flank is ideal for making rolls and chopped veal in different variations, also for cooking meat in slices with vegetables.
The shank is suitable for stewing with or without a bone. Another good option for its implementation is making jellied meat.

Types of marbled beef steaks

In any country in the world, this meat is considered one of the best and is subjected to a wide variety of kitchen tests. Its production development involves serious adherence to the “herbal” diet (Diet is a set of rules for human consumption of food) of livestock, therefore it can be considered lean and very healthy.

Since there is a huge amount of controversy regarding how marbled beef is made in different countries, we can take Japan as an example - as a standard of professional culinary art.

There are some recipes that are considered, if not the most complex, then probably among the most expensive. This is justified by the popularity of the product and its relative rarity in the Land of the Rising Sun. Thus, the most expensive marbled beef is considered to be Japanese Kobe. The development of its production is very old, which significantly affects the cost of the final product - the price tag of 150–500 bucks for 200 grams of meat is considered completely ordinary. A distinctive feature of this beef for us is that it is made from the only breed of Japanese Wagyu cattle. A fascinating fact is that the name of the breed corresponds to the region of the Land of the Rising Sun where it is grown. Moreover, this meat is considered the state property of the country and is popularized in every possible way.

As for steaks, different in terms of price, availability and taste, there are two more favorite ones:

Striploin. It is usually considered a man's dish due to its pronounced taste and large fibers. For meat connoisseurs, striploin steak made from marbled beef is also known as “New York”, since it was first produced in the steakhouses of this town.
Ramp. This dish is made from the femoral part of the hind leg of a young bull. If you think about the anatomical features, it becomes clear that this meat is quite tough. However, if properly prepared, a ramp steak made from marbled beef will amaze you with its rich meaty taste and wonderful, pronounced aroma.

It is important to realize that marbled meat is very sensitive to heat treatment, which is why classic steaks made from it are cooked a couple of times faster, and their taste properties fascinate with their versatility and sophistication.

Catalog of equipment for the meat industry.