The Butcher's Secret
After decades of producing Highland beef and placing orders for specific cuts of meat for customrs, we learned recently of a cut of beef that is new to us - the "spider steak" or "biftck araigée" in French. Our butcher, Carl, divulged the "butcher's secret" last year and we have been orderig it ever since. When a butcher cuts a side of beef using the "French cut" method, each muscle is removed separately The spier steak is a very special muscle only weighing about 120grams (in a Highland that is found in the hollow of the hip joint and is difficult to emove as a piece. It is a muscle that does not getmuch work and is therefore very tender. It was traditionally kept as a treat by te butacher not many people knew about it. The name "spider steak" comes from the appearance of the pice of beef as there are 5 strips of cartlidge running through this small piece - perhaps resembling a spider's web? We started offering it to our clients at h local Farmer's Market ad it soon became as popular asthe "bavette" a cut of beef prized by French connoisseurs of beef.
By chance one week the spider steak was left at the end of the Satrdy market, so I took it home to try it. e also had a Highland ri steak t barbeque that night, so we startedcooking the rib steak and when it was nearly done we put the spider steak on e grill for a couple of miutes of each side, as it was thinner than the rib steak. We shared each steak and I started on my piece of spider steak. Wow!! What flavor and so tender! When I finished off the spier steak, I srated on th ib steak and was amazed at the difference. To my taste he spider steak was much more flavourful and more tender than the rib steak.
Next time you have an animal ready for the butcher, ask for the spider steak Too bad there is only 1 spider steak per side f beef!
|
