02 October 2017
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In many menus around the world, rib-eye, tenderloin and filet mignon are making way for tri-tip, flat iron and oyster blade. Chefs are always the early adopters, but soon, these unfamiliar, secondary cuts of beef might just find their way from trendy restaurants and premium butcheries into supermarkets near you.
Secondary cuts, or butcher’s cuts or chef’s cuts, are used to describe less common cuts of meat broken down from larger cuts. At Stellar at 1-Altitude, chef Christopher Millar is not just bringing in these new cuts of beef to his restaurant, he is rearing his own cattle on a farm in Australia, giving a whole new take on the paddock-to-plate concept in land-scarce Singapore.
Secondary cuts, or butcher’s cuts or chef’s cuts, are used to describe less common cuts of meat broken down from larger cuts. At Stellar at 1-Altitude, chef Christopher Millar is not just bringing in these new cuts of beef to his restaurant, he is rearing his own cattle on a farm in Australia, giving a whole new take on the paddock-to-plate concept in land-scarce Singapore.
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“The closer we get to the source of our food, the better,” says chef Millar. In this case, the source is the thirty-strong herd of Tajima Wagyu cattle being reared at Tiana Park in the Riverina region of New South Wales.
These cows are a cross-breed of Japanese wagyu and Angus, and the result is beef that is both beautifully marbled, yet possessing meatiness and bite.
“I like Japanese wagyu but it can sometimes get very ‘jelak’,” says chef Millar, adopting the local colloquialism for ‘cloying’. “This still has the angus beefiness to it, which, as an Australian, I love.”
With access to the entire animal each month, chef Millar began a culinary programme at his restaurant introducing secondary cuts of meat to the menu, including special events like the recently concluded six-hands collaboration "The Road To Tajima" with chef Florian Ridder of The Summerhouse and Melbourne-based chef Alejandro Saravia of Pastuso. “I actually don’t like the term ‘secondary cut’ because I think it implies that the quality is second, but actually a lot of these cuts have very unique qualities and character of their own,” he says.
But beating a less-trodden path comes with its own set of challenges. “For one, butchery names don’t sound very nice—like ‘inside flap’,” he says laughing. “So we’ve had to search for alternatives like its French name, petit tender. Then it sounds a little more attractive to diners than… inside flap.”
Moreover, a lot of butcher’s cuts are the ones surrounding the bone, and they contain a tough silvery sinew that does not tenderize during cooking. “A lot of people, even chefs, have a hard time locating the silver skin and knowing how to remove it. Once you deal with it though, these cuts can actually be a lot more flavourful than primary cuts like tenderloin. Which I really don’t like,” he says emphatically.
Moreover, a lot of butcher’s cuts are the ones surrounding the bone, and they contain a tough silvery sinew that does not tenderize during cooking. “A lot of people, even chefs, have a hard time locating the silver skin and knowing how to remove it. Once you deal with it though, these cuts can actually be a lot more flavourful than primary cuts like tenderloin. Which I really don’t like,” he says emphatically.
His favourite cuts of the moment include the oyster blade and the intercostals. “I’m working on a new dish where we brine and braise the intercostals for a long time and then finish it off on a Josper grill and serve it with fresh gorgonzola and honey.”
Watch chefs Christopher Millar and Florian Ridder as they tour Tiana Park in Australia where Stellar’s herd of prized wagyu resides.
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