Always had a burning question but not sure who to ask? In our regular Ask the Experts section, we do all the noseying about so you don't have to.
In this edition of the regular series, we glean tips from Andre Huber, the executive director of Huber’s Butchery, a key supplier of gourmet meat products to top restaurants in Singapore.
He manages the marketing and sales aspects of his family’s European-style butchery and delicatessen in Dempsey along with his brother and managing director Ryan Huber, as well as chairman father Ernst Huber, a veteran chef and former president and co-founder of the Singapore Chefs' Association.
Dear Andre, I love making simple steaks for my friends but I'm getting tired of using the usual tenderloin and rib-eye cuts. Any off-cuts you recommend using for a change - preferably something that is hard to go wrong with?
When using secondary cuts, it is best to go with cattle that has been grain fed and breeds such as Angus and Wagyu. The secondary cuts of these animals coupled with their grain feeding gives the meat sufficient tenderness and good flavour.
For grilling, I would recommend using the flap meat or skirt meat like outside skirt or hanging tender. It is a flavourful cut from the diaphragm of the animal, it can be tougher than the loin cuts but if you cook it to a maximum of medium, it should still be very enjoyable.
Photo: Meathesaurus by Huber's Butchery
Rump steak is a good alternative to the sirloin steak. It is located beside the striploin and still offers good tenderness. The cap of the rump is nicely marbled and make excellent juicy steaks.
There is also the oyster blade, from which you can cut oyster blade steaks or flat iron steaks. The oyster blade is a very marbled muscle found in the shoulder or blade section of the cattle. Trimming the oyster blade can get very tedious hence it is best to leave it to the butchers.
A much easier cut to handle is the shoulder tender or petit tender which is located beside the oyster blade. As its name implies, it is a small muscle that resembles the tenderloin. It is not quite as tender as the tenderloin but it is about 70 per cent there. Getting a Wagyu shoulder tender should give you enough fat to satisfy your tastebuds.
Short ribs cut Korean kalbi-style is another one of my favourites. It is highly marbled and tender enough to grill when cut thinly. Should you want to eat it as a thick piece, it is better to braise it first before grilling it.
My last recommended cut is the tongue. The tongue has its own unique flavour and the springy texture is an interesting alternative to the usual meat textures.
“In our next edition of Ask the Experts: we talk to globally celebrated pastry chef Will Goldfarb of Room4Dessert in Bali (and formerly New York). Send in your questions to lifestyle@michelin.sg with 'Ask the Experts' in the title and we’ll help you find the answer.”
