When we talk about good meat, northern Mexico paints itself and not only that they boast of having THE BEST MEAT.
There has always been a dispute between the northern states that revolves around who has the best beef. Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Nuevo León and even Durango fight for the first place of quality.
Although the quality of the beef is disputed in the north, data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Sader) reveal that the states with the largest production of beef are not the northern ones, but Veracruz, Jalisco, and San Luis Potosí.
However, we know that quantity does not mean quality.
Recognize good meat
Humberto Villarreal , a member of the Mexican Society of Parrilleros, recognizes that Sonora has one of the best national meats and Rancho el 17 has positioned itself as a benchmark for quality.
Villarreal is not wrong at all. Sonora is the only state in the country that exports meat to the United States without phytosanitary review due to the quality standards it handles in cattle breeding.
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In addition, Sonora’s climate is the greatest advantage it has over other beef producing states.
Another characteristic of cattle is that they are kept stabled, that is, in stables, so that they eat well and fatten without developing fibers.
” The quality of meat is dictated by intramuscular fat (marbling), ” says Humberto Villarreal. “The higher the marbling, the higher the quality, the greater the flavor and the softer,” he adds.
According to Rancho on the 17th, the flavor of the meat depends on four factors: the feeding of the cattle, the feeding time, the breed and the age of the cattle.
On the other hand, Adrián Reyes, master instructor at Univercity Grill , agrees with Humberto: Sonora has the best meat in the country.
“The meat of Sonora is among the best in the world thanks to food and the arid climate, ” he tells us. “Sonoran livestock are fed with ingredients from the region such as oregano, mesquite that give it that characteristic flavor and cherry red color.”
Adrián also mentions that having the animal free of stress is essential to control the levels of ph and glycogen.
In Sonora there is the perfect combo: the livestock breeds, the climate, the food and the ideal processing methods.
The competition
Do not worry, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Chihuahua and Nuevo León are also positioned as excellent references in beef quality.
The reason? Its climate and efforts to improve quality day by day.
Sinaloa is so concerned about the quality that in 2017 the state government promoted a plan to improve the genetics of its livestock.
Get the best
Regardless, keep in mind the marbling, the color and the smell of the meat you buy. If it comes from a distance, the vacuum packing keeps it better.
If you want meat from the north of Mexico but you live in the center, there are several options: physical stores in Mexico City and online sales.
Where?
Ranch on 17
Address: Masaryk 515, Polanco.
The best beef cuts, according to four carnivorous experts.
Nothing more primary and exquisite than cooking and eating a good meat , but of all the existing cuts … which is the best? Which are the most accessible in a common butcher shop?
To help you choose the next cut you will cook we asked four carnivorous experts what their pampered are. Below are the answers of a market butcher, two barbequers and a gastronomic journalist.
Telésforo Velázquez
Don Telésforo has been working for more than 60 years in the local 51 of the emblematic Mercado de San Juan , in the butcher’s shop called La Orquídea , one of the most recognized of all the Colonia Centro in Mexico City.
According to this tradition butcher, the best part of the beef varies, depending on the occasion and the way you want to cook it. “Of course, if you know only five parts of the cow you are missing a world of deliciousness. For that I am, so you ask me, I advise you and let you know, “he says smiling.
In La Orquídea he has the most demanding cuts, but he always recommends the rib eye, which is regularly requested with or without the bone. Don Telésforo explains that the high-fat content of this cut makes it much more robust and much tastier, ideal for grilling or, better yet, charcoal. “It’s a very rich cut for any palate, but it becomes wonderful when you ask for it to be cleaned and leave only the central and most tender part of the rib eye.”
The best? Don Telésforo says that it is a cut that you can find in any butcher shop, you just have to ask for it.
Humberto Villarreal
To talk about meat … who better than a Northerner? Humberto Villarreal is the president of the Mexican Society of Barbequers , an organization dedicated to promoting the gastronomic tradition of the grill and professionalizing anyone who wants to become a “master of fire”.
“In my experience I always enjoy a lot of chuck roll , especially the boneless ten-millimeter needle ; It is a cut that we prepared with my grandfather and my dad in our roast meats, “says Humberto. This cut is incredible for its marbling , which gives it the softness and flavor that characterizes it, “and it’s much cheaper than a rib eye”.
Humberto says that in the north this cut is very common, “in any butcher’s shop you can ask your trusted boardman to process it if you can not find it in the shop window of the butcher shop or the supermarket.” The ten-millimeter needle comes from the chuck roll between the neck and the rib eye.
To cook this marvel it is enough to season it with a little olive oil and salt of grain , take it to the grill over high heat and seal it for four minutes on each side. Cook until they are 55 ° C internally and then let them rest for five minutes in a charolita covered with aluminum foil.
As a good northerner, Humberto likes to accompany this cut with quesadillas in flour tortillas, roasted onions, a tatemada sauce and a cold beer to taquear again and again.
Miguel Barba
“If we talk about roast, my favorite cut is the picaña , a cut in which the fat is separated from the meat and before putting it to cook allows you to give the desired ratio, that is, cut the fat, remove it with the knife, give the desired thickness for the fat-meat balance, “says Miguel Barba, a member of Chulengo Smoker Team , a group of meat lovers in Mexicali , who even built his own grill to prepare meat with eight techniques in one place.
Miguel says that the taste of a picaña is stronger than a rib eye or a new york and that although it is a fibrous cut, cutting it correctly can give it incredible smoothness.
“From then on I recommend grilling rib eye or new york “, says Miguel, and very important: do not forget that the best cutting experience is between the middle and three quarters terms , dare to try! If you overcook them, they are likely to dry out.
On the other hand, there is smoking, a technique that helps fibrous pieces that are abundant in collagen, that is, hard, acquire softness characteristics that can not be achieved with roasting.
“Without a doubt, Chulengos’ favorite piece here is the short ribs , which are ribs known as loaded or roasted. With the perfect point of smoked, juiciness and a good seasoning or BBQ sauce, they are a delicacy to forget about the cutlery and napkins, “says Miguel.
This northern parrillero also mentions the brisket (beef breast) , which is prepared as a whole piece, usually with BBQ sauce and which undoubtedly is one of the emblematic dishes of American smoked. “It’s not something you’ll normally find in a restaurant due to the preparation time – there are techniques up to 22 hours – so where you see it, do not miss the opportunity to try it.”
What if you go to your trusted butcher shop? Miguel explains that the picaña can be given as part of a “palomilla” or “dove” steak ; the rib eye could be known as a broad steak or rib eye steak , and the new york as a narrow steak .
Miguel’s recommendation is to look for meat that within the red has white, which is intramuscular fat; This creates what is known as marbling , a good indicator that the cut can be of good quality.
Adalberto Lanz
Among gastronomic journalists, Beto Lanz is recognized for his unrestrained love for meat.
Since he was a child, he has always loved the milanesas and the cecina. “I’m from Morelos and the memories of many family meals, the weekend meetings in Cuernavaca, almost always included jerky. The smell of meat on the grill and the cured tacos of Yecapixtla or Puente de Ixtla that my grandfather bought in the market for me were a delicacy. I made my tacos with meat, a bit of ranch cream, fresh cheese and green sauce, “Beto recalls.
Both the cured meat from Morelos and the Milanese prepared by his mother are obtained from the hind leg of the beef and specifically from the pulp ball or the black pulp , although in some cases the white pulp is a little more fibrous than the previous ones, Explain.
” Milanese breaded with black pulp is still my favorite because it is an easy cut to get and because of its smooth texture and flavor you can eat it frequently, without getting sick “. Beto says he does not need more than a good breaded, a green sauce or a bit of chipotle to accompany.
If you are in a good restaurant or with a good barbecue that knows how to control long cooking, Beto likes the beef breast or brisket.
In a common butcher shop, to buy easy-to-cook cuts, Beto asks for New York or T-bone , also known as bone-in steak. “When coming from the soft muscles of the beef, they require little knowledge and can be cooked in a pan. From these cuts you can get tasty pieces that with a little salt and pepper are delicious “.
One of the preparations that Beto likes the most is the meatballs with chipotle. “Ground beef can be made with any part of beef. You can order it with a lot or little fat, but being a meat made from many parts is unlikely to detect or know exactly which cut of the beef came from. “
Source: Animal Gourmet
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