Steaks, Sears & Sirloins
BY ANDERSON GAN
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Where do Steaks come from?
When talking about steaks, we must zoom out to the bigger picture which is where
do they come from. Majority of people know this, but steaks come from Cows. These
parts of the cow are specific to certain areas due to the quality and tenderness of the
meat/muscle of the cow. When a cow is split apart and separated, there are many
pieces and sections that they are divided into. This reason being is that certain parts
are more fitting for a different purposes other than steaks, such as soups, broth, or
flavor enhancer. Cows' meat is all resourcefully used and very little is wasted, which is
great for the environment and humans.
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Timeline of Cows
The origin of cows being first domesticated was roughly ten thousand (10,500 BCE)
years ago in Neolithic cultures. Next, they began spreading all over and eventually
sightings of them were seen in 6500 BCE in Africa. Trading of these cattle followed
shortly in around 6400 BCE. Then in 4000 BCE was a monumental time when milking
a cow began to be a normal practice. In early 1500s, Columbus brought cows over to
the America which would spiral cows to revolutionize the dairy industry. Dairy and
specifically cow milk has changed and impacted billions of lives today from the
amount we consume yearly. Throughout the period then to now, change in the cow
industry has not changed much. Slight advancements have come, machinery replaces
most cow labor and they are allocated for food industry.
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Milk Industry
Although this presentation may be about steaks and the meat of the cow, the
benefits of milk and the impact that cows have on the dairy industry can not go
unnoticed. The dairy industry alone is a 700-billion-dollar industry, being mainly
thanks to cows. A survey done in 2017, an average person consumed around 18
gallons of milk. This number is shocking the amount we consume. Do note that the
industry is fairly controversial due to maltreatment of cows and things that they are
fed.
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Parts of a Cow
Cows have many different parts and their meat all have various purposes when one
consumes it. The main parts listed are Chuck, Rib, Loin, Sirloin, Round, Short Plate,
Flank, Brisket, & Foreshank. Chuck is a very large piece of meat that has lots of
various different uses. This part of the cow tends to be cheaper than more desirable
and tender parts such as the rib, loins, or sirloins to name a few. The chuck is more
tough compared to the others which reflect its price. They are great for stews and
cheaper budget steaks, but still full of flavor. The most desirable part is the
tenderloin, as the name may hint, it is the most tender and fairly tasteful.
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Where and
How are
Cows
Raised?
Many cows have very different lives, some a great while others not so much. Above
are free range cows, which means they actively roam around where ever they please
and eat grass. While down below, these are factory farmed cows which eat and
consume a much different diet. Factory farmed cows eat "hooves, skin, blood, hair,
feathers, plastics, chemicals, drugs, & manure […]" and many more. Free range cows
and meat is generally more desirable, but tend to cost more from the consumer and
the farmer as well. While Factory farmed cows are much cheaper, bigger, and filled
with have lots of chemicals inside of them. Factory farmed cows are very
controversial, but offer a similar experience to a free ranged cow at a cheaper cost.
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Pros and Cons of Eating Steaks
and other Red Meats
Beef and other red meats are very tasty, but they have their pros and their cons. Red
meats in-general include beef, lamb, pork, and goat to name the popular ones. There
are many options to choose from, with them all having different taste and texture.
The benefits of consuming red meats is good since our body absorbs it much easier
than other meats and items. Our body red meats include Vitamin B12, great source of
protein, iron, and good fats. This boosts our immune system, the production of blood,
and metabolism. There are many bad things too, consuming this meat has show
chances of increasing a person odds of getting “cancer, heart disease, and many other
health complications”. Consuming it occasionally is fine, but consuming too much,
too often can be harmful.
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Different
Foods Made
with Steak
When we think of steaks, we think of a big slab of meat that is cut into pieces. But
beef itself and steak have many different use cases. An example of this is slow cooked
beef stew found on the right, and steak mixed with pasta. Steak is a very universal
food and can be place just about anywhere. It goes well with many things, including
wine & beer of sorts.
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How do You Like Your
Steak?
Steak have may different ways and methods that people like to cook it. This includes
pan-seared, grilled, oven baked, reversed sear, and even now air-fried. These
methods all have their pros and cons to flavor, maintain the juiciness, and tenderness.
With all of those elements, how cooked the inside is very important. Although cow
meat is generally safe to eat when basically raw, an outside sear is very important.
The internal temperature is a very important factor, this determines how much juice,
and how chewy a steak will turn out. The more cooked a steak is, the more tough it
will be, while the more raw it is, the more chewy they tend to be.
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Japanese Wagyu Steaks
Japanese's wagyu cows are the top cow and meat, when it comes to consuming beef.
These cows and meat are known to be have great marbling, something that just can
not be found domestically in America. This special breed of cow is treated like royalty
and even massaged by their owners. These cows according to Business Insider can be
“worth up to 30,000$ each! That puts them roughly 40 times more expensive than a
US cow”. These can even now be found in your local Costco aisles for 100$ per
pound.
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Beyond Steak/Meat
Cows and livestock are heavy producers of Carbon Dioxide and responsible for “44%
of global anthropogenic” methane. This statistic is very alarming and the
imitative to find a greater means of getting meat, but polluting has begun.
Labs have spent millions of dollars trying to prefect something close to the
meat goodness many like myself love to eat. They have gotten fairly close with
almost identical texture and feel of a steak but made out of something entirely
different. These steaks use lab grown strains of real cows, with ammino acids
and carbohydrates added. These virtually do not hard the environment but
have a very similar taste and feel. I personally have not tried one yet, but I do
want too soon!
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Controversy
When mentioning many things, there are some controversial topics related to them
and cows are no exception. Cows have been with us for many years, and their
benefits to society can not be expressed. This great animal has been in the juicy talks
been many people. Environmentalist are alarmed the carbon footprint that cows
leave, while animal welfare says the raising of cows much change. They are
referencing the many cow factories/ farms that put cows in awful conditions such as
overcrowding, dirty environments, and even unnecessary abuse and maltreatment.
All of these are very valid, and change should happen. I am pleased to say that
ISCOWP (The International Society of Cow Protection), an organization that is
dedicated in protecting cows and the way that they are slaughtered. Also, with
brands such as Beyond Meats and many others creating plant or lab grown
meat has made the right step. Satisfying ourselves is great but hurting things
like the animals or planet more than they need to must be addressed.
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Links
• https://www.britannica.com/list/7-more-domestic-animals-and-their-wild-ancestors
• https://www.yoranchsteakhouse.com/five-different-ways-to-cook-and-serve-a-steak/
• https://beef2live.com/story-cattle-101-hist-breeds-fun-facts-terms-85104671#:~:text=Not%20long%20ago%20cattle%20were,building%20houses%20or%20growing%20crops.
• https://www.timetoast.com/timelines/cattle-timeline-eadb0b7d-0fbe-450a-9187-1129153025c3
• https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/
• https://www.statista.com/statistics/183726/per-capita-consumption-of-whole-milk-in-the-us/
• https://www.tastingtable.com/678992/why-is-wagyu-beef-so-expensive-and-is-it-worth-theprice/#:~:text=According%20to%20Business%20Insider%2C%20Grade,cow%20sold%20in%20the%20U.S.
• https://time.com/6125014/cows-agriculturalemissions/#:~:text=The%20one%20billion%20cows%20used,44%25%20of%20global%20anthropogenic%20methane.
• https://nfu.org/2019/06/18/its-time-to-reform-the-u-s-dairyindustry/#:~:text=Reports%20show%20that%20the%20dairy,around%20%24159%20billion%20in%20wages.
• https://www.quora.com/What-part-of-the-cow-does-steak-come-from
• https://www.livescience.com/28154-new-world-cattle-origins.html
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