MONO MEAT MANIA

As we all know, meat is just one of those things. What was a harmless treat a few years ago has become a problematic habit for many. Climate change, animal welfare, health – there is no doubt that the reasons for the increasing scepticism about meat among large sections of the population definitely has a lot to do with these issues. However, as much as veganism is arguably the most promising dietary trend of the future according to a large number of studies, restaurant guests don’t like things completely meat-free (yet?).
They have simply become more demanding and finicky when it comes to the piece of beef, veal or lamb they are served. In recent years, the restaurant industry has responded to this gradual, but now undeniable, shift. This is particularly true in the upscale segment. “In the past,” Daniel Veron explains, “you could serve guests a whole piece of meat, including the fat and bones. But you really can’t do that anymore. Today, a piece of meat must end up on the plate in such a way that the guest can easily savor it in its entirety.” Since he’s a native Argentinian, he should know. As a cut guru, he not only worked for many years at the legendary Gaucho steakhouse in London, he also acted as a consultant on highly successful concepts such as the Grossauer family’s El Gaucho locations in Vienna, Munich, Graz and Baden. For this, Veron used his decades of know-how – the gray eminence of beef cuts is, after all, over 60 – to develop and sustain his own cuts in addition to his sophisticated roasting techniques. This already brings us to the heart of the matter: Today, if you’re serious about your restaurant’s meat dishes, you’re not banking on offering bolognese, cheeseburgers and pulled pork all in one. Instead, you position your explicit meat concept based on a number of cuts that lend the restaurant a kind of artisanal profile, which celebrates meat to a certain extent.

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Gaucho (@gauchogroup)

The maker is the star

“With single-product concepts, the creator, not just the consumer, has a soft spot for the product, which therefore becomes personalized,” is how gastronomic trend scout Andrew Fordyce sums it up. “There’s a tangible passion and sometimes a story behind this that credibly conveys the quality of the product is measured against the standards of its creator.” Sure, this doesn’t necessarily apply only to meat. Nevertheless, what Fordyce calls the new “mono-fetish” is not only true for quinoa bowls and falafel, but even more so to the range of meat on offer, which consumers scrutinize with a watchful eye. “What piece is that on my plate? How was it cut? Where does the meat come from? How was it bred and fed?” These are all questions that are on the minds and lips of a growing number of diners who order an exquisite piece of meat in a restaurant. Many restaurateurs are already proactively addressing these questions by including them on their menus or even displaying them visually. The amazing thing about this period of change is that it actually demands new cuts. These new cuts cause a stir not only in terms of taste, they are also highly interesting from an economic point of view, in other words, as far as the use of goods is concerned.

A shoulder piece as a sensational find

First, consider the most spectacular example in recent years: the flat iron steak. Invented by none other than “Professor Meat” Dr. Chris Calkins in Nebraska, this cut experienced its triumphant rise in London thanks in no small part to the founding of a restaurant that bears its name. With eight restaurants, it can now easily be described as a chain. “Flat iron steak comes from the shoulder,” explains Dr. Culkins, who is a professor of Meat Science at Lincoln University in Nebraska. “For years, this piece was considered tough because it was used for every movement the animal made. However, we have found that some of the muscle can be used as high-quality steak. The challenge was to find the right cuts.

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Flat Iron (@flatironsteak)

Before flat iron was picked up by the beef industry, it was largely sold for less than its value as roast or ground beef. However, thanks to this special cut, they then realized that a few pounds of steak meat simply need to be put through a meat grinder. Meanwhile, between 75 to 99 million pounds (35 and 45 million kilograms) of flat iron steaks are sold annually.” No wonder. The cost of the product is many times less than, say, tenderloin. It is relatively easy to prepare, and the result is very, very tasty. Charlie Carroll, founder and managing director of Flat Iron in London, describes it as the “democratization of great steak.” At Flat Iron, you can order the steak for just ten pounds. The meat is sourced from small English or Irish farmers who supply the best quality. It should also be mentioned that they really only serve flat iron steak at Flat Iron. That’s right, no rumpsteak, no ribeye, really only flat iron. “The meat has short fibers and only needs to be briefly seared,” Fordyce explains. “It’s ultra tender and super juicy. Served medium-rare, sliced thin and arranged on a hot stone, with a wooden board underneath, it arrives at the table as a instantly mouthwatering feast for the eyes.”

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von Flat Iron (@flatironsteak)

Communication is key

Daniel Veron also came up with his own cuts and despite his vast experience, is still a product of his time. For example, the busy meat god created the infamous corona cut for El Gaucho, which for understandable reasons was translated into English as king’s cut on the menu. “This cut is made by cutting the crown from the well-marbled center section of the beef rump,” Veron explains. “The outer layer of fat gives the meat a unique flavor and particularly appeals to people who like to have fat on their meat.” The cut called Tara de Ancho ribeye also originated from Veron’s knife. “This special cut involves thinly slicing a large piece of ribeye widthwise so that the pieces of meat that this steak unites around the fat pad can be enjoyed perfectly,” Veron said. However, to make sure no misunderstanding happens, it should be said that today, the cut alone is simply not enough. This is because you have properly communicate the craft, or even present it with a touch of drama. Whether displayed visually in the menu or on a wall, or – as is the case at El Gaucho – presented on a tray in its raw state for selection, the possibilities for conveying the essence of a concept to guests are as varied as they are indispensable. This is something Jefferson Rueda knows all too well.

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von A Casa do Porco (@acasadoporcobar)

The pork priest

While in many parts of the world the appetite for meat is on the wane, for the chef from São Paulo one thing is clear: meat is the future. Exactly how and why becomes clear with the help of his restaurant A Casa do Porco, which opened in 2015. There, everything revolves around the pig, or rather, around the pig in its entirety. That’s because his gourmet temple, ranked 39th in the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, serves pork cuts that even the most diehard Brazilians have never heard of. Whether pork cheek as sushi or ears and tails as croquettes right down to the face and snout, which are processed into terrines and sausages, the culinary homage to the popular bristly animal is all about respect and a deeper understanding of animal-friendly breeding, nutrition and, above all, processing, as Rueda emphasizes “The future of meat is transparent tracing of the food production chain,” Rueda says. “My work is to process the entire animal to teach people about sustainable meat consumption. It’s very important to have this interchange of experiences, of cultures and recipes, and to talk about the problems and solutions that go with them, and therefore also about the future, which is meat,” Rueda says with a smile. Meat equals future – in light of the previously mentioned issues around climate change, animal welfare and health, that seems rather a bold statement to make. However, you could expand this to less but better meat celebrated through innovative craftsmanship is the future. It is therefore possible that in the foreseeable future meat consumption will once again become a palatable pleasure, and the aftertaste of the troublesome habit will soon be a thing of the past.

 

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Ein Beitrag geteilt von A Casa do Porco (@acasadoporcobar)