I’m always up for a good challenge involving food and technology so when I was invited to participate in Canada Beef‘s “Can You Make the Cut?” Challenge, I accepted in a heartbeat.
My task? To download The Roundup app (find it for iOS or Android) – a new app from Canada Beef – and take it for a spin. This app “merges butchery with culinary skills” and has been created with the goal of making choosing, preparing and cooking with beef a less overwhelming experience. With over 90 cuts of beef available, many people stick to the same cut of beef – one they know how to buy and prepare but many people don’t use beef to its fullest advantage – a steak is not just a steak and a roast is not just a roast that you cook the same way each time. The Roundup offers information from pictures of the different cuts of meat along with descriptions. to substitution ideas if you can’t find the cut of meat the recipe calls for. And, of course, there are a ton of recipe ideas.
The Roundup offers something for both the novice home cook and the dedicated food geek – it’s designed to give you both knowledge (about what you are buying) and confidence (in knowing how to cook it) which are the keys to success in the kitchen. I was impressed with how much information is packed into one little app – it tackles common beef misconceptions such as: how to correctly determine internal temperature, how to carve properly and understanding grain direction, grading terms (What’s the difference between Grade A and AAA anyway?), and tenderness guidelines (did you know that the further the meat cut from the hoof, horn or hip, the more tender?).
The app also offers real-life images of the different cuts of beef so that if you are in the supermarket or butcher, you have an image to refer to (or show someone) which I find immensely helpful – I often find myself in the store madly googling images of cuts of meat or looking for substitutions but this app puts a stop to that by curating all that useful information in one place.
This app really offers a wealth of information for the home cook wishing to extend their knowledge of beef cuts and how to properly prepare them and I know it’s one I’ll be referring to often as I move into BBQ season!
For the Challenge, I chose to work with a marinating recipe. As it’s now the busiest term at school, I am all about recipes I can prepare in advance, so something that I can leave to marinate overnight or during the day is a perfect choice. I went with a flank steak as it’s a moderately prices cut that really does well when it’s marinated, becoming flavourful and tender. We chose the Tandoori Marinating Steak with Roasted Curried Cauliflower for something a little different and I was impressed with both the level of instruction in the app/ recipe as well as the ease of cooking this dish. A little effort in advance produced a very tasty result!
Flank is hard to judge whether it’s cooked so we used a thermometer (tricky on the BBQ but we managed!)…
We allowed the meat to rest before slicing…
And plated it with all the different components for a colourful and so flavourful dish.
- 1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, minced
- 1tbsp (15 ml) minced gingerroot,
- 1tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1tbsp (15 ml) hot curry powder
- 1 tsp (5ml) chili powder
- 1 tsp (5ml salt
- 2 lb (1kg) thick-cut Marinating Flank Steak
- Combine yogurt, garlic, onion, gingerroot, lemon juice, curry powder, chili powder and salt in large zipper-type freezer bag.
- Pierce steak all over with fork. Place in freezer bag with yogurt mixture; refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours to marinade.
- Discard marinade. Pat steak dry with paper towel; season lightly with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat, turning with tongs at least twice. Cook to medium-rare doneness, until thermometer inserted sideways into steak reads 145°F (63°C).
(for the complete recipe, you’ll have to check out the app!)
Disclosure: I received compensation from Canada Beef in exchange for testing and promoting The Roundup app. As always, all opinions 100% my own.
That beef looks cooked to perfection Mardi
Thanks so much – it was 🙂