Holiday Cuts (of meat)

Like every holiday season, the Eastern 4-H Center hosts Christmas parties for a variety of organizations. These groups have the option of selecting their menu...which generally includes several different meat options...pork, beef, and chicken. Today, I will talk about those certain cuts that we serve, and why they are good...

First, let's look at the Chicken. Yard Bird is a great holiday option - it's lean, plain tasting (it can be seasoned in a variety of ways), and easy to cook. One could fry it, bake it grill it, sear it - basically anything. The Center offers up baked chicken during the holidays...it's generally dry-marinated in our secret spices (rhymes with fault and mepper), and then baked at 350...we cook "8 way chicken" - two breasts, two wings, two thighs, two legs - not whole chicken. Personally, when I prepare chicken for friends, I like to cook whole fryers (gutsenall, too)- I start with a dry rub that includes chilli, cumin, paprika, salt, and brown sugar...it sits in the rub for a day. I sear the outsides in a hot skillet to make the skin crispy, then I finish it in the oven (in a roasting pan) at about 250 - I cook it until the internal temp of the thigh bone is around 170. Let it sit for a while before you slice - the juices have to solidify. I serve it with green beans and rice, but the Center offers everything from a "friendly" veggie medley to sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, scalloped potatoes, salad, and even collards.

Pork is also an option...I like pork becuae it has a real "taste." Everyone knows what pork tastes like, because it doesn't "taste like chicken." The Center offers up an "Herb baked pork loin" with gravy on the side. Thin medallions of hog are the best way, and few would argue that there is a better cut from swine. And since North Carolina is renowned for it's pork, there is no better way to support our livestock heritage. The loin is lean by pork standards, so it tends to dry out...we'll sear it to lock in juices and complete it in a 350 degree oven until the internal temp is 170. Cook it under cover of foil! Reserve the juices for a tasty gravy, too. Christmas at my parents' house might include smoked ribs, which are second to none - including famous BBQ joints like Dreamland's and The Rendezvous. I like to make loin for special occasions and I prepare it a lot like the Center. I tried to smoke a pork loin one time...don't waste your time...it comes out tasting like Canadian-style bacon. That's ok, if you like CSB. I don't. I do like to smoke Boston Butts (which is actually a shoulder of pork)...I like to baste it with vinegar, honey and cayenne. Thanks to commercialization hog production has been ramped up, but unfortunately, flavor has been lost. "Heritage" or "boutique" pork products fascinate me. These hogs are part of a long line of hogs that have been unchanged by mass production. Berkshire and Gloucester Old Spot....these breeds are tough to find and you'll have to procure them from local farmers if available...you can also find them on the internet. Their meats are darker and usually a little leaner.

Now - the perennial favorite - BEEF! "It's what's for dinner", if you would like anyway. The Eastern 4-H Center offers beef in two ways of the holiday... Prime Rib and Ribeye Steaks - well, and roast, too. Since Roast beef is boring, I will make you read about it here, or just skip to the next paragraph to avoid it all together. The Center's Roast beef is procured from the "eye of round" - which comes from the hind quarter. We slow dry rub the round, then roast, cool, and slice...gravy on the side. Horseradish sauce is also a good accompaniment, but we generally don't offer that. I like roast cooked pink, but the Center cooks until completely done. It's VERY GOOD.

The Center also offers patrons the opportunity to select Ribeye or Prime Rib for the main entree of the holiday party. Prime rib is my favorite of the two - it has good flavor and is a little easier to prepare for friends. Ribeyes are meant for manly-men and womanly-women who like their beef! We grill steaks based on request, so please order them medium, as this is the universally-known best way to enjoy a steak. I know some people in this office who would eat a steak that had not been grilled at all. I just like mine warmed a little on the top, but for some that is tough to handle. Urban legends state that many restaurants will serve less then prime or choice cuts to those customers who desire "well-done" steaks. We would never do that, and we order only "USDA Prime" and "USDA Choice". We dont't offer Kobe or Wagyu - those are Japanese cattle that are farmed to make fatty, buttery, exceptionally flavored cuts of meat...they are also about $30 a pound, which is the main reason we don't order it or offer it. By the way, there are several different grades that are given to cuts of meat by the USDA...I have displayed them below - the best and most flavorful grades are listed first!

(1)Prime - top-notch...only about 2% of all beef receives this grade.
(2)Choice - over 50% of all beef obtain this grade...this is the most common available in sit-down restaurants and other food service operations that offer "steak." The difference between Choice and Prime is the fat content...Prime has more fat or "marbling".
(3) Select - this is what you may find in the grocery store at the bargain counter...just less juicy than Choice.
(4) Standard - Blahhh...they use this in prisons and schools, I think.
(5) Commercial - This can be found in very low-end restaurants or very high-end dog foods.
(6) Utility - Dog food, plain and simple
(7) Cutter - Bad dog food, plain and simple.
(8) Canner - I don't know about this...I think canner is short for "garbage canner."

Anyway, the Prime Rib is the entire rib roast that is roasted in an oven and served with horseradish cream. The Ribeye is a sliced portion of the rib roast that is individually sliced then grilled.

Other good cuts to enjoy around the holidays (but that are not served by the Center) are the Filet Mignon and the Chateau Briand. I prefer the filet, mainly because of its accessibility. Chateau briand is tough to find around here, though it does have exceptional flavor and tenderness. London Broil is a favorite of one of our summer staff members, and I like it, too.

That's it about meat...well, we also do fried shrimp with Prime Rib or Ribeye - just let Nikki, our Reservationist know when you book...her number is 252.797.4800 ext 224!

Enjoy the day...