A Reference Guide to Meat Cuts

Have you ever been confused reading a meat package or reading a restaurant menu? You’re probably not alone. At The Cork, we take pride in the quality ingredients we serve. We’re confident you’ll enjoy your dinner, and we want to provide you with more knowledge about the cut of meat you may choose.

THE SELECTION.  While the list of traditional beef cuts is vast, here’s the breakdown of popular cuts that you can find on our dinner menu.

Baseball Sirloin: this name generally refers to an upper portion of a top sirloin. The top sirloin cut can be found on the upper hindquarters of an animal, and is a boneless cut of meat. The steak itself is thick—generally at least two inches—and will fill out as it cooks. This contributes to its round, “baseball” appearance. The shorter, finer muscle fibers associated with hindquarter cuts often provide for a more tender textural experience.

Dinner at the Boulder Cork

New York Strip: perhaps one of the more recognizable names in beef cuts, the New York is a cut of short loin. This cut is located on the back of the cow, just behind the ribs and anterior to the baseball cut. It is recognized for its fine muscle fibers and tender texture, along with its rich flavor. A New York may contain higher fat-marbling content, which adds to the texture and flavor.. Because of the size of this muscle, New York Strips are often offered in larger, boneless portions.

Filet Mignon: French for “dainty fillet,” this cut comes from the smaller end of the tenderloin, just above the short loin. Tenderloin (as suggested by its name) is one of the more coveted cuts due to its extremely tender consistency.

Prime Rib: may be our most coveted cut of meat at The Cork. The muscle itself is generally found adjacent to the lower seven ribs, and is hearty in both portion and fat content. The fat marbling contributes to the buttery, tender nature of prime rib, and greatly enhances the meat’s flavor. Prime rib is technically a “standing roast” rather than a steak, which refers to its cooking method.

YOUR Temperature. Next, the waiter or waitress prompts you for a temperature preference. Emphasis here is on preference. While chefs may recommend a certain temperature, your palate may prefer something completely different.

Extra Rare/Blue: this is the least cooked temperature option, and some restaurants will avoid serving this rare. The meat will be extremely red and feel very soft to the touch. It may not be very warm, as the internal temperature will range from around 80-100 degrees F.

Rare: this temperature is slightly warmer, with an internal temperature of around 115-125 degrees F (this may vary, so ask the waitstaff how their kitchen generally compares). The center of the cut will be very red in color, and the edges will generally be light pinkish.

Medium Rare: with an internal temperature ranging from 130-135 degrees F, ordering your steak this temperature will generally present a very pinkish/red center.  There may be slight browning around the edges of the steak, and it will be noticeably warmer.

Medium: will range from about 135-140 degrees F. A medium steak generally has some pink in the middle, but shows even more browning to the outer edges and is firmer to the touch.

Medium Well: now your steak will be browner in color, with slight pink in the middle. The internal temperature ranges from about 140-150 degrees F and the steak will be firm to the touch.

Well Done: with an internal temperature 155 degrees F and above, the steak will now appear uniformly brown in color, and will exhibit clear tactile firmness.

Whether you choose a Filet Mignon or New York Strip, we look forward to preparing your steak with precision and consistency. Now you can order like a professional, and feel confident about how you want your dish to arrive. We look forward to serving your next dinner!

Sweet on Chocolate

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and we’re getting pretty excited for one of our favorite things about this holiday: chocolate.

THE HISTORY. Before chocolate become the treat we know and love, Mayan and Aztec cultures revered the cacao bean, incorporating it into various rituals because of its perceived magical powers. Chocolate didn’t become sweet until European explorers added vanilla and sugar, making the treat widely popular. Originally consumed exclusively as a drink, shops began to sell eating candies like the ones we eat today in the mid-1800s.

THE BEAN. Cacao beans themselves are found inside oval-shaped pods that hang from the cacao tree which is native to South America. The cacao “pod” has a leathery exterior and is filled with a creamy sweet pulp mixture. Within the pulp there are seeds that are extracted, fermented and dried. There are three types of cacao trees, and the seed varieties range in value and taste.

THE FACTS. Turns out Americans love chocolate—nearly half of the world’s supply is consumed by the US. An average cacao pod has 40 seeds, and it takes up to 1,000 seeds to produce 1 kilogram of chocolate (which is approximately 30 candy bars). Today, nearly 70% of the world’s cacao trees are located in West Africa. Annually, the world produces over 4.5 million tons of cacao beans.

THE HEALTH. Chocolate is rich in flavonoids and procyanidins, which are antioxidants associated with lowering risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease. According to a study done by Harvard’s medical school, health benefits linked to the consumption of chocolate may even extend into the realms of learning and memory retention.

Make your Valentine’s Day reservation today by clicking here or calling 303-443-9505.

Recipe: Chef Jim’s Holiday Oysters

Looking for a new family favorite? The holidays around the Smailer house wouldn’t be complete without this warm, cozy heirloom dish.

Ingredients:
Serves 3 people

1 fennel bulb (trimmed, cored and finely diced)
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes (peeled and finely diced)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
24 oysters (any type will work well)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. In a sauté pan, heat the butter and oil over medium high heat add the vegetables. Let the mixture brown on the bottom before stirring.
  3. Stir with a spatula to brown ell edges evenly. Add a little salt and a generous grind of fresh pepper.
  4. Let the mixture cool to room temperature.
  5. Shuck the oysters and place in the cast iron pan, being careful not to lose any of the liquid from the oysters.
  6. Top the oysters with the vegetable mixture and bake for approximately 8 minutes. The topping should be very hot and the oysters just cooked.
  7. Garnish with a fennel frond and enjoy this warming comfort dish.

Chef’s notes:
This recipe has been in the family for 30 years, and it’s perfect as a first course or side dish. I like to serve at least 8 oysters per person, and it’s imperative that it’s served immediately and very hot. It’s a nice touch to serve the oysters from the cast iron pan they were cooked in, straight from oven to table.

Chef Jim's Holiday Oyster Recipe

Part 2: Something Old, Something New, Nothing Borrowed, But Lots of Blues!

Part 2: Cooking at home

By: Kate Smailer

Every May since 2004 we stay at Fletch’s Cove Villa in Little Harbour. This one bedroom, 3 bathroom oceanfront villa with spectacular views, pool and gardens is a special property! The housekeeper, Cecile is the sweetest lady and she takes special care of us. We feel like family!

Spiny lobster

Jim loves to cook in several nights depending on food availability. This May was awesome! We procured lots of fresh produce and plenty of seafood – lobsters, crayfish and queen snappers!

A most favorite meal of the trip was Jim’s special spiny lobster salad, featuring simply-grilled fresh lobster with lemon juice, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. It is a recipe he got from Ezio, a dear Italian chef friend from the Cafe Santa Fe in Todos Santos – such a simple recipe and such terrific flavor! I so love spiny lobster as it’s much sweeter than Maine cold water lobster.

Rainbow Farms is always a treat. Noel and Duke actually recognized us on the road and yelled hello! I know they meet a lot of people and we were touched they remembered us and made a point to greet. Rainbow had lots of tomatoes this year, great wild arugula and basil.

Seasoning peppers

We ventured to the East End to find the new Sensational Flavours Market. What a nice size farm they have. When we visited, they were in between planting but we still managed to get a favorite item – seasoning peppers! These bright red peppers have the perfume of a habanero but not the heat! Jim lightly dresses them with sherry wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and grills them on the barbecue – oh so good!

Part 1: Something Old, Something New, Nothing Borrowed, But Lots of Blues!

Part 1: Restaurants and Hotels

By: Kate Smailer

This May was our 21st trip to Anguilla! Once we found this gem of an island in 2002 we looked no further for a perfect beach destination. This trip offered new hotels and restaurants.

Manoah Hotel

Manoah HotelManoah Hotel (formerly the Anguilla Ku Hotel) had its restaurant and bar open even though the main hotel will not open until November. We enjoyed two lunches here, great Mt. Gay and tonics, buckets of Coronas and the most comfortable chaise lounges and umbrellas.

Each day we set up at Jacala Beach Restaurant. Lunch there is a treat! Jacques and Alain take super care of us—they take such pride and care with everything they do. We had all our favorite foods – grilled crayfish, lobster risotto, watermelon salad, mahi mahi poached in olive oil, chilled cucumber soup with tomato sorbet, calamari risotto and tuna tartare. Jim always asks Alain to serve his snapper ceviche with coconut milk and cucumber, which he serves in a coconut shell – divine!

Jacala - Lobster risottoIn addition to our lunches, we enjoyed one dinner at Jacala. The atmosphere at night is different – so special, very romantic.  The palm trees dance in the breeze and glow with white lights. White table cloths and candles dress the tables. Often, there is a spectacular sunset!

Hibernia Restaurant Art Gallery

We dined at Hibernia Restaurant Art Gallery two evenings. They feature open-air dining with a lovely pool and garden – we decided to give them a try and we are so glad we did! Hibernia is special and not to be missed!

HiberniaThe owner Mary Pat’s attention to detail is top notch (and she sets a most beautiful table), and the food that Raoul – the other owner – prepares is innovative, fresh and delicious. For appetizers we so enjoyed the smoked fish plate served with toasted homemade brown bread and a horseradish and ginger cream cheese, as well as a trio of tuna: gravlax, smoked and cured, and the sashimi plate alongside wahoo, scallop, crayfish and conch.

Entrees were also delicious. My favorite was the Crayfish sautéed out of the shell with vanilla, lemongrass and roasted onion and yam. This crayfish was so tender and incredibly sweet. Mary Pat told us that sautéing crayfish out of the shell results in a slightly different flavor and texture than the more commonly grilled crayfish. I am still dreaming of this taste!

Of course no meal at Hibernia is complete without the homemade rum raisin ice cream served with a snifter of aged rum. The dessert is served in a lovely bowl with long silver spoons to help you savor every luscious bite.

CoveCastles

CastleCoves - Baby OctopusWe did try one new place for a dinner after reading such stellar reviews about CoveCastles and their executive chef Marc Alvarez. The restaurant had 5 tables that night and the atmosphere had a good energy. Jim introduced himself to Marc, and he was so friendly. Marc enjoyed showing Jim his special restaurant equipment – a wood fired pizza oven and a most special wood-burning grill made by Grillworks. Marc recommended the night’s special, which Jim enjoyed—grilled baby octopus served over homemade squid ink orecchiette. He started with the fried conch served with a tangy lemon aioli.

CastleCoves - BurrataI enjoyed the grilled cherry tomato and burrata bruschetta, as well as the homemade lobster and pea ravioli.

Upon leaving, Marc came over to our table and suggested we come for lunch to try his pizza and said he would happily set us up on lounge chairs with and umbrella to enjoy the day on the beach. We did just this on our one cloudy day. Lunch was wonderful. Marc made us a great salad made with gem lettuce, avocado and tomato dressed in a vinaigrette made from olive oil and a most lovely vinegar (Vinaigre de Calamansi).

CastleCoves - PizzaWe also devoured two pizzas – a bianca and a margherita – AND a piece of the freshest snapper which he grilled on his wood fired grill. A most wonderful way to spend a cloudy day!