The Smokin’ Yak, a slow-cooking barbecue catering business founded in 2015 with fellow Marlborough Brahman breeders and barbecue lovers, the Polkinghorne family, is a Central Queensland Brahman breeder, Teys Australia cattle buyer, and passionate ‘bush chef.’
“Mr Noakes said ahead of Beef 2018, where The Smokin Yak would be serving the slow-cooked grilled delicacy from a restaurant in the Brahman Compound, that “something wonderful occurs with rosewood smoke, low heat, and time” that “just turns it into something a little bit special.”
“Many old men who have eaten beef their entire lives have told me that they have never tasted anything like it.
For the past three years, Smokin Yak has been working to raise awareness of slow-cooked Brahman Humps among the general population.
In Brazil, Brahman humps are believed to be one of the most popular cuts of beef.
In Australia, however, there has never been a major history of eating Brahman humps.
Mr. Noakes was bitten by the ‘low and slow’ Texas barbecue bug eight years ago, and has since become so involved in the culture that he now designs and manufactures his own hand-built reverse flow Texan style grills.
Mr Noakes anticipated that highly marbled Brahman humps from grassfed bullocks in Central Queensland would offer a one-of-a-kind grilling experience.
He tried a few and was proven correct, with a soft, moist, and flavorful outcome after 10 hours of slow cooking over low heat.
When Mr Noakes’ wife Fiona donated the business to cater for the Rockhampton Junior Beef Show in 2015, the Smokin Yak soon found itself frying Brahman humps for 350 people.
Mr. Noakes, never one to turn down a challenge, created a Texas barbeque large enough to cook over a hundred pounds of Brahman humps at a time.
Any reservations were quickly dispelled when The Smokin Yak put Brahman Humps on the menu during the Capricorn Food and Wine Festival in Rockhampton later that year, putting the demand of the general public to the test.
“Every day, we sold out, and there was a 40-person line that stretched over the fronts of all the other food vendors, Mr Noakes remembered.
“One of the food writing websites stated that if you didn’t pay the $10 to get in just to try a bite of our cuisine, you were a jerk, so all of this motivated us.
What’s the best way to prepare hump meat?
Steps
- Boil potatoes until almost done in lightly salted water, then drain.
- Cook the hump chops in a skillet (no oil required since the hump got enough fat)
- Cover for 10 minutes after adding the shallots and tomatoes.
- Season with salt and pepper after adding the potatoes. Cover and leave for 5 minutes.
How do you make a tender beef shank?
Because beef shanks are a tough cut of meat, there are some limitations to what you can do with them. To be soft and delicious, they must be cooked in a moist heat for an extended amount of time. As a result, they’re frequently used in slow cooker and soup dishes.
What is the definition of a hump steak?
The hump is a boneless cut that varies in size according to breed. The texture of muscles near to the neck is coarser than more tender incisions further down the back because they do a lot of effort. It has a significant amount of fat in the muscle (marbling), making it a delectable cut.
Neck
The flavor of the neck is undeniable, and the bone and white connective tissue make it ideal for casseroles, goulash cubes, minces, and stock for stews, roasts, soups, and delectable sauces.
Bolo
The bolo is bright red, boneless, coarsely grained, and lacks intramuscular fat in substantial amounts. Regardless, it’s great for pot roasting, braising, stewing, mince, and one-minute steaks.
Chuck
Chuck’s backbone, blade bone, six to seven ribs, and six vertebrae are all present. However, the cut’s several layers of muscle make it ideal for pot roasts, oven roasts, goulash cubes, braising, soup, and mince.
Flat rib
The flat rib cut comprises two muscle layers separated by a layer of connective tissue in addition to its ribs. If you’re a fan of potjies (and who isn’t? ), this is one to keep in mind.
Brisket
Brisket is a huge chunk of meat that includes ribs and the breast bone. The meat has a tough texture, and it’s separated into three smaller portions (point- and mid-brisket, and the naval end). It’s a fantastic cut for braising and pot roasts.
Prime rib
One of the most popular (and delectable) slices available. Three to four rib bones and the ‘eye’ muscle make up prime rib. There are multiple flat muscle layers, connective tissue, and fat on top of the eye muscle. The cut is popular for oven roasts, prime rib steaks, and rib eye steaks because of the rich fat content.
Thin flank
Except for a triangular collection of a few short ribs, the thin flank is boneless. Short ribs are a fantastic choice for casseroles and braising, and it’s frequently used after roasts. It’s also possible to mince the thin flank.
Wing rib
Oven roasts, club steaks, and Scotch fillet steaks are frequently made with the wing rib, which is located close to the prime rib. The cut mimics prime rib in that it comprises three to four rib bones (along with a few others). However, its eye muscle is larger, and it lacks the extra layers of muscles.
Strip loin
Strip loin (sirloin) is a gastronomic dream come true. It has finely textured meat that is soft and juicy. Fillet and eye muscle are separated by a T-shaped bone. This is the cut to look for if you like T-bone roasts, those delectable T-bone steaks, well marbled Porterhouse steaks, fillets, or strip loin.
Rump
The rump requires little explanation. Roasts, rump steaks, kebabs, and stir fried strips are all made with this highly marbled cut. The rump is sensitive and contains part of the fillet. It is made up of a few loosely attached muscles.
Fillet
The fillet is perfect for impressing VIPs, whether they are family, friends, a romantic partner, or your boss. From the rump to the wing ribs, it runs parallel to the spinal column. The fillet is boneless, lean, and deliciously soft (the most tender cut available). You won’t find a better oven roast, and the Mignon, Picata, and Tournedo steaks are to die for.
Silverside
The silverside’s name comes from the silvery connective tissue that covers one of its three muscles (this can be seen in the image). It’s a favorite choice for homemade biltong, and it also makes a fantastic pot roast. Although the meat has a gritty texture, the Prego steaks and goulash cubes that may be made from it are delicious.
Topside
Another popular choice among biltong fans is the topside, which is still a very adaptable cut. The meat is gritty and lacks a lot of marbling, but it’s great for pot roasts, stewing slices or cubes, mince, and Holland steaks.
Knuckle
Three ring layers make up the knuckle, and the innermost muscle, the imitation fillet, is soft and flavorful. Pot roasts, Holland steaks, goulash cubes, and mince all benefit from this cut.
What is the purpose of hump meat?
The hump over the withers on the back of Brahman cattle’s necks is well-known. But why is it there in the first place?
The Brahman’s hump has evolved over time to aid the animal’s survival in arid, hot environments. It is made up of water-storing tissue.
The most relevant question, though, is what should we do with the hump.
“It’s very, very soft when cooked, and it’s fed to elderly folks who have difficulties digesting.”
How long should beef be cooked to tenderize it?
Remove any visible fat, wash and rinse the meat under cold water, and remove any visible fat (I like to leave some fat on the meat because it adds flavor to the stock and beef). In a clean pot, place the rinsed meat.
Add the chopped onions, salt, stock powder, white pepper, oregano, parsley, and bay leaves to the meat on low-medium heat. Stir to incorporate, then pour in 1/3 cup of water, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Check on the meat, add 1 cup of water, swirl to blend, and cook on medium heat until the meat is cooked. The beef should be fully cooked in around 30 minutes, depending on the quantity, size, and cut of meat used.
NOTE: This recipe does not require a lot of water; meat makes its own liquid, and adding too much water might dilute the overall flavor of the dish.
Remove the meat from the stock and use it in your favorite recipes. For a healthy option, you can fry or grill it.
Is it true that the longer you cook beef, the more tender it becomes?
My mother-in-law prepared a particularly memorable roast supper a few years ago. We still attempt to figure out what we ate when the family gets together. The meat was served freshly sliced on the plates, and it was so gray and rough that it was unrecognizable.
The issue was that the meat had been cooked at such a high temperature for such a long time that its color, flavor, and texture had all been lost. To be honest, the cook wasn’t totally to blame for the outcome (this was previously a common method of cooking meat among English housewives), but it’s a shame because such a calamity could have been averted. The idea is to determine if your cut is naturally rough or tender and adjust your cooking procedure accordingly.
Some cuts are naturally tougher than others
Muscle, connective tissue, and fat make up all meat, whether it’s beef, hog, lamb, or chicken. The soft, dense muscle, which is essentially bundles of protein fibers, makes up the majority of what you see in a piece of flesh. Ligaments, tendons, and the collagen membranes that keep muscle fibers together are all classified as connective tissue. Fat can show up as thick coatings on top of muscles or as subtle marbling between muscle fibers. When finely marbled fat melts during cooking, it provides succulence and suppleness.
The anatomy of tough and tender
Some of the most frequent tough and sensitive wounds, as well as those that are neither rough nor tender but fall somewhere in between, are included below. When it comes to cooking, these cuts are versatile, functioning well as an abraise but also able to withstand the strong, dry heat of a grill or saut pan.
Cuts that are difficult:
Tender cuts include:
Cuts that are neither harsh nor tender:
You need to know two things to determine if a cut of beef is naturally tough or tender: how much connective tissue it contains and how much activity it experienced.
The toughest cuts are those with a lot of connective tissue and come from a muscle that has been regularly exercised. (Exercise makes muscles harder by increasing the amount of connective tissue within them.) The cuts with the least connective tissue and those that come from a rarely utilized muscle are the most sensitive. (See the diagram on the facing page for a list of tough and delicate cuts.)
So, which muscles have the greatest connective tissue and work the hardest? This is mostly determined by the location of the meat on a steer’s body. Because the muscles that run along the sides of the backbone don’t have to work as hard, cuts from that area (such as filet mignon and rib-eye, porterhouse, T-bone, and sirloin steaks) are naturally soft. The major muscles connecting the hips and shoulders, on the other hand, work hard and have more connective tissue, so meat from those locations (round or rump roasts from the hip, chuck from the shoulder) is usually tougher.
Match the cut to the cooking method
Meat is difficult to cook because of its composition. The more you cook muscle, the firmer, tougher, and drier the proteins become. However, the longer connective tissue is cooked, the more it softens and becomes edible. Muscle has the most delicate texture between 120 and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. However, connective tissue does not begin to soften until it reaches 160F, and it must reach 200F to entirely degrade. The muscle has totally overdone by the time the connective tissue becomes edible.
As a result, the key to good results is determining what kind of treatment the beef need right from the start. Is it a mainly tender cut that just needs to be cooked for a short time to be safe to eat and develop flavor? Is it primarily a tough cut that requires plenty of time for connective tissue to heal? Every cut has its own set of requirements.
High, dry heat can be used on tender injuries with little connective tissue. This results in exquisite browning on the exterior while keeping the muscle inside cool. Quick cooking methods including grilling, pan searing, and frying are ideal for steaks and other tiny sensitive cuts. Larger slices, such as prime rib, are ideal for roasting. (I like to brown the surface in a hot oven for a few minutes, then lower the heat for the rest of the cooking time to allow the heat to slowly permeate through the flesh until it gets the temperature and color I desire.)
Gentle, moist heat and plenty of time are preferable for tougher cuts with a lot of connective tissue. Long-cooking stews and braises are suitable for cuts like beef brisket and short ribs (the braising liquid keeps the meat at around boiling temperature). Connective tissue breaks down into soft, silky gelatin during slow, low-heat cooking, giving the braise or stew a beautiful, rich mouthfeel. The collagen between the muscle fibers also breaks down, giving the meat a nice “falling-apart feel.” The meat is technically overcooked at this point, but the texture isn’t tough or dry since the muscle fibers break down easily when bitten, and the dissolved collagen and fluids offer succulence.
Is it possible to cook beef shanks like steak?
They’re too tough to grill, but they’re perfect for braising, just like chuck steaks. The meat becomes fork-tender and delicious when the lengthy, slow cooking process softens the strong muscle fibers and connective tissues.
What’s the best way to prepare a beef shank?
Season the beef shanks well with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. When the pan is heated, add the shanks and sear on all sides until browned. If your Dutch oven isn’t big enough to fit all four shanks in at once, do it in batches. Remove the steak from the Dutch oven once it has browned and set it aside.
Reduce to medium heat and stir in the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic. Stir to blend, then drizzle the oil and beef drippings over the vegetables. Cook for 5-10 minutes, or until softened.
On top of the vegetables, place the shanks and thyme. Pour in the red wine until the shanks are almost entirely covered, but not quite. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a low heat and continue to cook for another 20 minutes.
Cover the Dutch oven and place it in a 300F oven when it has simmered. Cook the shanks for 23 hours, or until they are tender.
Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and remove the thyme and shanks from the Dutch oven after the shanks are tender. Blend the vegetables and liquid together in an immersion blender to make a silky sauce. Alternatively, place the liquid in a blender and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the shanks with mashed potatoes and a dollop of sauce, as well as chopped parsley for garnish. Enjoy!