The shoulder steak, also known as English steak, London broil, beef chuck shoulder steak, or Swiss steak, is a delicious boneless cut. It is characterized by low fat, rich flavor, and large connective muscles and tissues, making cooking a bit challenging.
The best methods to cook a beef shoulder steak include braising, broiling, and pan-frying the chuck steak. As long as you know how to cook the steak correctly, you will have a delicious meal regardless of the cooking method you choose.
However, it is essential to remember that beef shoulder steak is characterized by a high large amount of muscles and connective tissues. Therefore, you will have tough and chewy steak if you fail to cook it correctly. Read on to learn how to cook the best steak.
Beef Shoulder Steak
What is a beef shoulder steak? It is what the name suggests; a beef cut from the shoulder that is relatively underused compared to other parts of the shoulder. The beef steak is obtained from the chuck primal of a cow around the shoulder girdle.
The flavor, fat content, texture, and tenderness are some of the qualities that make the steak quite popular among BBQ enthusiasts. Moreover, it is one of the most delicious yet inexpensive steaks you can purchase.
Purchasing Beef Shoulder Steak
Purchasing beef shoulder steak is easy because it is readily available in butcher stores, online markets, and supermarkets. However, when buying your beef shoulder steak from any source, you need to ensure that you invest your money in quality meat. Review the package descriptions and closely examine the color before making your order.
Beef Chuck Shoulder Steak
The beef chuck shoulder steak is a piece of meat that, if you cook it well, can turn out to be a melt-in-your-mouth meal. You will be out for a delicious dish with a bit of preparation and tenderizing the cut.
What Is Beef Chuck Shoulder Steak?
One of the common questions that people ask themselves whenever they think of purchasing the beef chuck shoulder steak is how they can use it. Generally, you can cook the steak in a wide range of ways, including braising, stewing, slow cooking, or even pot roasts. With the right recipe, it won’t be hard for you to convert the steak into a 5-star restaurant feast.
Tenderizing The Beef Chuck Shoulder Steak
Tenderizing the beef chuck shoulder steak is one of the essential requirements for making the steak delicious. While there are not many ways of tenderizing the steak, those that exist have proved very effective. One way to tenderize the steak is to use a meat mallet to pound it and break the tough muscles. Additional methods of tenderizing the steak include braising, using a good marinade, brining, and many others.
How To Cook Beef Shoulder Steak
When cooking the beef shoulder steak, you will never run short of options as there are many ways of cooking it. Some cooking methods to embrace are pan searing, grilling, braising, and broiling.
Pan Searing
Pan searing is a fast and easy method for preparing steak. It is so easy that even a beginner will not have difficulty executing it with ease and precision. However, if you want to yield the best result from this method, then there are a few tips that you need to master.
First, you need to season the beef shoulder steak with salt and pepper and allow it to rest in the fridge for about 4 hours. This step is necessary because it allows the moisture in the meat to rise to the surface for excellent searing.
Secondly, once you are done seasoning the steak, add some oil to the cast-iron skillet at medium heat before adding the steak and searing it for 3 minutes on each side.
Grilling
Another way of cooking beef shoulder steak is grilling it. However, for the best results, you should marinate it for several hours before you can grill it. Marinating the steak not only makes it tender but also increases the flavor of the steak. Therefore, whenever you grill your steak, you should ensure that you do not skip this step.
Braising
You can also braise the beef shoulder steak to render it tender and delicious. There are many braising liquids that you can use to cook your steak to perfection; beef broth, water, cider, or dry wine will do a perfect job for you. You can also use seasonings such as Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce.
Broiling
If you are after a quick and easy steak fix, then you can opt to broil a chuck steak. The broiling will brown the outside of the steak while leaving the middle tender and pink. One trick to make the beef shoulder steak delicious when broiling is to ensure that you season it thoroughly with pepper and salt. Additionally, allow it to sit in the fridge before broiling.
How To Cook Beef Shoulder Steak On A Stove
Cooking your beef shoulder steak on the stove is common. If you plan to cook your beef shoulder steak on the stove, ensure that you marinade or dry brine the meat before you start cooking.
Here are the ingredients you will need to cook the steak on the stove.
Ingredients
- Salt
- Beef shoulder steak
- Butter
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- Fresh rosemary
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Tongs
- Paper towel
- Meat thermometer
- Heavy pan or cast iron skillet
Instructions
1. Season
Start by generously seasoning your beef shoulder steak with your favorite seasoning and salt and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. For the best results, you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Seasoning and salts help to make the steak tender and delicious.
2. Bring the Beef Shoulder to Room Temperature
Once you get the steak out of the fridge, give it about an hour to get to room temperature before you start the cooking. Bringing the steak to room temperature is vital as it promotes evenly cooking of the steak.
3. Preheat The Pan
Take your heavy pan or cast iron skillet and put it on top of the stove at high temperature until it becomes hot. Add a reasonable amount of oil to the pan/skillet.
4. Sear the Steak
Put the steak on the skillet/pan and sear it for about one minute on each side. A brown crust will form on the steak. Reduce the heat to medium and continue with the cooking of the steak.
5. Check The Internal Temperature
When you are almost halfway finished cooking, use the meat thermometer to check the steak’s internal temperature. Remove the steak from the heat source at 5 degrees Fahrenheit to the desired level of doneness. This is necessary because the steak will continue to rise by 5 degrees Fahrenheit when it is out of the heat.
6. Baste
Complete the cooking process with some fresh herbs and butter. Add fresh thyme, rosemary, and butter to the pan and baste the steak for some minutes until it attains the desired level of doneness.
7. Rest
Allow the steak to rest for about five minutes for the juices to redistribute. Slicing the steak immediately out of the heat source will result in it losing most of the delicious juices.
8. Slice and Serve
The last step is to slice the steak. Although it might sound easy, you should slice it against the meat’s grain to ensure it is tender. Use a sharp knife to slice the meat before enjoying it with your favorite side dish.
Conclusion
The beef shoulder steak is a great cut you can easily convert into a delicious meal without struggling it is one of the most mouthwatering cuts yet inexpensive. However, you should have the right equipment and recipe to make it tastier.
Scot has loved smoking food in his free time for the last few years. Each major holiday or off-weekend, Scot spends days testing and prepping new recipes for perfection.