Kosher Blog

Adventures in Beef: TAIL OF PRIME RIB

In honor of the wild accusations going around about kosher shechita these days, I hereby introduce what I hope to be a regular column on the blog: Adventures in Beef.

Tonight’s installment: TAIL OF PRIME RIB

Thursday night meant Shabbat shopping, so I picked up my chickens and some beef broth at Gordon & Alperin, my meat purveyor of choice. I also needed dinner for Sarah and me that night, so I put the problem to Ricardo, master butcher. He thought for a moment and then knew exactly what we should try, what he called a “tail of prime rib,” a cut of beef that is left behind when he carves out a prime rib. As you can see from the photo, it looks almost like a small brisket. The 1.5 lb. steak was about $17, but I looked at it as a little present in honor of my new job.

From what I’ve read, I suspect this “tail of prime rib” is a similar cut to a “hanger steak,” which is also known as “butcher’s steak” because it’s the cut the butcher takes home. And now I know why he does.

I brought mine home, seasoned it only with a bit of freshly cracked black pepper, and broiled it for 5 minutes on each side. The thicker end was perfectly rare and the thinner end was more to my wife’s liking. The exterior developed a bit of that great natural caramelization, a slight crust that contrasted beautifully with the extremely tender meat. Plus, it was marbled with just enough fat to give an excellent beefy flavor. I sliced it against the grain and served it with a simple accompaniment of Near East rice and lentils. The beef stole the show; we were both in awe of this perfect cut. Give it a try, and tell him I sent you.