Saratoga Steaks?

[Kevin Walsh]

Hoping that someone here can help me out. My wife is hosting an event this evening that will be attended by several other women, and had asked me to grill some filets to be thinly sliced and served on crostini as an hors d'ouevre. I told her that, of course, I would be happy to help.

This morning, however, instead of filets, she picked up from BJ's something labeled "BF CHUCK MOCK TENDER STK (980087) SARATOGA STEAK."

I am certain that her decision to go with this significantly lower priced cut is a reflection of her confidence in my ability with a charcoal fire and a pair of tongs, and I hope that her confidence is not misplaced, but I have no experience with this cut, and I have to confess that the words "mock tender" do nothing for my own confidence. I just don't know if I can make this work. Can anyone offer any guidance, or success stories with Saratoga Steaks?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

 

[R Cain]

I have heard of Beef Cuck Mock Tender, alot of chili cooks use it to make chili. This http://www.chefs-resources.com/Cuts-of-Steak-and-Alternate-Steak-Names chart list it as comming from the rib area.

When I used beef chuck mock tender to make chili it still took a fair amount of cooking to make it tender.

Hope they turn out good.

-rog

 

[Dave/G]

Go to the store and get filets or other steak (strip) that you can grilll in less than 10 minutes. You have pieces of chuck meat from the shoulder (like butt from a hog) than can take a long time cooked slowly, otherwise they'lll be extremely tough
http://www.ehow.com/info_8181816_tips-beef-chuck-tender-steak.html

 

[timothy]

I've bought " Chuck Eye Steaks " AKA Poor Man's Rib-eyes that were labeled " Mock tender " in the past. Can't say if that's what you have.

Tim

 

[Bob Correll]

Go to the store and get filets or other steak (strip) that you can grilll in less than 10 minutes. You have pieces of chuck meat from the shoulder (like butt from a hog) than can take a long time cooked slowly, otherwise they'lll be extremely tough
http://www.ehow.com/info_8181816_tips-beef-chuck-tender-steak.html

+1
Were're talking opposite ends of the beef tenderness spectrum.

 

[Kevin Walsh]

Thanks, all. I went out and got some nice ribeyes instead. The "mock" tenders will go into a "real" chili, soup, or stew.

 

[William Landreth]

Bryan Flannery, a famous butcher from San Francisco coined the term for the Saratoga Steak a few years back.

http://www.flannerybeef.com/butcher/prime-beef/midwestern/midwestern-beef-saratoga-steak.html

It is fabricated from the sub-primal of the boneless standing rib roast when the rib cap is removed. Think of it as the eye of the rib-eye. It is not a chuck steak, or mock tender that has been fabricated from another primal or sub primal.