Frank's Butcher Shop

  Marinades have a bit of a myth around them. Home cooks often throw steak in a bag of soy sauce, oil, and spices, hoping the magic will soften a tough cut and flavor the inside.  The reality is more nuanced, and once you understand it, you’ll get more out of every cut you cook. Marinating can improve meat dramatically when it’s done right. It can also do almost nothing when the approach is off.  This guide explains what’s actually happening when meat sits in a marinade, which cuts benefit the most, how long is too long, and the small adjustments that separate restaurant-quality results from a soggy pan disaster. How Marinades Actually Work? A marinade usually contains three things: an acid, an oil, and aromatics. Each plays a different role. •  Acids (vinegar, citrus, wine, yogurt) loosen surface proteins and help them retain water. •  Oils carry flavor and protect the surface from drying out during cooking. •  Aromatics (garlic, herbs, ginger, chili) stic...

  A steak that goes into the pan looking plump and comes out half its original size is frustrating. You paid for a certain weight, seasoned it well, and did everything you thought was right and still ended up with a thinner, tougher piece of meat than you started with. Shrinkage isn’t random. It comes from a handful of specific issues, and most of them are easy to fix once you know what to look for.  This guide explains why steak contracts during cooking, how much shrinkage is normal, and the five small changes that keep your meat closer to its original size, juicier, and better tasting.  The Science Behind Steak Shrinkage All meat contains water roughly 70% by weight for raw beef. When heat hits the surface, two things happen at once. •  Muscle fibers tighten and squeeze out moisture. •  Fat begins to render, pulling liquid from between the fibers. Some shrinkage is always going to happen, usually 15 to 25% by weight and a little less by size. The goal isn’t t...

Two steaks. One is a butter-soft cut you can slice with a fork. The other is a deeply marbled, juice-dripping slab that tastes like the grill itself.  Both sit at the top of almost every steakhouse menu, and both come home with loyal fans who swear their favorite is the only real choice. The truth is that ribeye and filet mignon come from very different parts of the cow, which is why they taste, cook, and feel so different in the mouth.  This guide cuts through the noise and lays out exactly what sets them apart from price and texture to the best cooking method for each. By the end, picking between the two will feel obvious instead of stressful. Where Does Each Cut Come From? Filet mignon is cut from the tenderloin, a long, slender muscle that runs along the cow’s back. Because this muscle does almost no work during the animal’s life, it’s incredibly soft and has very little connective tissue. A beef filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef you can put on a plate. Beef ri...