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U of I: Top Sirloin Profiling
Top sirloin profiling
BY PHIL BASS AND SIERRA JEPSEN
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Most beef producers are weaning calves and making selection decisions on replacement heifers this time of year. Sometimes it can be difficult to find the time to make the best selection decisions with everything else that is going on, and when there are not enough hours in the day, it is easy to select heifers on shipping day based on how they look and what you can remember about their mother. We have all been guilty of doing just that on occasion, but that selection method by itself does not always work when you are trying to make genetic improvements in your cow herd. Sure, you do not want to keep the bag-of-bones with the potbelly regardless of their genetics, but the key to making the best decision is having and referring to good records and supplementing those selection decisions with conformation and demeanor. Sitting down with your records spread out in front of you can help speed up the decision-making process and ensure that you are choosing the correct heifers to retain in your herd.
Sometimes there’s more value in the sum of the parts than in the whole. The top sirloin subprimal of the beef carcass has long been one of the lowest value cuts in what we call the “middle meats” of the beef carcass. Middle meats are just what the name describes, the middle of the beef carcass (meatheads are not always very creative with terminology), and more specifically, the back. This would include high-dollar and sought-after items such as the ribeye, striploin, and tenderloin. However, because of how the top sirloin is the transition from the back to the rump of the animal there has been a history of prejudice by the meat community to this cut. Recent research at the University of Idaho has brought to light a more desirable look at the beef top sirloin and some of the treasures that can be found if one takes the time to discover.
The top sirloin, more correctly termed as the top sirloin butt or top butt, is comprised of four muscles that sit right over the hip bone and attach to the sacral vertebrae of the back (just prior to where the tail bones begin). Because of the unique structure to the top sirloin, and where it attaches, it has previously been considered less tender and highly variable. Several of the muscles in the top sirloin do indeed help to move the hind leg of the animal. Yet, with advances in cattle production and tremendous focus on tenderness by the industry the top sirloin is quite a bit more desirable than what has been experienced in the past – especially if meat cutters take a different approach to how this cut has been fabricated into steaks.
Sierra Jepsen, a recent Master of Science graduate from the meat science program at the University of Idaho conducted her thesis research on profiling the muscles of the beef top sirloin and has in fact discovered empirical evidence that the top sirloin should maybe receive more attention than what it has traditionally obtained. Classically, the top sirloin is simply cut with a very large knife into very large steaks resembling something that may have been seen on the Flintstones. By slabbing the top sirloin, a butcher can achieve a very high yield of steaks, but efficiency is not the same as efficacy. The very large steaks that are cut in this manner end up leaving connective tissue (chewy stuff) in the middle of the steaks as well as not providing the best opportunity for all of the muscles in the top sirloin to shine. By separating the muscles individually prior to cutting steaks, the top sirloin muscles can then be better managed and merchandised in a much more consistent manner. As mentioned, there are four muscles in the top sirloin subprimal: biceps femoris, gluteus medius, gluteus accessorius, and gluteus profundus. That’s a mouthful!
We in the meat science community love calling muscles by their scientific names, however, a gluteus medius steak just doesn’t have a good ring to it like a ribeye or t-bone. Thankfully, we already have some more consumer-friendly names for several of these cuts. The biceps femoris is also known as the top sirloin cap. The top sirloin cap is also known as the coulotte, picanha, and crown roast. This triangular cut is great as a grilling roast on its own, or it can be cut into steaks that resemble New York strip steaks. The gluteus medius, is more commonly known as the top sirloin center-cut. Although the term center-cut sounds like a premium roast, it’s actually less popular than the top sirloin cap due to the cap actually being more tender and highly sought-after in Central and South American cuisine. Yet, the center-cut should not be overlooked. If a keen butcher can identify the seam of connective tissue that runs through the center-cut top sirloin they can then cut down that seam and effectively remove the chewy stuff from the equation. This also turns the gluteus medius muscle into two very consistent roasts that can be prepared in that manner or cut into steaks that resemble tenderloin filets known as “baseball top sirloin steaks”. Although the top sirloin center-cut steaks are not quite as tender as tenderloin, they are still considered “very tender” by USDA standards based on the recent research at the University of Idaho.
The remaining muscles in the top sirloin (gluteus accessorius and gluteus profundus) are much smaller than the previous cuts and when combined make up what meat cutters call the “mouse” of the top sirloin. It’s a mystery as to why it’s call the mouse, but when separated one of these two muscles actually turns out to be a ready-to-grill steak that is also the most tender in the whole top sirloin. The gluteus accessorius, which the research team at the University of Idaho has termed the “Top Sirloin Tender”, is about 8 to 10 ounces naturally which means it’s practically already portioned coming right off of the carcass. And being so tender, it greatly lends itself to the user-friendliness of the grill. Previously, the top sirloin tender has been merchandised as ground beef, however, because of the research at the University of Idaho the only thing remaining on the top sirloin for ground beef now is the last muscle, the gluteus profundus.
The research described, funded by the Idaho Beef Council and The Beef Checkoff, will help those merchandising beef to add value to the carcass which will continue to maintain the high consumer expectations with regard to beef. If we continue to create pull-through demand for the product then those raising cattle should enjoy high demand for their beef. Let’s keep searching for great ways to add value to the celebratory protein, beef.
Go Beef!
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