4 Best Beef Cuts For Pasta: What Is The Best Cut Of Beef To Go With Pasta?
Beef and pasta are a perfect match that can satisfy your starving stomach.
Most people would opt for ground beef for pasta, but there are actually several cuts that work great in this recipe that will be unraveled in this article.
Keep reading to figure out interesting things about the best beef for pasta.
How to choose beef for pasta?
When you are looking to cook pasta, choosing the right beef is an important decision.
If you choose a bad type of meat, it can ruin your dish and leave you with bland or even tough-tasting noodles.
Instead of settling for mediocre ingredients, try these tips on how to choose beef for pasta that will help your meal taste great:
1. Choose pre-ground beef if you want to save more time and effort on cooking pasta
Ground beef is the most common choice of meat for pasta.
It takes less time to process and cook, making it much more convenient to have a hearty pasta dish.
You can even make meatballs from ground beef to serve with pasta.
2. Opt for a whole cut of beef in case you prefer the satisfying mouthfeel of eating beef slices
While ground beef is a more popular kind of meat for pasta, you can even have your pasta noodles with slices of beef.
In this case, you need to buy a whole cut of beef instead of pre-ground beef.
To cook this kind of beef for pasta, it is best to thinly slice the beef cut against the grain so that the meat is tender and easier to chew.
3. A well-marbled and flavorful cut work best for pasta
Another tip to choose beef for pasta is that you should look for a well-marbled cut of beef instead of a cut that is too lean or fatty.
A cut of beef that is well-marbled often comes with a more flavorful taste and juicier texture, which will make your pasta dish better.
4. Purchase fresh beef instead of frozen or stale meat
Last but not least, a fresh cut of beef makes a difference.
Fresh meat has a sweeter taste, a more fragrant aroma, and a tender but firm texture.
It is a little more expensive than frozen beef or stale beef, but it is worth the price.
4 best beef for pasta
Below are the four types of beef that are great for pasta:
1. Ground beef
Ground meat is one of the most common choices for pasta.
Among different kinds of meat, ground beef is the most popular ingredient in a pasta recipe.
Normally, a chuck roast is a typical cut that is used for making ground beef thanks to its perfect marbling fat content and affordable price.
You can look for lean ground beef or a mixture of 80% lean meat and 20% fat.
Ground beef can be bought from any grocery store or local butcher shop, or it can be ground at home from a whole cut of beef with a meat grinder or a sharp knife.
2. Rump roast
A rump roast is a cut of beef from the lower part of the animal’s rear end.
It is often used for slow-cooking recipes like roasting or grilling.
However, when thinly sliced or ground for pasta, rump roast can become more tender without needing a lot of time to cook.
The best part about this cut is that it is very flavorful while being sold at a reasonable price.
3. Beef tenderloin
Beef tenderloin is an ideal cut for any recipe.
It is the leanest, but the most tender cut of beef that can even melt in your mouth if properly cooked.
Beef tenderloin is also one of the priciest cuts of beef, that’s why it is often served in high-end restaurants rather than at home.
There is no need to grind beef tenderloin for pasta, just slice it thinly and stir-fry with noodles and other ingredients in your pasta recipe.
4. Sirloin tip
You can also try the sirloin tip cut for pasta.
This cut can be referred to as the tail end of the tenderloin.
If a sirloin is relatively lean, a sirloin tip is a bit juicier thanks to the slightly higher fat content.
The bottom line
After reading this article, you have a lot more choices than regular ground beef for pasta.
You can also have your beef in the steak slice form to cook with pasta noodles and complete a rich and delicious dish for any meal of the day.
Which cut of beef will you try the next time making pasta?