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By Root 3935 0

times for beef, we debated doing so at first. There are so many factors involved: how cold your refrigerator is, how cold the meat is, how marbled the meat is, how accurate your oven is, how consistent the heat is, how often you open the door, what the composition of your roasting pan is, etc. In the end, the only reliable test is done with an instant-read meat thermometer, inserted diagonally into the center of the meat for 5 seconds to get an accurate reading.

What that temperature actually means is a matter of debate. For example, we prefer beef rarer than the USDA guidelines. Theirs have been established for safety; ours, for safety and taste. Should you choose to follow our recommendations, realize what you’re doing, buy certified organic beef from a reputable butcher, and cook it within a day of purchase. Rare meat should not be consumed by anyone with immune deficiencies, expectant mothers, or the infirm.

Our definitions are rare, 120°F; medium-rare, 125°F; medium, 140°F; and well done, 160°F.

The USDA’s are rare, not recommended; medium-rare, 145°F; medium, 160°F; and well done, 170°F.

However, you’ll notice that we don’t strictly adhere to these temperatures inside some recipes. We sometimes suggest you take the beef off the heat at a slightly lower temperature than those given. Larger cuts of beef continue to cook off the heat, the fat still hot in the meat. Also note that there are no temperatures given for fattier, tougher cuts that are stewed, braised, or roasted—brisket, for example—because these are cooked to temperatures well beyond medium, even well done, until the meat falls apart.

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Rosemary-Garlic Rub

3 tablespoons minced rosemary leaves

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 teaspoons salt, preferably kosher salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Singapore-Inspired Rub

2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

For flavored butters, see the herb butters for chicken quarters or the butter combinations for fish steaks. Add a pat of butter to the top of the hot steak after it’s out of the pan or off the grill.

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Grading Beef

The USDA names eight categories of beef, “prime” to “canner.” Prime is fattier, more marbled, and thus more resistant to turning tough or taking on a liverlike tang. Rarely seen in supermarkets, prime is usually reserved for restaurants and high-end butcher shops. The three gradations routinely found in supermarkets are “choice,” “select,” and sometimes “standard.” In the end, we actually prefer choice, even over prime. It’s leaner, a little chewier, with a bolder flavor; it does, however, require greater accuracy in its internal roasted temperature to ensure tenderness. Select beef is best reserved for stewing.

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Tenderloin

A tenderloin is the other part of the short loin, the luxurious, little-used (and thus very tender) muscle that runs on the other side of the bone that carries the part from which strip steaks are cut. It’s also the smaller side of a porterhouse or T-bone steak. When sliced, the rounds are called “filets mignons.” Never roast a tenderloin to any degree of doneness higher than medium; the extra heat will toughen this lean cut into leather. The recommended internal temperatures given here are a little lower than the ones advised because this cut will indeed gain in degrees as it rests at room temperature. Makes 6 servings

Butcher’s twine

One 3-pound center-cut tenderloin, trimmed (see Note)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, or 6 tablespoons olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons coarse salt, such as kosher or coarse-grained sea salt

1 tablespoon crushed black peppercorns

Wrap and knot butcher’s twine securely but not tightly around the tenderloin in three places to keep the meat cylindrical.

Mix the melted butter or olive