Shoulder clod: what is it? And how do you cook it?
Shoulder clod is a relatively unknown piece of meat. It’s also the cheapest cut of meat off the shoulder from the beef.
Yet this kind of steak is mostly used for familiar dishes, such as steak tartare and carpaccio. In this article we explain what shoulder clod is and how to cook it.
Other names:
English: Beef chuck, shoulder clod
French: Macreuse à bifteck
Italian: capello di prete
Spanish: Tapa plana
Dutch: Bloemstuk
What is shoulder clod?
Shoulder clod is a piece that is cut from the shoulder of the beef and is close to the tenderloin and flat iron steak.
It has a lot of flavor and a somewhat firmer texture due to the muscle fibers present. These fibers are both short (fine) and long (coarse).
This part of the animal gets a lot of exercise, making the muscles somewhat tough. Shoulder clod is characterized by a membrane and a layer of fat.
How to cook shoulder clod?
Shoulder clod is used for making roast beef. You can also cut smaller pieces for frying and roasting.
Frying
- Take the meat out of the fridge half an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature.
- Heat a frying pan with some oil. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 80°C.
- Grill both sides of the shoulder clod for a few minutes.
- Place the steak in an oven dish and cook at 80°C until it has reached a core temperature of 52°C.
- Let the meat “rest”, loosely covered with aluminum foil”, for about 10 minutes. This allows the meat juices to distribute evenly through the steak.
- Cut the shoulder clod into thin slices. The meat is very tasty with, for example, béarnaise sauce.
Grilling
- Take the meat out of the fridge half an hour before cooking and let it come to room temperature.
- Prepare the barbecue for direct grilling. Maintain a temperature of about 250°C.
- Grill both sides of the meat for a few minutes until browned.
- Prepare the barbecue for indirect grilling. Maintain a temperature of 110°Cand cook the meat to a core temperature of 52°C.
- Let the meat “rest”, loosely covered with aluminum foil”, for about 10 minutes. This allows the meat juices to distribute evenly through the steak.
- Cut thin slices and enjoy.
