Its no longer Flat Iron Steak

[ALC Rail Writer]

Oh and environmental impact, most cattle are fed with grain and not lawn mowers. In fact it is the free-range organic cattle that cause more damage to the land versus their penned counterparts.

Indeed, 16 pounds of grain for one pound of beef. Sounds like a good deal....... Not to mention all the growth promoters and hormones you insist on feeding your cattle.

Free range cause more damage to the land? That's how cows are supposed to live, not in some concrete factory somewhere....

Then call PETA. Don't complain to me. I grew up with farms and farmers. I packed beef for summer work-- I suppose that we shouldn't feed corn to those cattle because that corn was penned in a field.

 

[p&sr]

Find me a nutritionist who will agree to the following statement: "Beef has NO place in the human diet." and maybe I'll agree with you. You know its not the food, it's the person. You can be of a perfectly healthy weight and eat a steak. I'm sorry-- it's portion control.

This is preposterous. You said "Beef is Best". I said, "Not necessarily so". Now you just agree that Beef has SOME place in the human diet. Portion control, indeed. I am of a perfectly healthy weight, and I like STEAK, and I eat a LOT of it. And I do NOT practice Portion Control. Not everybody needs to, you know. To each his own.

What, exactly, do you know about cattle raising?

Not much about raising Beef, because I live in Dairy Country so the Milk business is much more familiar.

Or for that matter, what do you have against having a beef option on the menu! It's beef. "Beef, chicken, or fish?"

I have No Beef against having Beef on the Menu. As to Beef, Chicken, or Fish, the ideal Train Trip should have at least one dinner in each of these three classes. The issue in this thread has NOT been whether Beef is appropriate to place on the Menu, but rather the disappointment felt by some over the recent reduction in QUALITY of one classic Beef entry.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Find me a nutritionist who will agree to the following statement: "Beef has NO place in the human diet." and maybe I'll agree with you. You know its not the food, it's the person. You can be of a perfectly healthy weight and eat a steak. I'm sorry-- it's portion control.

This is preposterous. You said "Beef is Best". I said, "Not necessarily so". Now you just agree that Beef has SOME place in the human diet. Portion control, indeed. I am of a perfectly healthy weight, and I like STEAK, and I eat a LOT of it. And I do NOT practice Portion Control. Not everybody needs to, you know. To each his own.

What, exactly, do you know about cattle raising?

Not much about raising Beef, because I live in Dairy Country so the Milk business is much more familiar.

Or for that matter, what do you have against having a beef option on the menu! It's beef. "Beef, chicken, or fish?"

I have No Beef against having Beef on the Menu. As to Beef, Chicken, or Fish, the ideal Train Trip should have at least one dinner in each of these three classes. The issue in this thread has NOT been whether Beef is appropriate to place on the Menu, but rather the disappointment felt by some over the recent reduction in QUALITY of one classic Beef entry.

Then why the heck are you mopping about saying "not the best" eh? Seems you like steak, a lot. No reason to attack me for stating the facts to cattle raising. Which, you seem to agree with.

 

[Casinocim]

The stated reason for this temporary change from flat-iron steak to braised beef is that during peak season, the one chef has enough more work that there isn't time for him to cook steaks to order. Hence a temporary change during peak season to a beef dish which requires less individual attention by the chef.

They just open a package of Dinty Moore and say it's braised flat iron :lol:

 

[p&sr]

I have No Beef against having Beef on the Menu.

Then why the heck are you mopping about saying "not the best" eh?

I said that "Beef is NOT ALWAYS the BEST". One reason it is NOT ALWAYS the BEST is the recent reduction in Beef Quality on Amtrak. There is NO substitute for Steak. Pot Roast is just fine for those who like it (Which I most certainly DO), but it is NOT STEAK and can NEVER replace Steak on a Menu. And the fact that some poor souls who overlook the Fine Print actually THINK they're ordering Steak, only to be Heartbroken at finding some Braised Whatever on their Plates... well, that's just a crying shame. And THAT is why "Beef is no longer the Best", at least when you're riding Amtrak.

By the way, RailWriter, I haven't done any "Mopping" around here for quite a while now. Though it looks to be about time for it, I suppose.

Seems you like steak, a lot.

Actually, yes.

No reason to attack me for stating the facts to cattle raising. Which, you seem to agree with.

Actually, No. Not at all.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I have No Beef against having Beef on the Menu.

Then why the heck are you mopping about saying "not the best" eh?

I said that "Beef is NOT ALWAYS the BEST". One reason it is NOT ALWAYS the BEST is the recent reduction in Beef Quality on Amtrak. There is NO substitute for Steak. Pot Roast is just fine for those who like it (Which I most certainly DO), but it is NOT STEAK and can NEVER replace Steak on a Menu. And the fact that some poor souls who overlook the Fine Print actually THINK they're ordering Steak, only to be Heartbroken at finding some Braised Whatever on their Plates... well, that's just a crying shame. And THAT is why "Beef is no longer the Best", at least when you're riding Amtrak.

By the way, RailWriter, I haven't done any "Mopping" around here for quite a while now. Though it looks to be about time for it, I suppose.

Seems you like steak, a lot.

Actually, yes.

No reason to attack me for stating the facts to cattle raising. Which, you seem to agree with.

Actually, No. Not at all.

Obviously you have a limited understanding of what I said.

When i say beef is the best, I don't refer to the quality or taste-- simply the animal itself and its dietary impact.

And you're wrong. Flat iron is very good when braised. In fact, you can braise, boil, bake, fry, or grill steak. A steak is not a method of cooking a steak is a certain cut of meat from the animal. There are many different types of steaks. Round steak is good for braising, but never grilling. Sirloin is best broiled or grilled, with the exception of top loin (best broiled). The strip and rib are good grilled or fried. SO your argument is invalid. As long as the meat in a method consistent with steaks then it is a steak regardless of the method choosing to cushion.

Need I go on?

 

[p&sr]

By the way, RailWriter, I haven't done any "Mopping" around here for quite a while now. Though it looks to be about time for it, I suppose.

Obviously you have a limited understanding of what I said.

Obviously.

When i say beef is the best, I don't refer to the quality or taste-- simply the animal itself and its dietary impact.

And that's Exactly where I take issue. The "animal itself and its dietary impact" are simply NOT the BEST, for all people and places and situations or in all regards. My own favorite, Sure, but that's Irrelevant.

And you're wrong. Flat iron is very good when braised. In fact, you can braise, boil, bake, fry, or grill steak. A steak is not a method of cooking a steak is a certain cut of meat from the animal. There are many different types of steaks. Round steak is good for braising, but never grilling. Sirloin is best broiled or grilled, with the exception of top loin (best broiled). The strip and rib are good grilled or fried. SO your argument is invalid.

This is outrageous. Sure you can cook a Steak lots of different ways. But you cannot make Braised Pot-Roast into a Steak! Didn't you just hear yourself say that a "Steak" is a "certain cut of meat"? So when Amtrak serves a Different "cut of meat" that is NOT a Steak, it CANNOT become a Steak just by cooking it in one of the (less-usual) styles in which a True Steak could have been cooked!

As long as the meat in a method consistent with steaks then it is a steak regardless of the method choosing to cushion.

As long as the Meat is NOT a Steak, then it will NOT Become a Steak, whether you choose to "cushion" it or not. It simply does not matter.

Need I go on?

Your choice. I'm ready if you are.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Grandson of a meat cutter, son of a meatpacker, a summertime meatpacker myself-- you REALLY want to get into an argument about how you can braise steak? Heh--

You take a T-bone and braise it like a pot roast, it is still a steak. I'm sorry it wasn't prepared in the method you like, but it does NOT make it pot roast! A roast is a different style of cutting meat than a steak.

 

[p&sr]

Grandson of a meat cutter, son of a meatpacker, a summertime meatpacker myself-- you REALLY want to get into an argument about how you can braise steak? Heh--
You take a T-bone and braise it like a pot roast, it is still a steak. I'm sorry it wasn't prepared in the method you like, but it does NOT make it pot roast! A roast is a different style of cutting meat than a steak.

Grandson of a meat-eater, son of a meat-eater, a full-time meat-eater myself. You can go ahead and braise a Steak any way you choose. I'm not the one who has to eat it. Heh--

You take a Pot-Roast and grill it like a Steak, it's still a Pot Roast. I'm sorry it wasn't cut from the right part of the Animal, but Amtrak no longer believes in Steaks. (Unless they re-consider in October.)

Much the pity.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Grandson of a meat cutter, son of a meatpacker, a summertime meatpacker myself-- you REALLY want to get into an argument about how you can braise steak? Heh--
You take a T-bone and braise it like a pot roast, it is still a steak. I'm sorry it wasn't prepared in the method you like, but it does NOT make it pot roast! A roast is a different style of cutting meat than a steak.

Grandson of a meat-eater, son of a meat-eater, a full-time meat-eater myself. You can go ahead and braise a Steak any way you choose. I'm not the one who has to eat it. Heh--

You take a Pot-Roast and grill it like a Steak, it's still a Pot Roast. I'm sorry it wasn't cut from the right part of the Animal, but Amtrak no longer believes in Steaks. (Unless they re-consider in October.)

Much the pity.

Also on the EB.

And actually you're correct. You can put a roast on a grill and it is still a roast. However, the converse is true-- Put a steak in the oven, and it is still a steak. As long as it was cut properly.

 

[sechs]

Actually what I am saying is that if you look at meat counters in ANY american supermarket or butcher, you're lucky to find lamb. This is because beef is the best (or second best if you consider poultry) livestock that can be raised for food. Period. It is the most consumed meat in most Western countries including the UK and France.

You might want to put the shovel down now. You're just reinforcing my point, and not yours.
Stores sell what they can make the most money on. So, you're saying that they sell beef because people are stuck on it.

In reality, pig is the best livestock that can be raised for food. You can feed pigs practically anything, they're relatively efficient in processing it, they live in an amazingly wide range of conditions, and it's not nearly as bad for you. It's the most widely consumed meat in the world; more than a third of all meat produced on this planet is pork. PERIOD.

 

[tp49]

I have No Beef against having Beef on the Menu.

Then why the heck are you mopping about saying "not the best" eh?

By the way, RailWriter, I haven't done any "Mopping" around here for quite a while now. Though it looks to be about time for it, I suppose.

How did a thread about meat evolve into a thread about floor cleaning?

Or is what both of you mean to say moping, which is a different thing entirely.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

i've never had steak. whats it like.

 

[zephyr17]

Hey, I like lamb. I like pork. My favorite is actually buffalo. But I'll take a nice steak. I like a good pot roast, too.

Meat is murder....juicy, delicious murder.

 

[Neil_M]

i've never had steak. whats it like.

Tastes like chicken!

 

[amtrakwolverine]

i've never had steak. whats it like.

Tastes like chicken!

chicken flavored cows huh. so what happened a chicken and a cow had a one night stand. :lol: both got loaded and woke up the next day wondering what happened last night.

 

[Neil_M]

Meat is murder....juicy, delicious murder.

That's why animals are made of meat!

 

[Chris J.]

Meat is murder....juicy, delicious murder.

That's why animals are made of meat!

Cows are devices to convert grass into food =)

 

[Ryan]

So when Amtrak serves a Different "cut of meat" that is NOT a Steak, it CANNOT become a Steak just by cooking it in one of the (less-usual) styles in which a True Steak could have been cooked!

Except for the fact that it is the same cut of meat, cooked differently.

Source.

The flat iron is one of the few beef cuts that has the ability to be cooked with dry heat as a steak, or braised in a flavorful liquid, and produce a juicy, fork-tender, flavorful product. We have had great luck with the flat iron as a cooked-to-order steak, and my goal, knowing the versatility of the cut, was to offer a preparation that would successfully showcase it as a braised item. It will begin dining car service nearly everywhere in early June.

Perhaps instead of a steak, a generous helping of crow is in order for you.

 

[wayman]

I think this argument is approaching "well done". :huh: To each of you, I say "Don't have a cow, man!"

Let's just get back to riding trains and eating whatever our personal favorite foods are--cowabunga, dude! h34r: h34r: h34r: h34r: (too bad I can't make the ninja smileys each have the appropriate turtle colors!)

 

[AlanB]

I thought the new legislation loosened the onboard services for the diners to include more help where needed? Did that not happen?

I wasn't aware of any new legislation that removed the directive that Amtrak cut the looses in food service.

But that said, Congress never told Amtrak how to cut those looses either. Amtrak choose the method that it did all on it's own. However, Amtrak has since revised the formulas that determine how many crew members are assigned to the dining car. It's a combination of the load in the sleeper car, plus the load in the passenger cars. Those formulas today are much more favorable to the passengers than they were when Amtrak first implimented SDS.

 

[Bierboy]

... with horn blasts and the noise and bumps of tracks.

To some of us, that is like a mother's lullaby and gentle rocking.

Oh, yes....exactly my thoughts....now, I'm getting sleepy......

 

[PetalumaLoco]

This makes the best sense.

 

[sky12065]

i've never had steak. whats it like.

Tastes like chicken!

chicken flavored cows huh. so what happened a chicken and a cow had a one night stand. :lol: both got loaded and woke up the next day wondering what happened last night.

A chicken and a cow? :unsure: "There's something wrong with that picture" sez the rooster to the bull! :blink:

 

[p&sr]

So when Amtrak serves a Different "cut of meat" that is NOT a Steak, it CANNOT become a Steak just by cooking it in one of the (less-usual) styles in which a True Steak could have been cooked!

Except for the fact that it is the same cut of meat, cooked differently.

What you are saying is that they take a Steak and mistreat it beyond all recognition, such that even Amtrak themselves no longer sees fit to call it a "Steak".

But this is NOT what I was talking about. I was talking about "when Amtrak serves a Different cut of meat that is NOT a steak". A different matter entirely.

http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?...&hl=braised

According to jim55, quoted on 5-21-09,

"one bite and something was wrong. The guy across from me said 'did you see the asterisk (*) by the flat iron steak on the menu? ...beef shanks will be substituted... when flat iron steaks are no longer available.'"

This is part of the "recent reduction of quality" that I was referring to.