Palm Beach. -- Most of you know that when we shop for meat at the supermarket it is usually labeled USDA Select. Then for a few dollars more we get USDA Choice. That’s it. Most of the time better cuts are not available in ordinary stores.
In Aruba, Executive Chef Matt Boland invites you to Unlock the Mystery of Elite Meat at his bastion of American Cuisine the Sunset Grille, Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino. Matt made Juiciness, Marbling, Flavor & Tenderness into scientific terms and regularly lectures about meat quality at the resort.
Matt reports that even McDonald’s and Burger King now flaunt Angus, thus additional public education is required. The very good meat selections served in top steakhouses, he says, come from Preferred Stock Angus, Certified Angus Beef LLC, Sterling Silver and Chairman’s Reserve. The last four, he confirms, are excellent meat choices. But what is the best? Where can you truly get the best meat, a 10 on a scale from 1 to 10?
At the Sunset Grille, Matt states, and obviously, not all cuts of meat are the same. As part of the restaurant’s philosophy to serve the best food on the global market the Sunset Grille serves the best of the best, USDA prime beef and Kurobuto pork, which represent just 2% of ALL graded beef in the USA.
As a matter of fact, Kurobuto pork is the prime of pork, with the highest marbling available. We are what we eat, you know. Same holds for cattle, Matt informs. The beef is specially selected from farmer raised cattle in Iowa, spanning a 200 mile radius in the heart of the Corn Belt. That Corn Belt, was created when the Glaciers came down from the north during the ice age - the same glaciers that cut all those beautiful gorges and the Finger lakes, Matt adds, guess where he is from? - as they receded, they dragged and deposited 21 feet of the richest, darkest topsoil, perfect for crops and cattle, wherein lies the secret of the American farmer.
Chosen for its exceptional marbling, it is then aged a minimum of 4 weeks, insuring extraordinary juiciness, tenderness and flavor. Pork comes from suppliers who specify genetics, PH, firmness, color, and marbling as well.
Matt who is a celebrity in Aruba and an author, regularly gives 20-minute courses on meat quality characteristics. Everything you ever wanted to know about different quality grades of meat and why prime is the cream of the crop is answered by the chef, Taste Challenge included, so you can judge for yourself . . . .
Taste the difference between USDA prime, American Kobe and top choice Argentine beef. Tell the difference between Kurobuto, high marbled pork versus regular pork. It's all free of charge during Chef Matt's seminars! Plus when you attend Chef Matt’s seminar, you’ll receive a diploma which certifies your graduation. Show your diploma any night and be seated for Prime Time Sunset Dining at 6:30 or before and receive a complimentary copy of Chef Matt’s new book Aruba Tips for Travelers. All of this, says Matt, because we believe that our guests deserve the best American meat at its best. Bon Appetite
Picture Captions: Matt in Iowa at the meat packing plant, and Matt at the Sunset Grille with dining room manager Ruben and sous chef Anthony.
