A new cut of beef has been discovered at the University of Nevada, Reno.
It’s called the Bonanza cut.
The cut was once used in ground beef, but is now considered a premium steak. It’s small, well-marbled and researchers say it rivals the filet mignon.
Amilton de Mello, the UNR meat scientist who developed the cut, explained that scientists don't truly "discover" cuts of meat. The cut is already there it has just been used for different purposes.
However, it has been a trend over the past 20 years to take another look at cuts of meat that were once passed over as not being tender enough to be considered steak.
“The industry knew it was there but nobody believed it could be marketed as a steak,” de Mello said.
But de Mello and others at UNR, took several samples of the piece of meat and checked it for tenderness. The result is the Bonanza cut.
“It is part of the flatiron steak that stays on the rib after separation from the chuck,” he said.
de Mello said all the effort to find new uses for cuts of meats helps everyone, especially steak lovers.
“You are basically providing to consumers different options that they can have better eating experiences,” he said, “When you add value in beef cuts, you ultimately generate a lot of good things for all sectors, including food service, consumers, retailers and the beef industry.”
There is no word on when exactly you'll be able to try the new cut, but de Mello said there are some chefs already working on ways to prepare the new Bonanza cut.
Amilton de Mello, assistant professor of meat science, UNR