Denver Steak Question

[Newglide]

So a couple of weeks ago I saw a great deal on Denver steak at the grocery store so I bought some.
I've always heard nothing but good things about Denver steak and these looked like they would be great steaks.
Plenty of marbling and a perfect size since the wife doesn't like a big steak.
I grilled it like I would any other steak. Hot and fast over direct flame to get a good char and pull them around 130ish tent in aluminum foil and let the carry over get me to 135.
All that was fine but when I took a bite they had a bunch of gristle in them which made them pretty chewy.
Is that normal or should I grill them different?

I have several more in the freezer and will try again and see if it was just a bad batch or if the butcher mislabeled them and they weren't really Denver steak.

 

[JLeonard]

In for the answers. I've seen them in the stores at a decent price also. But wasnt sure how to do them.

 

[smokerjim]

Not real familiar with them but there shouldn't be a bunch of grizzle in them , its possible they were marked wrong, but being from the shoulder I think I would try cooking at a lower temp for a while before you sear them.

 

[schlotz]

Denver's should not be gristley and almost as tender as a filet. What you got was either mismarked (definitly possible) or just a tough steer with poorer meat structure (it can happen).

 

[chopsaw]

should I grill them different?

Hot and fast is what you want . You could smoke and sear also , but high heat char to finish .
It could also be bad processing . Meat cutting is a skilled trade that is going by the wayside . Some of those cuts from the shoulder , you get one per side of the animal .
If the muscle itself is not separated out of the larger cut you'll have the connecting tissues .
That Denver should be just muscle .
I'm not trying to be a know it all , and I'm all self taught from buying and breaking down beef Primals . So no expert here , just what I think I know from cutting my own .
This is a great website I use to figure out what's what .
I linked it on the shoulder cut . Denver comes out of the under blade , so if you scroll down and click on that it will give more info .

Square-Cut Chuck Primal

This large primal comes from the shoulder area and yields cuts known for their rich, beefy flavor. Features roasts ideal for slow-cooking as well as more tender, grill-ready cuts such as the Flat Iron Steak.

www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com

 

[Newglide]

Thanks everybody for the info.
Denver steak isn't common around here so I guess it could be anything.
I'll see how the next batch turn out and try to take a few pics.

 

[chopsaw]

try to take a few pics.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures . Just to learn myself .

 

[SmokinVOLfan]

We get denver steaks at food lion around here. IMO they aren't the most tender things in the world. Sometimes a light jaccarding and then a short marinade with just a little worshy/soy makes all the difference.

 

[Hijack73]

When I get home and if I remember I'll thaw some out and point out the chewy bit on a denver. It's gotta be trimmed a bit sometimes or it will have a bit of gristle like a poorly trimmed strip.

For me, ribeye is #1.

Cap steak or Denver is my #2 and 3, in no particular order.

 

[Newglide]

Sometimes a light jaccarding

I was thinking the same thing. I'll give it a try on the next round

When I get home and if I remember I'll thaw some out and point out the chewy bit on a denve

Thanks, I'll be interested to see if there is something I should trim. I don't remember seeing anything on the outside edges but there may have been

For me, ribeye is #1.

I'm with ya until around Christmas and whole tenderloins go on sale then I'm all in

 

[Gonna Smoke]

It could also be bad processing .

My money is on this...

 

[Hijack73]

Hey gang - sorry this took me so long. Life and work and animals and life and.... you know how it gets...

Here is how a Denver steak starts it's life. It's a piece off of the chuck. This is a good example of a piss poor chuck IMO - and a really sad Denver. But it's what I ground today so.....

Here is the Denver muscle separated.

This one did not have the gristle line I was hoping that it would have. I think they tend to show up on more well marbled pieces.

If it had one, it would show up about here.

This one, if I cooked it as a steak, would more than likely be a bit tough. Like a select strip. Not enough marbling to make it tender and delicious. Still edible, still good flavor, just not "great great"
This little bit of it would be ok. Again, not filet tender, but definitely ok. I ended up tossing it in the grinder.

Hope this helps. I'll for sure be on the lookout for one that has the gristley bit, and update when I can.

 

[old sarge]

Try a low grill or pan to render the fat, then finish on high heat. Shoot for a nice medium. Coming from the chuck we know from roasting that long low heat is the key.

 

[Hijack73]

Try a low grill or pan to render the fat, then finish on high heat. Shoot for a nice medium. Coming from the chuck we know from roasting that long low heat is the key.

A well marbled one at medium rare will surprise you. It's very tender. Look in my last pic and you can see the grains, even on that, start to resemble a spinalis muscle.

 

[Hijack73]

I grabbed this off of the link chopsaw posted. Here is where the tough bit would be.

 

[Newglide]

Hey gang - sorry this took me so long. Life and work and animals and life and.... you know how it gets...

Here is how a Denver steak starts it's life. It's a piece off of the chuck. This is a good example of a piss poor chuck IMO - and a really sad Denver. But it's what I ground today so.....

View attachment 669260

Here is the Denver muscle separated.

View attachment 669261

This one did not have the gristle line I was hoping that it would have. I think they tend to show up on more well marbled pieces.

If it had one, it would show up about here.

View attachment 669262

This one, if I cooked it as a steak, would more than likely be a bit tough. Like a select strip. Not enough marbling to make it tender and delicious. Still edible, still good flavor, just not "great great"
This little bit of it would be ok. Again, not filet tender, but definitely ok. I ended up tossing it in the grinder.

View attachment 669263

Hope this helps. I'll for sure be on the lookout for one that has the gristley bit, and update when I can.

Great info, Thanks.
The steaks I have look a lot like the last pic

 

[Newglide]

Try a low grill or pan to render the fat, then finish on high heat

I think I'll try them low and slow next time.

 

[chopsaw]

The steaks I have look a lot like the last pic

I believe that's a chuck steak in the last pic .
Separate it along that line of connective tissue that runs top to bottom , and the left side is a Denver .