Beef is one of the oldest foods in the world. Cave paintings show men hunting cattle. www.mazzaroth.com/ChapterOne/LascauxCave.htm It is important in many cuisines around the world, on every continent. www.steps-centre.org/PDFs/Martin%20Cooke%20-%20market%20access%20-%20importers%20perspectives.pdf

There are eight major cuts of beef.www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Cooking-Tips--Techniques-642/beef-cuts.aspx Each one has its own optimal cooking technique, as well as one or more other cooking techniques that can be used with it. Much of this depends on how heavily the muscle was used by the cow; heavily-used muscles tend to be tougher than ones that are more lightly used.busycooks.about.com/od/howtocook/a/howtocookbeef.htm Other reasons that different cooking techniques have been traditionally used on different cuts of beef have to do with where the dish and technique originated: Italy has several famous traditional wine and beef dishes; England doesn't.

On this page, you'll see the major techniques described. The major cuts of beef inlcude Chuck, Rib, Short Loin, Sirloin, Round, Shank/Brisket, Flank, and Plate.

Grilling beef is a cooking technique that is appropriate for the largest number of cuts of beef, www.fabulousfoods.com/reviews/product-reviews/article/223/22081, but it is not the only one. Braising can be used on the next highest number of cuts; pan-frying or pan-broiling, broiling, and cooking in liquid all are about equal in the number of cuts they can be used with. Stir-frying and finally roasting can be used with the fewest number of cuts.

All cuts of chuck, round, skirt and brisket are good candidates for braising.www.fabulousfoods.com/reviews/product-reviews/article/223/22081

Braising is particularly good for cuts of meat that do not on their own half a good deal of marbling (fat running throughout the meat). Tougher cuts also have more collagen than better-marbled ones, and collagen becomes gelatin when cooked with moisture at a gentle heat.www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/icooks/2-1-03article.html Braising involves first sealing the juices in by searing, and then adding various liquids in small amounts so that the meat partly steams, partly boils.www.reluctantgourmet.com/braising.htm The fats used to sear to in the juices can add flavor; the searing itself produces the Maillard Reactionwww.exploratorium.edu/cooking/meat/INT-what-makes-flavor.html, which adds flavor; spices, herbs and other flavoring agents can be added; and the liquids used can also add flavor.

To braise beef, start with a very hot pan that is deep enough to hold your beef and still allow the cover to fit tightly. Melt a little butter and olive oil as it heats, then add the beef. Let it get brown on each surface. You may use a mix of spices, such as equal parts rosemary, thyme, and marjoram with a dash of freshly-cracked pepper and salt, to rub the beef with before you sear it.

Have your liquids mixed and waiting. In the above example, beef stock with a little red wine would work well. Pour the liquid into the pan. It will steam immediately, so be careful. It will also help loosen anything sticking to the pan--scrape up the browned bits to add flavor. This is called "deglazing the pan".

Cover the pan and let it simmer until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest, most central part of the meat registers at least 145F for medium rare to 170F for well done.www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg1197/meatherm.html You can also check by using a sharp knife to check the interior color of the beef.

You can vary the spices and liquids used in braising to make a wide variety of dishes. Using Asian spices and herbs, such as 5-spice powder and star anise, with Asian cooking liquids, such as soy sauce or tamari and rice wine vinegar, will give a completely different flavor than does the first example.

There are several other methods that work well with more tender cuts. Most rib and loin steak cuts, as well as top chuck and top round steaks, can be pan-fried, pan-broiled, stir-fried or broiled. The first three methods involve the stove's top, while the latter involves the oven.

To use the stove-top methods, the steaks should be fairly thin; much thinner than a roast and not as thick as the typical steaks for grilling. Pan frying and stir-frying are similar in that you use oil in cooking the beef. In the case of pan-frying, the beef is usually cooked as a solid piece, a few minutes per side. In the case of stir-frying, the beef is usually cut into chunks or strips. Breading may be used either way; sometimes spices or herbs are added to the breading. The oil also sometimes adds flavor, especially if it is from something with a distinct flavor like walnut oil, olive oil, peanut oil or coconut oil.

Pan-broiling and broiling are a little different. In these methods, no oil at all is used. The steaks should ideally be 1/2" thick and no more than 3/4" thick in order for this method to cook the steaks through the middle without burning the outside. For pan-broiling, use a heavy-bottomed skillet that is completely heated to a high heat. Meat should also be brought to room temperature before being put onto the pan so that it doesn't lower the pan's temperature. The high heat prevents the steak from sticking. www.txbeef.org/cooking_school/pan_broiling

In broiling, the steak is placed underneath the broiler in the oven. The temperature remains constant; what changes is how far the beef is from the heat source. This depends on the thickness and cut of beef. Beef may be marinated before being broiled.

You can also learn about roasting and stewing beef.

There are also several methods of "cooking" beef that don't involve cooking at all.

In the Vietnamese soup pho, tender beef is shaved very thin and put on top of a bowl of noodles and herbs. The beef is cooked when boiling water is poured into the bowl.steamykitchen.com/271-vietnamese-beef-noodle-soup-pho.html

Carpaccio is an Italian dish also made from thin slices of beef. In this case, it is the acid in the lemon juice that "cooks" the beef.www.saveur.com/article/recipes/Vietnamese-Style-Beef-Carpaccio

The above two treatments of uncooked beef use thin slices. Several other methods use ground beef or finely-chopped meat. They are:

1. Steak Tartare, from France. It's combined with some typically French seasonings like capers, onions, mustard, herbs and eggwww.chow.com/recipes/10983.
2. From Belgium, Filet Americain, which is not a filet at all. It has a few different spices and is considered more a condiment than a dish in itself. www.epicurien.be/blog/recettes/cuisine-belge-belgique/filet-americain-prepare.asp
3. Several other European countries have slight variations on Steak Tartare. Denmark, for example, has tartarmadwww.practicallyedible.com/edible.nsf/pages/tartarmad, which involves horseradish and no capers.
4. Lebanon has Kibbeh nayyeh, which can be made with lamb or beef, and involves bulgar wheat, cumin, and other herbs and spices.mideastfood.about.com/od/beef/r/basickibbeh.htm
5. Ethiopia has kitfo, which is always minced rather than ground. It is served with a chili sauce. www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/dishes/kitfo.html
6. Chile serves its own version of steak tartare as a sandwich, with the addition of lime.www.ethiopianrestaurant.com/dishes/kitfo.html
7. A traditional Korean "hoh", or raw dish, is yukhoe. It's raw ground beef with typical Korean flavor notes of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and garlic.eatdrinkman.blogspot.com/2009/12/yukhoe-korean-style-steak-tartare.html