Advertisement | Teres Major, which is exactly the Latin name of this muscle, sounds at least more interesting and enticing than “big, round muscle” when translated. The French, as they are, find a finer term for it, namely Petit Tender, and what do we Germans do? We call it rustic butcher’s piece! Not because we are so coarse and rustic, but because in earlier times – and certainly still today – one or the other butcher set aside this wonderful piece for himself.
Wagyu Teres Major
Even though butchers in Germany appreciated this cut decades ago, they still did not know it from Wagyu cattle. Because with this origin, the Teres Major is definitively consigned to the upper league of beef cuts. Once again, I am extremely happy to be able to fall back on regional quality for this Wagyu Teres Major. The guys at Havel-Wagyu have never disappointed me with their cuts of thoroughbred wagyu. Be it flap steak, brisket or ribeye steak!
So what actually makes this piece so special? For one thing, its versatility! It is perfectly suitable for steak cutting, as well as for roasting or smocking. This is due in no small part to its intense, meaty beef flavor, which is still well preserved even when marinades are used. Of course, if you’re into intense beef flavor, prepare it as a steak, as described here in this post. Then it should also be mentioned that the butcher’s piece also creates a pleasant mouthfeel due to its fine fibers and comes out tender to the bite. So all the prerequisites for an incomparable meat enjoyment.
Teres major from the fire plate
When grilling a steak directly, we are again spoiled for choice: gas grill, charcoal grill, iron skillet, top heat grill and so on, or just the fire plate if you want it to be cozy and rustic. My fire plate from Eisendepot* literally offered itself here, since there should also be fried potatoes with mushrooms and cheese sauce as a side dish. You don’t treat yourself to anything else…
With such a great cut, nothing but good salt goes on the steak for me. For me, the only option is [amazon_textlink asin=”B073PWHGWC” text=”Murray River salt” template=”ProductLink” store=”altmarkbbq-21″ marketplace=”DE” link_id=”ed99a085-4e50-4843-ba67-a4cf3cb8f2da”]*. Even after grilling, I forgo pepper or any other seasoning to enjoy solely the flavor of the Wagyu meat. However, I know that many can not do without salt and pepper, and there is nothing at all against it.
Indirect grilling on the fire plate
For example, while a skirt steak is perfect for the fire plate, as you only need to grill it hot on both sides and it’s ready after a little rest, a teres major is a little different. This comes out thicker and therefore needs an indirect phase after direct grilling to pull to the desired core temperature. Either we put it in the grill and close the lid as usual or we make do otherwise on the fire plate. For this purpose, I had placed the steak on an extra grate at the edge of the fire plate after grilling for the roasting aromas and covered it with a stainless steel bowl. Due to the grate, the steak is decoupled from the fire plate and thus no longer gets direct heat. It can then remain inside the dish until the desired core temperature is reached due to the rising heat from the fire plate. That was 54 degrees here. Of course, this is not an exact method, and in the grill cooking is also significantly easier and more stable, but when I’m so cozy at the fire plate, I want to stay there. If already, then already!
The rest is as it should be: Let the butcher’s piece rest a little, cut and enjoy. Simply wonderful. Every once in a while, you should treat yourself to a wonderful piece of Wagyu like this. And the Teres Major aka Butcher Piece is a great choice for that!
(*) The products advertised in the post are so-called affiliate links. If you click on such an affiliate link and make a purchase via this link, I will receive a commission from the online store or provider in question. For you, the price does not change.
