Teres Major at Old Time Meat & Deli Shoppe, Champaign IL

During a recent visit to Champaign I picked up a nice little muscle, specifically a bovine teres major.



It's called other things including shoulder tender, a name that makes a lot of sense because of the muscle's location and texture. I seasoned it only with salt and pepper, then cooked it quickly on a hot cast iron griddle. A pretty good steak (maybe a bit lacking in texture) and an excellent value (teres major was on sale that day). I’d buy it again.

Old Time Meat has been mentioned favorably here a couple times, though with little detail.





This exemplary full-service butcher shop, a few miles southwest of the UIUC campus, is worth knowing about. From what I understand, their meat comes from specific somewhat-local sources and everything is cut in house. Service is friendly and knowledgeable. Though some prime luxury cuts are available, their focus seems to be more on “everyday” meats, mostly choice grade. I’ve rarely seen nicer looking beef chuck roasts or pork loin chops. Prices are a bit higher than at a standard supermarket, but the quality and variety seem in a different league.

Is anyone familiar with teres major? I’d never come across it before (though I almost never browse or buy steaks). And has anyone seen other cuts marketed by the muscle’s anatomical name? That’s a new one to me. It must make all those animal sciences majors feel right at home.

Old Time Meat & Deli Shoppe
2018 S Neil St
Champaign IL 61820
217-355-0000
https://oldtimemeatanddeli.com/

I'm not familiar with teres major, but I do think Old Time Meat & Deli Shoppe is a valuable addition to the Champaign-Urbana area. I'm bookmarking your post for future reference when I'm there.

Rene G wrote:Is anyone familiar with teres major? I’d never come across it before (though I almost never browse or buy steaks). And has anyone seen other cuts marketed by the muscle’s anatomical name? That’s a new one to me. It must make all those animal sciences majors feel right at home.

If I'm not mistaken, this cut also sometimes goes by the decidedly less anatomical name of Bistro Tender, which is one that restaurants probably like to use. I had one not too long ago at an event and thought it was notably excellent. Admittedly, the one I had was cooked perfectly. It was extremely tender and juicy with a satisfying beefy flavor. My understanding is that it's a relatively low-cost cut. I wonder if we'll be seeing more of it on a retail basis in the future.

=R=