The name given to the eight major cuts from the beef carcass in North America, taking in the chuck, rib, loin, sirloin and round and the brisket and shank, short plate and flank.
A fabricated cut consisting of the ends of the rib bone from the beef primal rib (they are trimmed off to fabricate the rib roast).
Sheaths taken from the top of the intestines used as casings for black puddings (US: blood sausages) and Bologna sausage, of smaller dimensions than beef middles.
If steak is offered without being defined in any way it is likely to be an inferior cut or it would be specifically named. In some places it defaults to rump or sirloin, but don't rely on this. And in some places it may actually mean steak from a horse. Essentially, it is a cheap cut. There are, of course, honourable exceptions to this.
False morel mushrooms. They are deadly poisonous if not cooked, closely resembling real morel mushrooms, being wrinkled and brown in the same way. However, morel mushrooms are symmetrical while false morels are irregular in shape and look like a brown brain, while true morels are more like a sponge. True morels have hollow stems while those of false morels are solid. Be careful to check each of these features before attempting to eat one. They have a fine flavour and are generally parboiled. They are popular in Nordic countries and in Finland especially.
The beefsteak mushroom is a fungus which grows on oak and horse chestnut trees in the form of a red fleshy mass resembling a beef steak shaped like a tongue and with a sticky surface. It can be sliced and fried like liver, or eaten raw with a salad, when it should be cut into thin strips, soaked in salted water, drained and then dressed with a vinaigrette. (If gathering mushrooms you must be absolutely certain what you have before you eat them as many are very poisonous.)
Perilla. Japanese basil. A commonly used herb in Japanese cuisine and has a distinctive flavour, vaguely reminiscent of rue. It is rich in carotene, vitamin C and iron. There is a red-leaved variety and a green-leaved variety. Select leaves that are fragrant and have a fresh green colour. Perilla is used chopped as a seasoning in chilled tofu, as a garnish with salads and sashimi, and in deep-fried dishes.
