Types of Steak
If you have ever been to a steak house, you have faced a plethora of choices ranging from porterhouse to rib eye to the much-heralded filet mignon. Without a proper understanding of the cuts of meat, it is challenging to find the proper steak for your culinary intentions, even in the grocery store. Two things to keep in mind: The more marbling there is, the more flavorful the cut. Cuts from the ribs and anything ending in -loin are more tender than cuts from other places. Does this Spark an idea?
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Filet Mignon
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The filet mignon is cut from the tenderloin of a cow and is the most tender cut of steak. The tenderloin muscle in the cow is not load-bearing, making the meat tender. The filet mignon is the most expensive cut of beef. It can be identified by its circular shape and the general lack of marbling relative to other cuts. It is generally 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick.
New York Strip
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The New York strip steak is cut from the short loin of a cow. This flavorful cut of steak is close to the tenderloin portion and is tender in its own right, although not as much as the tenderloin. The New York strip is also known as strip steak, Kansas City strip and top loin steak.
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Porterhouse and T-Bone
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The porterhouse and T-bone steaks are similar cuts, taken from both the short loin and tenderloin portions of the cow. On one side of either steak is a portion of strip steak. On the other side is a cut of beef tenderloin. Separating them is a T-shaped bone. The difference is that the porterhouse has a larger portion of tenderloin than the T-bone.
Rib Eye Steak
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The rib eye steak is a cut from the rib portion of the cow. This is just in front of the short loin section and, like the short loin, is a tender cut of beef. Rib eye steaks are sold with and without the bone. Rib eyes are very marbled, making them flavorful.
Top Sirloin
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The top sirloin steak is cut from directly beneath the tenderloin portion. Thus, the top sirloin shares certain attributes with the beef tenderloin. Both are tender cuts of meat. Top sirloin steaks are boneless and have a fair amount of marbling.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit stu_spivack: Flickr.com, Maggie Osterburg, jimk_9999: Flickr.com, foodistablog: Flickr.com, closari: Flickr.com
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