What Are Good Cuts For A Steak

[blazedog]

I don't eat that much red meat but do enjoy a steak once in awhile.

My favorite cut is filet mignon because it's lean and tender with a texture like buttah:D However, at close to $20.00 a pound, I probably should expand my horizons.

What other steaks are good for simple sauteing on the stove or indoor electric grill -- I live in a high rise and don't want to invest in a grill pan since I don't cook meat that often. I would like a nice tender cut -- not grotesquely larded with fat -- something that can be cooked quickly.

I think I've had a rib eye and found it way too fatty. T-bone? Porterhouse? New York Strip?

Help!!!

I also have miserable luck when I've ventured into the flank steak/London broil territory -- are they the same thing by the way?

[sneezles]

London Broil/flank/top round are all about the same type of steak. Great for a marinade and need to be cooked to rare-med rare, otherwise their a bit like shoe leather.

New York strip steak is a lean steak that I just like to season with a paste of garlic and kosher/sea salt and grill.

A T-bone and Porterhouse are similar (Porterhouse has a bigger section of the tenderloin) in that one side is from the tenderloin and the other is from the sirloin (it's also the same as the New York Strip).

Ribeye is very tender but is also higher in fat than all of the above.

[funnybone]

We enjoy New York Strips the most, but from time to time, we have Sirloin (from Omaha Steaks).

[Gail]

Originally posted by funnybone
We enjoy New York Strips the most...
Sounds a little racy to me. :D

[badunnin]

We're Delmonico fans in my house. We also tend to buy beef that was originally dairy cattle (usually Holsteins), and have found that it does make a difference.

[Schmee]

A Delmonico is a Ribeye,so while they are good,they tend to be a little fattier.

[SusanL]

I never know what to buy.
We just had NY strips this week and my husband loved them. Filet mignon is his favorite but price is also an issue. I will continue to watch this thread for more information.

[badunnin]

Originally posted by Schmee
A Delmonico is a Ribeye,so while they are good,they tend to be a little fattier.

Hmmm, maybe it is the cattle that makes the difference then...

[funnybone]

Originally posted by Gail

Sounds a little racy to me. :D

:D :D :D

[Linda in MO]

Originally posted by Schmee
A Delmonico is a Ribeye,so while they are good,they tend to be a little fattier.
A Delmonico and Ribeye are not the same thing at my grocery store. You can tell they are very close relatives though. ;) Delmonicos are a cheaper cut than ribeyes where I live.

[ReneeV]

I beleive it depends on which end of the rib roast the steak is cut from that determines whether the steak is a Delmonico or a Rib Eye.

I love T-Bone and Porterhouse, myself. Not to fatty, but tender and tastey. We tend to have them on sale regularly around here. Only one problem, they're HUGE. I usually buy only 2 steaks for my family of 4.

BTW, I believe T-Bone is on the Core list for the new WW program.

Renée

[sneezles]

Here's a chart for retail cuts. It does depend on the area of the country what a cut may be labeled as...

http://www.beefcattle.com/image9QP.JPG

[Shirley Panek]

As for taste, I really like a sirloin. The Porterhouse is also good.

Sometimes I just crave a good steak on the grill! :)

[TerriS]

Flank is my favorite. The key is to not cook it too long, and to cut against the grain. I also love it because it cooks fast (usually 7 minutes a side, under the broiler or on the grill) and it's hard to screw up!

[granolagirl]

Ribeye. Yum!

[blazedog]

I had hanger steak at a restaurant this weekend. Boy that was yummy -- what the heck was it?

[Shirley Panek]

This, according to Cook's Thesaurus (www.foodsubs.com):

http://www.foodsubs.com/Photos/beefhangingsteak.jpg

hanger steak = hanging tender = butcher's steak = butcher's tenderloin = onglet Notes: This is the part of the diaphragm that hangs between the last rib and the loin. It's often ground in hamburger (or butchers just take it home), but some people claim that its grainy texture and intense flavor make it a first-rate steak (if marinated first). It's better known in France than in the United States, so you'll probably have to ask your butcher to set one aside for you. Substitutes: skirt steak OR flank steak

[sneezles]

Originally posted by blazedog
I had hanger steak at a restaurant this weekend. Boy that was yummy -- what the heck was it?

Well, I guess since you've eaten it and thought it was great it's safe to tell you :p :

the hanger steak -- also known as the hanging tender and the butcher's steak -- is the same as the French cut of beef onglet. It consists of two small muscles joined by an elastic membrane that supports the animal's diaphragm.
The butcher splits it open, trims it, and removes all the skin and membrane. Onglet must be well hung; the meat is then tender and juicy. In the past it was not a popular cut, but it is now accepted that it makes a prime steak. Whether fried or grilled, it should be eaten rare, otherwise it becomes tough.

[SueK]

I have a question - what is Tri Tip? I see it mentioned a lot here, but is this a regional name? I've never seen it in the store. TIA!

[sneezles]

Originally posted by SueK
I have a question - what is Tri Tip? I see it mentioned a lot here, but is this a regional name? I've never seen it in the store. TIA!

It's a popular cut in California. Tri-tip roast is a boneless cut from the bottom of the sirloin. It is called tri-tip (three tips) because of its triangular shape. This is a small roast, about 2 inches (5.08 cm) thick and weighing 1 1/2 to 2 pounds (0.68 to 0.9 kg).

In California in the 1950s, tri-tip roast was a Napa Valley specialty, referred to as “Santa Maria Tri-Tip,” and until recently this cut was difficult to find and little-known elsewhere. That’s because there are only two tri-tip roasts in each carcass. In the past, rather than marketing such a small number of roasts, butchers usually cut them up for stew meat or ground them into hamburger. Today, cooks are discovering this lean, flavorful roast is just right for barbecuing.

Varieties
Bottom Sirloin Butt

This is another name for tri-tip roast.

[blazedog]

Sneezles -- are you the reincarnated child of a butcher?:D

Well I know you all meant to be helpful but I am still helplessly confused -- was at the store this morning and poked around but left with my usual chicken breasts. :)

It seems like the porterhouse is similar to the filet as it contains a portion of it?

Bone vs. boneless?

[SueK]

Thanks Susan! Perhaps I will have to ask the butcher someday if she can do one of these for me. I know Tyra has posted some good Tri Tip recipes in the past.

[tbb113]

Originally posted by SueK
Thanks Susan! Perhaps I will have to ask the butcher someday if she can do one of these for me. I know Tyra has posted some good Tri Tip recipes in the past.

I live on tri-tip roasts (probably at least once a week). My father was visiting this weekend and I made it for dinner. God help me if I ever move out of CA...I would be lost without them :cool: My other staple is a flank steak (having that for dinner tonight).

But back to the original question, if you are just looking for a tasty piece of meat that isn't fatty, either a flank steak or a sirloin steak is probably the way to go. I personally prefer a sirloin only because it seems more 'steak like' since its a thicker cut of meat. A flank steak is good, but it doesn't have the taste or texture of a real steak (porterhouse, rib-eye, NY strip).

If you are really lost...ask the butcher. They should be able to help you find the steak that you are looking for and help you decide how to cook it as well.

[sneezles]

Originally posted by blazedog
Sneezles -- are you the reincarnated child of a butcher?:D

Well I know you all meant to be helpful but I am still helplessly confused -- was at the store this morning and poked around but left with my usual chicken breasts. :)

It seems like the porterhouse is similar to the filet as it contains a portion of it?

Bone vs. boneless?

LOL! No but I am a rancher's wife!;)

The Porterhouse, just like the T-bone, contains some of the tenderloin (the smaller side of the steak is the tenderloin in both steaks). You will not find a boneless Porterhouse.
The rib-eye, again a very tender steak due to the marbeling, can be found boneless or bone-in (known in these parts as a Cowboy Steak). I find the only difference is the cost of the steak.
I think your best bet would be a New York/Kansas City/Strip steak, which is cut from the Short Loin.

[blazedog]

Originally posted by sneezles


LOL! No but I am a rancher's wife!;)

I think your best bet would be a New York/Kansas City/Strip steak, which is cut from the Short Loin.

Okay since it's from the bovine equivalent of the horse's mouth:D

[sneezles]

Originally posted by blazedog


Okay since it's from the bovine equivalent of the horse's mouth:D

Better than the equivalent of the horse's rear! :p