4 Most Popular Cut of A Steak and When You Should Buy Them

If you have been to a western/high-end restaurant, chances are that you'll encounter the term “steak” and the different cuts of steaks. It's intimidating for most people when they order a steak, as many of us do not have enough information about steaks to make a “sound” decision. We'll often order the steak based on what was pictured on the menu. But what is the difference between the different cuts, and is it worth what you're paying for? Today, we'll “groom” you from a steak novice to an intermediate who knows a decent share about steak.

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What is a steak?

A steak is a part of the meat that was sliced from the fleshy part of a beef carcass. There are different types of steak obtained from different animals, but we'll be talking solely on beef today. Steak is usually obtained by cutting the large section of a beef, across the muscle fiber.

What makes these types of steak so expensive?

The four most popular cuts of a steak are Tender Loin, New York Strip, Porterhouse and Ribeye. These steaks are obtained from a few muscles that are found towards the top of the steer: the short loin, tenderloin and the ribs. The muscles are delicate as it is often not exercised. In addition, portion of the steak varies from steer to steer, which contributed to its premium price.

1. Tender Loin

Tenderloin is sold boneless and is the most expensive cut of a steak. Tenderloin is the most expensive cut of a steak as it’s a muscle that is rarely used by the cow. This results in the soft buttery texture which melts in your mouth when you feast on it. However, there are downsides to it too, the cut rarely has any fats in it which resulted in a mild flavour with less juiciness in the meat itself. This cut is often consumed in special occasions since is it expensive.

2. New York Strip

If you don’t know which cut of a steak to buy, just buy New York Strip. New York Strip is a jack-of-all-trades, it has more chew as compared to the Tenderloin and has a decent marbling on it. Although it’s not as tender as Tenderloin nor as fatty as the Rib eye, it has a decent balance between both which could be an attractive point for most people!  This cut is usually bought in occasions like dinner with your special ones.

3. Porterhouse

This steak is also known as the “date steak”. The meat on the Porterhouse is separated into two sections by the T-bone, and it has a different taste to each side of the steak. It is described as two steaks in one, as one side has the buttery tenderloin, while the other side has a New York strip. It is an ideal steak for drinking as it has a fattier and stronger cut as compared to the other steaks.

4. Ribeye

Ribeye is usually served boneless or with the bone attached to it. The uniqueness of the cut is the amount of fat that is within the meat itself. The meat is marbled with fat in and around it which gives the meat its intensity in flavour. It is paired well with drinking; you can try eating it with grenache wine.

Conclusion

Each of the steak and their different cuts has their own strength and weakness that you could choose to fit to your own liking. The next time you see the term steak in the menu, you’ll know what to order, whether if you want it to be tender or fatty! Until then, I hope this article was AMOO-SING for you.