Understanding the Different Names and Cuts of Steak!
It can be overwhelming staring at that butcher counter or a restaurant's menu , not having a clue what all those names mean. Here's a quick guide to help!
Choosing the right cut of steak has a lot to do with the eventual success of the meal, but if you're like a lot of people, you don't have much of an idea what all those names at the meat counter really mean!
If you imagine a cow, the very front and the very back--and all of the bottom--that's no good for steak! For steak you need meat with very little connective tissue, and hopefully lots of marbling. You don't want any muscle groups that are doing a lot of heavy work. The shoulder (chuck) one of the tastiest cuts of meat, is riddled with connective tissue, and as a result is very ornery and chewy!
RIB
The good stuff starts just behind the chuck at the rib. This is the prime rib area, and is steaks cut off of the prime rib are very well marbled, and incredibly tasty. Two common cuts are the rib steak and the rib eye.
LOIN
Just behind the rib is the loin, and the loin is home to the well known, very tender, and pretty tasty cuts the tenderloin, the T bone, the porterhouse and the strip loin. These are all very grill-able and tender, and also about the most expensive of all steaks.
SIRLOIN
The sirloin is a bit tougher, but still acceptable, and also very flavorful. Try to get bone in steaks with a flat bone as versus a round bone, as this indicates that the sirloin was cut closer to the loin.
ROUND
The round is the back and upper leg of the cow. The top round is OK for steaks but forget about the bottom round and especially the eye of round.
Just remember, the best steaks are from the top and the middle, and the farther you get away from there-the tougher but cheaper it gets!
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Hope this helps- Happy Birthday Uncle Y
