Whether You Prefer Boneless Or Bone
The best cuts of beef for a juicy steak are well-marbled cuts with visible flecks of white fat throughout the cut.
The USDAs beef grading system helps with this: beef graded as prime has the most marbling and is cut from young, well-fed cattle beef graded as choice has less marbling but will still be tender, juicy, and flavorful. Both are ideal choices for grilling!
More specifically, here are the beef cuts that are a cut above the rest for the grill, at least!
Best Cuts Of Steak On A Limited Budget
Compared to more expensive steaks, butcher’s cuts are taken from parts of the steer that have been exercised more strenuously over the animal’s lifetime. These parts often consist of more muscle parts and tend to be rather difficult to access. The butcher is tasked with trimming the muscles back, while still leaving enough to yield a decent piece of meat for you to cook. These cheaper cuts can be very flavorful, but they do require more attention during prep so they don’t dry out or become too tough to chew. Here’s everything you need to know about butcher’s cuts.
Why Youll Love This Recipe:
Im so guilty of claiming perfect this and perfect that I know, Im aware of that.
Perfect is subjective. So lets define what a perfect steak means to me.
Characteristics of a perfect steak:
- Nice deep brown crust
- Rosy pink from crust to crust
So, if you agree on those descriptions of a perfect steak, then keep on reading.
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How Hot Should The Grill Be For Steak
Raichlen recommends establishing two cooking zones in your charcoal grill: one thats very hot for searing the steak, and one thats medium for finishing the steak and cooking it through.
On a gas grill, heat the grill to 450°F with two burners going, which should only take about 10 minutes, then turn one of the burners down to medium to create two cooking zones.
Not sure if the grill is hot enough? Raichlen’s tip is to hold your hand 3 inches above the grill grate and count “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi…” If you can only hold it there for a second or two, the grill is hot and you’re ready to cook.
I followed Raichlens advice, and started my steak in the hot zone, then moved it to the medium zone to finish cooking. It worked like a charm.
Best Cuts For Grilling:
Before we dive into the recipe, lets talk about choosing the right steak.
Any of the following cuts of steak is great for grilling:
- Ribeye the best cut and worth every penny!
- NY strip super popular option thanks to its beefy flavor. Since this cuts isnt the most tender cut, I highly recommend cooking it to medium rare for the maximum tenderness.
- Porterhouse/T-bone steaks meat-lovers favorite, these two cuts actually have 2 cuts in one: NY strip on one side and filet mignon on another!
- Top sirloin lean yet, tender this cut is affordable, yet flavorful!
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The Best Cuts Of Steak For Any Budget
Enjoying a hearty slab of steak for dinner is either a special occasion luxury or a weeknight staple. Red meat has a lot going for it and, naturally, many fans who can’t get enough of its energy-boosting qualities and rich flavors. Chock full of protein and downright mouthwatering, steak can be pan-seared, oven-roasted, grilled al fresco, and much more.
However you choose to prepare it, it’s important to know your meat and understand why it costs what it does. The price of beef can vary widely depending on the cut of meat you choose. Luckily for protein lovers, there are steaks out there at every price point for every seasoning and cooking technique, so there’s no reason you can’t enjoy this mealtime favorite as often as you’d like. We’ll give you the lowdown on all of these.
From budget-friendly cuts to affordable basics to fancy splurges, here’s a streamlined guide to help you navigate the butcher’s counter without breaking a sweat.
Choose The Right Piece Of Steak The Quality Of Your Final Product Depends On Your Starting Ingredients
Finding the best product you can get your hands on is always the hardest part of cooking a great steak, says Ryan Prentiss, former executive chef at Detroits Prime + Proper steakhouse. Fat is flavor, so look for beef that is plump, bright red, and has the most marbling. Marbling is the intramuscular fat present in high-quality beef that gives it a marbled appearance. Grain-fed or grain-finished beef will have more marbling than a grass-fed beef.
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Steak Guide: How To Choose The Best Steak Cut
Irene Fong and The Canadian Living Test KitchenGrilling steaksGrilling steaksTenderloin Price: The 411: Rib Eye Price:The 411:signature juiciness and flavour Top Sirloin Price: The 411:budget gourmet Strip Loin Price:The 411:outstanding flavour T-Bone Price: The 411:T-shaped bone FlatIron Price:The 411:Flank Price: The 411:delicious beefy flavour Round Price:The 411:strong marinades Sirloin Tip Price: The 411: Simmering steaksPrice: The 411: braising or slow cooking
The 5 Best Cuts Of Steak For Grilling
Cuts of steak come from all different parts of beef cattle, and the amount of fat marbling a piece of meat has is what makes that distinct variation in taste and tenderness. Fat marbling is simply the dispersion of fat within the lean, and the more a steak has, the more tender it will be. The breed of cattle also plays a part in tenderized meat. Angus and Black Angus are cattle that are known for their marbling and taste. The only difference between the two is that Black Angus has 51% of its body solid black. Therefore, both share the same flavorful taste and are the number one choice for delicious cuts of meat. When it comes to mouthwatering steak, Goodstock has the top five you should be grilling this weekend:
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Steaks Under 15 Inches Thick Sear First And Finish Low
This is the traditional way of cooking steaks, and my recommendation is:
For ANY steak under 1.5-inches thick, sear first, then finish it low. DO NOT use the reverse sear method.
Steaks under 1.5-inch thick cook through very quickly. If you cook them slow first, then sear after, you have a very high risk of raising the internal temperature too high before searing, leaving too little margin to get a good sear without overcooking the center.
This can result in one of two scenarios:
Either your steak is perfectly medium-rare throughout, but with hardly any sear or you have a great sear but had to overcook the center, taking it to well done or worse.
Its all too easy to overshoot your target finished temp or overcook the center if you sear to finish after bringing the center up to temp with thinner steaks.
So for thin steaks, get your sear first, set that right, then finish it low. You have more control, and your success rate will be far higher than the reverse sear method.
The Six Inexpensive Steaks You Should Know
These are the steaks that butchers and chefs love to use because not only are they more inexpensive, but they’ve got character. Many of them are whole muscles that must be trimmed by the butcher just-so if you want them to be tender and large enough to cook as steaks. There are also not many of them on a steer. For every 20 pounds of ribeyes and T-bones you can get off a steer, you get two hanger steaks. That ain’t much.
These butcher’s cuts tend to be more packed with flavor because of the work they do, yet because they’re not as marketable to the general public and require a bit more skill to cook and serve correctly, they remain much cheaper than their mainstream counterparts. This is good news for you if you want to maximize your flavor and your dollar.
The Hanger
Also Sold As: Butcher’s steak, hangar , arrachera , fajitas arracheras , bistro steak, onglet .
Where It’s Cut From: From the plate section of the cow , it “hangs” off of the cow’s diaphragm, hence the name. U.S. meat-cutting classification of NAMP 140.
The Skirt
Also Sold As: Fajita meat, Roumanian Strip .
Where It’s Cut From: The outside skirt is the diaphragm muscle of the cow, cut from the plate. It is the traditional cut for fajitas, and is generally sold to restaurants. Inside skirt is part of the flank, and is the more widely available form of skirt.
The Short Rib
Also Sold As:Kalbi , Jacob’s Ladder , asado de tira
The Flap
The Flank Steak
The Tri-Tip
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Steaks Over 15 Inches Thick Reverse Sear Method Of Start It Low Finish With A Sear
For any steak over 1.5 inches thick, the reverse sear method is fantastic. It is arguably and believe me, people do argue it a lot! Lol the best way to cook thicker steaks.
The reverse sear method is so named because it flips the traditional way back to front:
Reverse searing is where you cook the steak low and slow until its 10 or so degrees Fahrenheit below the perfect temperature throughout, and then sear it to finish.
This method is good because the more gently you cook a piece of meat, the more evenly it cooks. So reverse searing, bringing it up to temp slowly, then searing hot at the end, results in a perfectly done steak throughout, with a very thin Maillard crust.
With thick steaks that you sear first, then finish slow, you tend to end up with a few mm of crust on the outside, then a few mm of well-done steak, a few mm of medium-well steakand so on, until a bullseye medium-rare center. A good portion of the outside layer is overcooked.
Reverse seared steaks are perfect doneness edge to edge, with a good crust. Brilliant!
So, in conclusion:
Steaks 1.5-inches and under you should sear first, finish low. Steaks over 1.5-inches thick, use the reverse sear method.
OK, so with that out of the way, lets now look at the best 11 steaks for grilling.
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Who Needs Ribeye And Filet Mignon When You Have These Unsung Cuts Of Meat Get Ready To Learn About Celebrity Chef Roger Mooking’s Favorite Cuts Of Meat For Grilling
The host of Cooking Channels Man Fire Food is no stranger to cooking with fire! Trinidadian-born Roger Mooking has traveled all around the world, deriving inspiration from global ingredients as he cooks over grills, smokers and fire-pits. We took a moment to chat with this talented chef about his favorite unsung cuts of meatand, of course, his tricks for grilling them!
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Steaks You Can Simply Season And Grill
Youll probably recognize most of these steaks by name, and theyre popular for good reason. Theyre the perfect combination of a tender muscle with a well-marbled character. These top-cut steaks only need a few short minutes on the hot side of the grill to produce a super flavorful dinner. This category includes:
- Tenderloin
What Is The Best Cut Of Steak
While everything revolves around personal preferences and how you prepare the meat, if forced to pick the best cut of steak, we would probably go with the ribeye cut.
It is the most preferred cut of steak of many people worldwide, and for obvious reasons. It comes from the cows rib, meaning it contains a high amount of marbling, making the cut very tender and juicy. It doesnt get better than ribeye when eating a steak.
Besides the ribeye steak, people often consider picanha, skirt, and Denver steaks as the best on the market. Read the rest of the article to learn more about these steak cuts.
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Best Seasoning For Steak
A good cut of beef doesnt need fancy seasonings that cover up the taste of the beef, but it does need salt. When salt is added to beef, it breaks down the beefs muscle protein, draws moisture to the surface of the meat, and has a hydrating effect. It ultimately creates a juicier steak.
When salting steak, use ¾ teaspoon to 1 teaspoon per pound of beef. Salt about 1-hour before cooking, and be sure to apply the salt evenly to the front, back and side of the beef. If you struggle with applying it evenly, season from about two feet above the steak, and make it rain salt. This will avoid having a concentration of salt in one area and allows for even coverage. Thicker cuts of steak will typically need more salt than thinner cuts.
Kosher Salt is our go-to salt when salting steak or roasts. We like it because it has large, coarse grains and the large granules cling to the beef when seasoning. The large grains also make it easier to pinch and sprinkle. Different brands of kosher salt have different crystal sizes. We like this one the best.
Choosing The Best Steak
There’s nothing drool-worthy like a well-seasoned, perfectly grilled strip steak cut. Our list of the best cuts of steak for grilling will make your next steak shopping experience a breeze.
Before firing up your grill, hop onto ButcherBox meat delivery service and order the best, all-natural, freshly cut beef strip steaks for your next cookout session. Not only is their meat hormone and antibiotic-free but it also amazingly tasty and delivered to your door on your own schedule.
References:
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Boneless Beef Short Ribs
Boneless beef short ribs are ribboned with fat and grill up as juicy as can be, with a satisfying chew similar to that of a more expensive cut such as skirt steak. Despite its name, the boneless short rib isnt cut from the rib of a cow. Instead, its cut from the area above the ribs closest to the chuck, or shoulder, of the animal, where most of the meat is made up of heavily marbled muscle. Our Grilled Boneless Beef Short Ribs are as satisfying as steaks that are twice as expensive.
Cost:$$$$
Best Boneless Cuts For Grilling: Ribeye Top Loin Or Top Sirloin
For a boneless cut, look for ribeye, top loin, or top sirloin.
- Ribeye is cut from the center portion of the rib, same as a prime rib. These steaks are well marbled, very juicy, and have a full beef flavor.
- Top loin is cut from behind the ribs and is also known as strip steak, Kansas City steak, or New York strip. Its full-flavored and very tender.
- Top sirloin steak is cut from the hip of the cow and is also called London Broil. Top sirloin steaks vary in tenderness and marbling and are leaner than the other two boneless options.
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What Is The Best Cut Of Steak The Ultimate Top 10 List
Have you ever been intimidated by the long list of meat cuts on a steakhouse menu? How are you supposed to know what to order? The options seem endless, and most people default to medium-rare, so you just go with what sounds best. If youre left dumbfoundedly staring at the menu in a restaurant, you will likely find yourself lost in your kitchen at home. Part of cooking the perfect steak is knowing how to distinguish the different kinds of cuts. Its possible that youll prefer a different cut once you learn about the other options.You shouldnt have to go into this adventure blindly. Here, we will cover the top 10 best cuts of steak.
Best Steak Cuts For Grilling
Dreaming of a delicious steak rich in flavor that melts in your mouth? The perfectly grilled steak is easier to achieve if you have your hands on some of the best beef cuts for the grill. Grilling a tender steak with a juicy, beefy flavor sometimes requires a different approach based on the cut you choose.
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What Is The Most Expensive Cut Of Steak
The most expensive cuts of steak are taken from the most tender parts of the cow, so tenderloin is going to be the priciest cut. It is a very small part of the cow, so the high cost is also a matter of supply and demand.
If youve ever heard of Japanese wagyu or kobe beef, youve definitely heard that they will cost you a pretty penny. Wagyu and kobe beef dont reference cuts of steak they reference the way the cows are bred and raised. These classifications of cows are raised in Japan on a very strict, specific diet, meant to ensure that the beef contains just the right level of flavor and fat. This level of care is what guarantees the high price tag.
Top Tips For Barbecued Steak:
- Preheat the barbecue to the correct temperature before adding the steak. As a general guide, you should be able to hear a sizzle as the steak hits the hot surface. The heat seals the surface, trapping the juices inside.
- Bring steak to room temperature just before cooking. The meat can become tough if it goes straight from the fridge to the barbecue.
- Drain any marinade from the steak before placing it on the barbecue to cook. Excess liquid can ignite on the barbecue and cause a flare-up. Plus, if youre cooking steak on a flatplate, the liquid can boil around the meat and make it tough.
- Limit the number of steaks cooking on the barbecue at any one time. Overcrowding reduces the heat, which can prevent the steaks from cooking evenly and cause them to release juices, making the meat tough.
- Use tongs to turn your steak. Sharp forks can pierce the surface, which allows the juices to escape.
- Cover the steak loosely with foil before resting to keep it warm. If you cover it tightly, the meat will sweat and lose its moisture.
- Clean your barbecue grill or flatplate with a stiff wire brush or scraper while its still warm. This leaves it ready for your next barbie.
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