Tips For Making Steak Tender And Juicy
For cooking center-cut steaks on the grill, stove or oven, here are some tips to ensure tender steak every time:
- Choose thicker steaks for maximum tenderness.
- Use room temperature steaks for even cooking, especially for thicker cuts.
- Pat dry the steak before cooking to help get a good sear.
- to help tenderize the meat.
- Cook thick cuts on indirect heat and finish on direct high heat .
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check internal temperatures and avoid overcooking.
- Rest your steak for 5-10 minutes covered with foil or a plate after grilling, allowing juices to retreat back into the steak for maximum tenderness.
- Cut against the grain when serving.
The Best Types Of Steaks For Grilling
Nothing says “delicious” like the smell of steaks sizzling on the grill. Buying the best types of steaks and following a few simple rules will guarantee that your cookout dazzles your family and guests. Sufficient marbling and freshness are qualities to look for in a great piece of beef.
There are several types of steak that cook up tasty and tender on the grill if you follow a few simple rules. They range in price, so you have options no matter your budget. You can’t go wrong with these types of steaks:
Sirloin The Dining Cut
Sirloin steak is often the best choice for steak lovers. It is well-marbled, comes with thick layers of fat and is known for its rich flavor that is balanced with tenderness. Sirloins are a great choice if you want a more classic, lighter flavor
3.5-ounce serving of Sirloin Steak contains:
Steak Calories 244 Fat: 14 g Saturated Fat 6 g Protein 27 g steak protein
The beef cut comes from: The Sirloin-Tucked between the loin and the round, this area produces the most flavorful steak cut that, while not as tender as loin cuts, still provide an excellent meal and are less expensive. Marked for sale under that name -The top Sirloin, these boneless steaks come from the sirloin section, near the animals rear.
Characteristics of the cut: The top Sirloin is a naturally thick and lean cut of steak with a robust and beefy flavor. Top Sirloin is an excellent choice for high protein diets, keto, paleo, or people who count macronutrients. It has less marbling and a firmer texture. This famous steak is tasty on its own, adds a lot of flavor to recipes, and cooks well with steak marinades and sauces.
Cooking Temperature: The internal temperature should be 135°F for steak medium-rare and 145°F for steak medium for cooking top Sirloin. Avoid cooking it at temperatures above 140°F because of this steaks leanness.
Doneness while ordering from a restaurant: Medium doneness is preferred by our chef to serve top Sirloin.
You May Like: How To Marinate Ribeye Steak
Vacio Or Bavette Steak
One of the steaks you might not have heard of is the vacio steak, an extremely popular steak in Argentina . The vacio is a primal cut of the flank, but it’s actually quite different from a flank steak. In the cow, the vacio hangs beneath the loin and is bolstered by the cow’s belly, which encases the meat in layers of fat. It’s always slow-grilled whole, then sliced, and the well-marbled meat is tender and very flavorful. The crispy belly fat is almost as cherished as the steak itself.
In France, the vacio steak is called the bavette d’aloyau. It’s the exact same cut, but as you might expect, it’s cooked in the French way. The bavette is cut into individual steaks and is either marinated and grilled or pan-fried in butter and served with a shallot sauce and French fries. So, the next time you’re sipping wine in a bistro on the Champs-Élysées, and see steak-frites on the menu, order it, and enjoy a steak that’s loved on two continents.
The 5 Best Cuts Of Beef
5. Top Sirloin Cap
The top sirloin cap is a rarer cut of meat to find as it’s usually already sectioned out into steaks. The cut comes from the triangular-shaped muscle immediate above the top sirloin. It’s a very versatile cut of meat, both lean and flavorful, with a variety of different preparation options like grilling, broiling, and pan searing available. The top sirloin cap works really well when marinated or seasoned with a dry rub.
4. Tenderloin
The tenderloin, referred to in other parts of the world as a filet, is a cut from the loin of beef. The tenderloin exists beneath the ribs and next to the backbone. The tenderloin is, as its name implies, the most tender cut of beef. Those who do not prefer the marbling of the rib eye and strip loin will thoroughly enjoy the tenderloin.
3. Top Sirloin
The top sirloin is a cut from the loin that offers good flavor in a thick cut ideal for grilling, broiling, sautéeing or pan-frying. While the top sirloin doesn’t have as much marbling as a rib eye or New York strip, it certainly has enough to provide good flavor for a steak. Preferred thickness for top sirloin cuts tends to be in the 1-inch to 2-inch range, with 2 inches being ideal. Thicker steaks don’t run the risk of drying out as easily when cooked.
2. Strip Loin/ New York Strip
1. Rib Eye
Also Check: Ruthie’s Steak And Seafood
New York Strip: Iconic Strip Steak
The New York strip gets its name from the culinary landmark known as New York City, where eating steak in the steakhouses takes root in American culture. You can find it featured on the menu of the most reputable steakhouses. Many steak lovers consider this cut to be the perfect combination of taste, tenderness and fat. New York strip steaks take relatively little preparation and can be cooked to a melt-in-your-mouth level of deliciously quite easily.
3.5-ounce serving of Filet Mignon Steak contains:
Steak Calories 117 Fat: 2.7 g Saturated Fat 1 g Protein this great flavoring butchers cut contains 23 gm steak protein
The beef cut comes from: The New York strip is cut from the short loin sub-primal, which is part of the loin primal, sometimes with the bone attached but often boneless steak. This sub-primal is only about 16-18 inches long and will yield 11-14 steaks, depending on thickness.
Cooking strip steak: Prepare a strip steak the same way you would an eye steak: seasoned with salt or a dry rub for bolder taste, add garlic and onion salt and cooked over dry heat. For the best taste, cook the steak at medium-rare to medium range. Quickly grilling steak strips on a super-hot grill gives the steak a great sear without overcooking. Pan-roast or reverse-sear is the best method for indoor cooking. While cooking, you can follow step-by-step directions from N Y Strip Steak Recipe.
Filet Mignon: The King Of Tenderness
Filet mignon is often called the King of steaks by top chefs around the world. Its not because its the largest steak cut , but it is because it is the tenderest steak you will ever have the pleasure to eat. This steak is rich in flavor and melts in the mouth from the first bite.
3.5-ounce serving of Filet Mignon Steak contains:
Steak Calories 267 Fat: 17 g Saturated Fat 7 g Protein this tenderest butchers cut contains 26 gm steak protein
The beef cut comes from: The Loin-The area below the backbone produces some of the most tender and juicy cuts because it receives less exercise than other muscle groups. It is cut from the smaller end of beef tenderloin, which is part of the loin primal. It is usually present as a round cut taken from the thinner end of a piece of tenderloin. The tenderloin is trimmed into filet mignon steaks. It is called the tenderest and leanest cut of steak. Thats why it is also called tender steak and tenderloin steak.
Characteristics of the cut: Also known as beef tenderloin, Eye Fillet, Filet steak. The beef cut only represents 2-3% of the total animal, which tag it the most expensive and rare than other steaks. It has little intramuscular fat and a milder flavor than other meat cuts.
Cooking Temperature: Temperature should be between 140 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit on medium while cooking filet steaks.
Recommended Reading: Where Can I Buy Calamari Steaks
What Are Steak Frites
Steak Frites is a dish consisting of steak paired with French fries. Its mostly served in European brasseries and is considered to be thenational meal for Belgium which is believed to be the place of its origin.
Moreover, there are different types of steaks like sauces, seasonings, and cuts of steak, depending on the region. Originally, rump steak was usually used, but contemporary cuts include rib eye, porterhouse and flank steak.
How Well Is Your Steak Cooked
Every time you go to a steak house, once youve decided what type of steak you want, the next question always concerns what temperature you want the steak cooked at.
The size and shape of the steak cut and also the method of preparation need to be taken into consideration when deciding on temperature.
It is also about personal preferences. While some people love to see a slightly pink center in their steak, others prefer a browner shade.
Don’t Miss: Duane’s Prime Steaks & Seafood
Can Steak Have Worms
Steak tapeworms are rare in the U.S, but they can contaminate your food supply when you live close to cattle or in unhygienic conditions.
You might suffer from trichinosis by eating undercooked steak infected with Trichinella roundworms. Ensure you cook meat at the appropriate temperatures to help prevent infections.
How To Buy Beef
Not all steaks are created equal. Youll see all kinds of cuts of beef at the supermarket that have the word steak in their names but beware. Chuck steak, blade steak, round steak, tip steak, or even sirloin steak are not the best steaks for cooking the perfect steak. Usually, if it has the word rib or loin or strip in its name, its going to make a good steak.
Certainly, its possible to grill a nice flank steak or even a chuck blade steak. But in the case of a flank steak, youve got to marinate it first, and theres nothing wrong with that. Flank steak is really flavorful. But if you want that feeling of cutting into a thick, juicy steak, a flank steak wont give it to you.
Don’t Miss: Flemings Steak House Greensboro Nc
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.
Besides the ribeye steak, people often consider picanha, skirt, and Denver steaks as the best on the market.
What Makes A Steak Tender
The importance of tenderness cant be underestimated tenderizing a steak is a popular search topic for that reason. Tender types of steak are easy and enjoyable to chew. Nobodys idea of a good steak should include a dining experience that resembles chewing on a piece of leather! With that in mind, the simplest way to achieve a tender steak is to start with a tender cut of beef because not all types of steak are created equal when it comes to tenderness, no matter how you cook your steak or how long it has been aged.
When considering tenderness, lets look at the characteristics of the steak itself and set aside the cooking method for later consideration . There are two key considerations when it comes to tenderness:
How much the muscle was used
Just as humans exercise different muscles to different degrees, the same is true for cattle. The less a given muscle was used by the cow in question, the more tender that the resulting cut of meat will be. For example, the muscles along the backbone are used much less than the hips and shoulders .
A chart showing the various grades of beef marbling, using the Japanese BMS index.
To summarize, the most tender types of steak will come from around the backbone, has very little connective tissue, and has finely marbled fat. For these reasons, as well as the fact that the more tender muscles are often smaller, you can expect to pay more for a tender types of steaks.
Recommended Reading: Lodge Cast Iron Steak Plates
The Best Cuts Of Steak
There is nothing like a big and juicy steak. There are cuts of steak for every occasion. The more laid-back family dinner roast beef with french fries, or the five-star ribeye paired with Italian wine and shallot-roasted red-skinned potatoes.
Regardless of the occasion, steak is a favorite protein among meat eaters, and when given the proper cuts, its buttery tenderness goes above and beyond any other type of poultry or fish.
We are excited to explore some of the most famous and best-known cuts of steak to present you with our top 13, ranked from the best cuts for home cooking to those served at five-star steakhouses.
How Do You Pick A Good Steak
The Things to Look for When Purchasing Steak
SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page. Learn more.
Dont limit yourself to the same old ribeye and striploin steaks over and over.
While theres nothing wrong with sticking to the classics, there is a whole world of different steak cuts out there to explore.
No matter your budget, youll find a delicious cut of steak to grill below.
Also Check: Kansas City Steak Company Address
It Doesnt Have To Rest
Conventional wisdom is that all steaks should be rested before slicing and serving, but anecdotal research suggests that resting doesnt actually make for a juicier steak. And besides, a warm steak often tastes a little bit juicier anyway.
Always slice steak against the grain meaning that you cut the visibly fibers of the steak in half to shorten them and keep the steak tender.
Choose Well Aged Meat
The process of aging meat is an important one, often overlooked by supermarkets in the rush to cut down on processing time and costs, as meat being hung in storage costs time and money. As meat is hung, the enzymes present start to slowly break down the structure, which creates a much more tender texture, and enhances the beef flavour too. The meat is succulent without drips of blood, and with a deep dark red colour, and an unmistakeable aroma. The longer that meat is hung for, the more these attributes develop, which is why all Dorset Meat Company steaks are aged for at least 28 days in our dedicated drying room.
Also Check: Steak Of The Month Club Butchers Market
You May Like: How To Buy Skirt Steak
Best Cuts Of Steak Best To Worst Ranking
Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links such as part of Amazon Associate program. This means if you click on the link and purchase an item, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.
You are sitting at the supermarket or staring at a menu and wondering which steak to order. We have you covered with everything you need to know. The most tender cuts of beef are the cuts the furthest away from both the horn and hoof On the contrary, the toughest steaks come from areas of the shoulder and leg muscles. As you can imagine, these areas are used a lot and therefore contain more tough material.
Ranked from best cut of steak to worst are the Filet Steak, the Ribeye Steak, the Hanger Steak, the Porterhouse steak, the T-Bone Steak, the top sirloin, the strip steak, the bottom sirloin steak, the flank steak, the skirt steak and the round steak.
Once you get into the top 5 steaks, you will see many argue for their favorite. Sometimes it comes down to preference based on fat content, flavor, etc. We decided to make tie breakers based on cost per pound. We feel like this is fair and is based on what the total market believes is the best steak.
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.
Don’t Miss: Best Way To Tenderize Steak
Most Tender Steak Cuts Ranked
Steak is one of the most popular ways to enjoy beef. Its a classic dish thats famous all over the world, and with different cuts and methods of cooking, steak lovers can enjoy a variety of flavors every time they dine at their favorite steakhouse.
Personally, I love steak. Even chewy, tough steak. My wife, however, cant stand anything but the most tender, flavorful steaks. So I wanted to so some research to find the most tender cuts of steak out there!
If theres one thing any steak fan knows, its that there are many different cuts in a cow that can be used to make a steak. And because they come from different parts of the cows body, they end up having different flavors and textures from one another. Some cuts have soft and tender muscles that melt in your mouth, while other cuts are known for their toughness and leanness.
If youre new to the whole steak-eating hobby, or you just want to try out some tender steak for yourself, then youve come to the right place. Weve listed some of the most popular cuts found in beef and ranked them in order of tenderness , so you can get an idea of whats good and whats not in that regard.
And if you love steak, I recommend trying one of these steak of the month clubs. Why? A lot of times the meat you get from places like SaveMart or other big grocery stories is factory farmed, and not the highest quality.
Also Check: Country Fried Steak Sams Club
