We have classified twelve different kinds of steak according to their visible description and where they are located.
This saves the most high traffic steak houses like Longhorn Steakhouse and Morton Steakhouse a lot of time and effort in explaining to people what exactly they are ordering. Sometimes the only difference is the price and how long it takes for it to tenderize although the most expensive and flavorful are the ones coming from the part of the cow that rarely moves a muscle because it is mostly juicy fat!
Here are the most common names we hear:
1. Porterhouse and T-bones have a T-shaped bone with a piece of tenderloin on one side and a strip of top loin steak on the other. They are crosscut from the front of the short loin. Porterhouse steaks are considered the “king” of steaks.
2. Filet Mignon or Beef tenderloin or filet mignon is the most tender cut of beef. Filet mignon is the steak and beef tenderloin refers to the entire boneless roast. It is located in the short loin and cut from the muscle on the back of a cow with the lesser movement in that area keeping the muscle tender. The Filet Mignon might be called different things at different restaurants. For example, in Longhorn Steakhouse, it is called Flo’s Filet, but it is essentially the same thing.
3. Ribeye or Delmonico steak, either beauty steak or scotch fillet, is one of the most prized steaks. This roast is called the prime rib. They are juicy, tender and very flavorful.
Rib eye refers to a boneless rib steak. In other countries it means a bone-in cut located in the rib section in the upper cage area which also doesn’t get to make muscle movements. It’s the original cut for the iconic Philly Cheese Steak.
4. Tomahawk steak is a portion of ribeye that has the whole rib bone attached, and it’s sometimes called a cowboy steak cut from the rib section.
5. Chuck eye steak or the “poor man’s rib eye” is located very close to rib eye steaks and shares many characteristics of it. It’s cut from the upper shoulder, from the chuck primal section at the 5th rib, right next to the rib eye section
6. Flank steak is a large, thin cut from the belly of the steer. It’s lean and flavorful. It is in the middle of not being tender nor tough. It should be marinated to bring out its flavor and tenderness. It’s located in the flank section below the loin along the cow’s abdomen.
7. Skirt steak is a long, thin cut from the diaphragm muscles of the steer. It is sometimes mistaken as flank steak for its appearance. Skirt steak is one of the healthiest and flavourful beef cuts. It’s located in the outer section or “plate” of the diaphragm muscles, along with the hanger steak.
8. Sirloin is the most popular steaks and is classified as Top Sirloin or Bottom Sirloin. Top sirloin steak is a better cut and labeled as Sirloin in markets. Bottom sirloin is the larger and tougher part. Both are cut from the sirloin section where the T-bone, Porterhouse and club steaks come from.
9. A New York Strip steak is a cut of Top Sirloin, and sometimes called Strip Loin, Top Sirloin or Top Loin Steak. New York strip has a unique mildness and its texture is grainier than other premium cuts such as ribeye or filet mignon.
NY strip is usually a boneless piece. and when a bone is attached to the strip, it is called Kansas City Strip or Bone-in New York. It is located on the top part of the sirloin.
with moderate marbling.
10. Tri-tip is a boneless cut about 3/4 to 2 inches thick coming from a large triangular section of bottom sirloin. It is also called Triangle Steak, Bottom Sirloin Steak, or Santa Maria Steak. It is located at the bottom end of sirloin, next to the flank and rump.
11. Round Steak is also called topside and silverside. It is divided into several cuts such as the eye of round, bottom round and top round The top round is sometimes called London broil. Round steak comes from well-exercised muscles and consequently quite lean. It is the “round” in the rear leg of the cow.
12. Flat iron steak is a famous cut with near-perfect marbling that makes it second to filet mignon in tenderness.
It also goes by the names Boneless Top Chuck Steak, Butler Steak and Oyster Blade Steak. It is cut from chuck in the shoulder of the cow.
Now that you are now aware where your steak is coming from and why some kinds are more flavorful than the other, it will be easier for you to make a choice whenever you enter your favorite steakhouse. You will no longer be clueless and you will know what exactly you want to experience on your plate.