Pinterest Facebook Instagram Youtube Twitter
  • Home
  • Gear
  • Grub
  • Adventure
  • Health
  • Hustle
Menu
  • Home
  • Gear
  • Grub
  • Adventure
  • Health
  • Hustle

The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

Feature | man cooking grilled steak | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

November 27, 2018 By Alan Edwards Leave a Comment

Here’s a list of the best steak cuts for the testosterone-saturated beings of the Earth (a.k.a. men).

Top 10 Best Cuts of Steak

 

What Makes a Great Steak Anyway?

Two things:

Tenderness

Full-on steak nerds have two items on their checklist to get the tenderest and best cut of steak there is: how much the muscles were used (which contributes to toughness), and the muscle-collagen-fat ratio in the steak. Less-used cattle muscles, such as those found along the backbone, happen to be tenderer. Steak Anatomy 101: cuts of meat are made of muscles, fat, and collagen. The steak meat is a primarily muscle, collagen gives it structure, and fat gives it flavor. The best (more expensive) cuts of steak have less connective tissues and finely marbled fat.

Flavor

With seasonings out of the picture, steak flavor is heavily dependent on the amount of fat in it and how the cattle were fed and aged. Grass-fed meats tend to be leaner and healthier because these cattle do not receive added hormones. Grain-fed meats, on the other hand, are high in fat, tender, and contain more marbling. These cattle, though, are given growth hormones for sped-up mass production.

Aging allows enzymes and microbes to react to the meat, aiding the breakdown of the connective tissues, leading to increased flavor and tenderness. Dry-aged beef is often described as having a roasted, almost nutty flavor. This process is more delicate and resource-consuming, hence the heftier price tag for such meat. While wet-aged beef is usually cheaper, it is not necessarily inferior. It all boils down to your own taste and preferences. Now, onto the list of the best cuts of steak!

1. Porterhouse

big raw porterhouse steak | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

Some call this cut the king of steaks. Why? Because it is actually two steaks in one. One side is a New York strip, the other is a large filet mignon. This steak is cut from the rear of the short loin, including a larger area of the tenderloin. It’s also a thicker cut of meat.

2. T-Bone

gourmet grill restaurant steak | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

It sounds like a cool thug name, doesn’t it? Anyway, it is obviously named for the T-shaped bone it comes with. It looks very similar to the porterhouse, with a smaller filet mignon portion. T-bone cuts are taken closer to the front end of the short loin and have a smaller portion of the tenderloin.

3. Top Sirloin

beef top sirloin steak roast | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

With the bone, tenderloin and bottom round muscles removed, top sirloin steaks are different from sirloin cuts. Top sirloin steaks are also relatively lean. Often marinated to be tenderized and cut into cubes, they’re a great choice for making kabobs.

4. Flank

lean raw flank steak roasting | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

This is one of the most popular cuts of beef. It comes with a lot of collagen, which make it flavorful but a little less tender. This meat is often served cut across the grain and in thin slices (think grilled fajitas).

5. New York Strip

new york strip steak cuts | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

Any decent steakhouse has this steak on their menu. What’s not to like — it has a great amount of marbling, it is tender, and it’s full-flavored! It’s preferably cooked blue or rare to showcase its delicate flavor and natural tenderness.

6. Tri-Tip

gourmet grill restaurant steak | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

A.K.A. the Santa Maria steak, this cut is well-loved in the Central Coast and Valley regions of CA. The pros? It’s cheaper and it has lower fat content while still being very flavorful. Its excellent marbling brings out its flavor and it is tender (as long it doesn’t get overcooked).

7. Filet Mignon

Filet Mignon | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

All things equal, this is probably the tenderest steak cut. The French call it the filet de boeuf, meaning beef filet. Flavor-wise, it doesn’t pack much of a punch. But you can wrap it in bacon and add sauces and spices of your choice. A tip, though: Cook this steak quickly if you want to seal all the goodness in.

8. Rib Eye

steak raw barbecue rib eye | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

Thank its luscious marbling for its flavor and tenderness. This is one of the most-loved cuts in the whole planet. Without a bone attached, it is called the rib-eye. If boned, it is called the rib steak.

9. Flat Iron

british beef flat iron steak | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

This cut is the top blade steak, taken from the top blade roast. Known for its significant amount of marbling, it is one of the finest cuts of beef. They call it the butler’s steak in the UK and the oyster blade steak in the Land Down Under.

10. Hanger

hanger steak fries | The Best Damn Steak Cuts You Need to Know for Christmas

What this cut lacks in tenderness, it makes up for in flavor. It’s best when marinated, high heat-cooked by broiling or grilling, and served medium-rare to rare.

 

Add a unique taste to your steak with these liquor marinades from Sous Vide Everything:

There are few things in life that bring men together, and one of them is a fine cut of meat. It’s probably the crown jewel of your cooking repertoire and your contribution for the coming Christmas get-together at your place. Don’t ruin it by picking bad meat.

Do you have any steak tricks you might want to share? Let us know in the comments section below!

Up Next: How To Grill Steak | How Long To Grill Steak And Other FAQs

Related

Filed Under: Cooking, Grub

Let Us Know What You Think Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Follow Us:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Join our newsletter for the most trusted tips on what guys should know. SIGN UP NOW!

Join Us On Instagram!

Rugged Standard
1360 Union Hill Road Suite 2D
Alpharetta, GA 30004
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service

This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. The information presented here is for general educational purposes only.

Copyright © 2023 · Rugged Standard


MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that this website has an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the persons or businesses mentioned in or linked to from this page and may receive commissions from purchases you make on subsequent web sites. You should not rely solely on information contained on this website to evaluate the product or service being endorsed. Always exercise due diligence before purchasing any product or service. This website contains advertisements.