Know your steaks CUT, ALTERNATIVE NAMES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DESCRIPTION COST COOKING TIPS FROM THE SHORT LOIN (back) Tenderloin These very tender special-occa- $$$$ Good match for sion steaks are cut from the long, rubs, sauces, or steak narrow tenderloin muscle. When flavored butters. filet steak, filet mignon, cut from the smaller end, they’re tournedos, filet de boeuf usually 1 to 2 inches thick and 11/2 to 2 inches in diameter and called filet mignon. Tournedos are cut from the wider end and are thin- ner and larger. Figure one steak per person. T-bone A carnivore’s delight, this steak $$$ Excellent with rubs, consists of two muscles sepa- sauces, or flavored rated by a T-shaped bone. Cut butters. from the front end of the short loin, the larger muscle is the juicy, flavorful top loin, and the smaller muscle is part of the tenderloin. Look for ample marbling. Steaks will weigh 11/2 to 2 lb. and serve 3 to 4. Essentially the same as a T-bone $$$ The tenderloin Porterhouse except that it has a larger ten- muscle cooks derloin muscle and a smaller top quickly, so keep it loin muscle than the T-bone (it’s over lower heat. cut from the rear of the short To carve, cut the loin, where the tenderloin is big- two muscles off ger). Ample marbling. Magnifi- the bone, slice, and cent when cut to a luxuriously then reassemble thick 2 inches, which can weigh 2 so everyone can lb. and serve 3 to 4. sample from both sides. Think of these popular steaks as $$$ Firm enough to take Top loin steak a T-bone or porterhouse with the a marinade but also Boneless: tenderloin section removed, great with sauces strip steak, Kansas City leaving you with the very tender or flavored butters. steak, New York strip and juicy top loin muscle. May be steak, ambassador steak, bone-in or boneless (shown). Look for ample marbling. Ideal veiny steak, hotel steak, thickness is 11/2 inches, giving you boneless club, and more a 3/4- to 1-lb. steak serving 2 to 3. Bone-in: New York strip loin, shell steak, strip steak, club steak, club sirloin steak, Delmonico steak The names of retail cuts vary from one meat counter Chart continues on next page. to the next. Furthermore, some names can apply to two very different cuts. When in doubt, ask the butcher. FINECOOKING.COM Know your steaks (continued) CUT, ALTERNATIVE NAMES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DESCRIPTION COST COOKING TIPS FROM THE RIB May be boneless (shown) or $$$ Excellent when Rib-eye bone-in. Ask for cuts from the paired with a dry & rib steak small end of the rib (closer to the rub, marinade, or short loin), where the tender eye sauce. Boneless: muscle is larger, rather than from Spencer steak, Delmonico the large end (near the chuck), steak, beauty steak, where there are tougher shoul- entrecote, market steak der muscles. Should have ample marbling. Exceptionally tender Bone-in: and juicy. Ideal thickness is at rib steak least 11/2 inches, serving 2 to 3. FROM THE SIRLOIN (hip) The sirloin consists of several $$ Marinades and rubs Top sirloin muscles, and steaks cut from this can help counter sirloin butt steak, London area, while flavorful, vary in the steak’s lean- broil, top sirloin butt, tenderness and marbling. Top ness. To carve, slice center cut sirloin is the most desirable thinly or portion (those labeled simply “sirloin” into smaller indi- are tougher). Look for steaks at vidual steaks. least 11/2 inches thick, serving 2 to 3. Cut from the triangle-shaped tri- $$ Excellent with spice Tri-tip steak tip muscle in the slightly tougher rubs and mari- culotte, triangle steak, bottom sirloin area, these small, nades; slice thinly triangle tip, Newport lean steaks are prized for their across the grain. steaks, sirloin bottom butt great beefy flavor. Tri-tips can come in packages of 2 or 3 and are typically 1 to 11/4 inches thick. Figure one steak per person. FROM THE CHUCK (shoulder) This boneless steak, found under $ Good choice for Chuck-eye the steer’s back bone closest to marinades; slice steak the rib section, has good beefy very thinly. boneless chuck fillet steak, flavor and is relatively tender, boneless steak, bottom though it may also have a fair amount of fat and gristle. Steaks chuck, center-cut chuck can weigh from 11/4 to 21/2 lb. and steak serve 2 to 4. A flavorful steak from the chuck, $ Highly recommend- Top blade steak this cut is quite tender yet moder- ed for marinades; flatiron steak, lifter steak, ately priced, making it an excellent remove the line of book steak, petite steak, value. Figure one 11/4- to 11/2-inch- gristle running down top chuck steak, butler thick steak per person. the middle either steak, chicken steak before or after cooking; slice very thinly. FINECOOKING.COM Photos: Scott Phillips; illustration, Jennifer Thermes Know your steaks CUT, ALTERNATIVE NAMES WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE DESCRIPTION COST COOKING TIPS FROM THE FLANK & PLATE (underbelly) From the underbelly of the steer, $$ Superb with mari- Flank steak flank is a lean cut with a visible nades. Slice thinly London broil, jiffy steak, longitudinal grain that absorbs on the bias (and flank steak filet marinades well. It’s known for across the grain) to its beefy flavor and firm texture. increase tender- Oblong in shape with a thinner, ness. Keep thinner tapered end. One steak weighs 1 end over less- to 2 lb., serving 3 to 4. intense heat and flip occasionally for even cooking. This cut “hangs” from the last rib $$ Good for marinat- Hanger steak just below the tenderloin. It’s not ing. Ask for the hanging tenderloin, flap often found in supermarkets central nerve to be meat, butcher’s steak, (there's only one per steer, and removed, which will butcher’s tenderloin butchers like to keep it for result in two smaller themselves), but this flavorful, steaks, or grill whole tender, and juicy cut is worth and cut around the seeking out. A 11/2- to 2-lb. hanger nerve during steak will feed 3 to 4. carving. Grill briefly over high heat and avoid cooking beyond medium rare. Slice across the grain. From the plate, this distinctive $$ Ideal for mari- Skirt steak looking steak is the long, thin nades. Grill quickly Philadelphia steak, diaphragm muscle. It has a fairly over high heat, just fajitas meat coarse grain, which runs cross- a few minutes per wise rather than lengthwise (as side. Keep to me- with flank steak). Though it’s dium rare to avoid sometimes confused with flank, drying out. Carve it’s fattier, more tender, and across the grain, offers even more beefy flavor. lengthwise. 11/2 to 2 lb. of skirt steak will feed 3 to 4. Watch the clock, but be flexible THICKNESS TOTAL GRILLING TIME, TOTAL GRILLING TIME, Keep in mind that lean OF STEAK HIGH HEAT MEDIUM-HIGH HEAT steaks don't have as 1/2 inch 3 to 4 min. for medium rare; 4 4 to 5 min. for medium rare; 5 to to 5 min. for medium 6 min. for medium much buffer against 1 inch 6 to 7 min. for medium rare; 7 8 to 9 min. for medium rare; 9 to overcooking and that the to 8 min. for medium 10 min. for medium second side always cooks 11/2 inches 10 to 12 min. for medium rare; 11 to 13 min. for medium rare; 13 12 to 14 min. for medium to 15 min. for medium faster than the first. 2 inches n/a (steak will burn before 18 to 22 min. for medium rare; it’s cooked through) 22 to 24 min. for medium FINECOOKING.COM.