All you ever wanted to know about Steaks

Steaks have always had a special role in the culinary world. As one of the most expensive items on the menu they are usually reserved for very special occasions. When it comes to ordering, though, many people feel intimidated by the lingo generally used by steak connaisseurs, leaving them confused about what exactly to choose. The following paragraphs shall explain the basics of real steaks, the differences in quality and price, and how to order a steak so it truly fits one’s personal preferences.

What is a Steak?
To start with, when it comes to steaks we are talking about beef. “It is juicy red meat from a premium breed of cattle. Chicken, fish and other poultry such as duck and game meats are not steak in the true sense of the word. Poultry and fish are usually described as filets. Pork is referred to as a steak but only in a generic sense.”*Steaks are typically grilled, but they can also be pan-fried.

What makes a great steak?
The quality of a good steak is determined by its grade and the cut.
Most beef is graded according to the level of fat marbled with the meat, and the age of the animal. Marbling makes a steak tender and juicy. The US is the only country with an official grading system, while most other countries follow these grades in one form or another*. Grades are prime, choice and select with prime being at the top and select being the bottom. Prime beef has the highest level of marbling and is usually used only by fine restaurants. The lower grades are meant for general retail distribution.

‘Cut’ refers to the section of the cattle where the meat is butchered from. The most important primal cuts for steak are the ribs and loins.
Cuts from the beef ribs make the Rib Eye Steak. It is more “marbled”, making it juicier and more tender than most other cuts. The rib eye can be cut boneless or bone-in, the latter of which is also referred to as rib steak.

The loins generally contain lower fat levels than the ribs. Various sub-primal cuts are butchered from the loin section, including the short loin, Sirloin and Tenderloin. Sirloin is further devided into top and bottom sirloin.
Cuts from the short loin yield the Strip Steak (striploin, Kansas City Strip, New York Strip). Its fat content and tenderness is somewhere between the ribeye and tenderloin cuts. When still attached to the bone, and with a piece of the tenderloin also included, the strip steak becomes a T-bone Steak (named after the T-shaped bone) or a Porterhouse steak, the difference being that the Porterhouse has a larger portion of tenderloin included. T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the highest quality steaks, and prices are accordingly high. Porterhouse steaks are even more highly valued due to their larger tenderloin. An Italian favorite is the Tuscan-style bistecca alla fiorentina, consisting of a thickly cut and very large T-bone steak, grilled over a wood or charcoal fire, and seasoned with salt, black pepper and olive oil. It is usually served very rare.