Notes on steaks - for beginners

How often do you cook steak?

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MicheleJ

MicheleJ

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Before starting my cooking journey I had no view on how many possibilities are there.

When talking about steak there are a lot of different types of cuts, this is where all starts.

From the quality of the meat which combines age with marbling to the different cuts which can decide the success of your barbeque.

I’ve been researching on different websites and of course YouTube and I have found more cuts that I had knows, I’ve made some notes :
  • Porterhouse - this is a thicker cut and is known as the king of steaks
  • Top Sirloin - ( no bone here, perfect for cutting into cubes )
  • T-Bone - this cut is closer to the front, and contain a smaller section of tenderloin, it’s best grilled to medium-rare temps.
  • Flank - this one has to be marinated before being grilled or boiled. One of the most popular cuts there, it has great flavor, it’s less tender.
  • Tri-Tip - this one has excellent marbling and is tender, I have never eaten this one, seems to be popular in US - California.
  • Rib-Eye - very tender and juicy meat, it’s cut from the main muscle near the spine, this one is a boneless cut.
  • Prime rump - this one is large and is cut from the lower back, it’s said it has more flavor than other cuts.
  • Hangar - not sure how it compares to Prime rump, some sources say it has a lot of flavors, lacks tenderness and it’s best cooked rare to medium-rare to avoid toughness
  • Butler's steak - grilled or boiled, seems that it’s called the finest cut of beef available. It’s also called oyster blade steak in Australia or Flat Iron in the US.
  • New York Strip - also called strip loin or “club” steak, it one that you’ll find in a good steakhouse. It’s tender and full flavored.
  • Filet Mignon - also known as filet de boeuf this is the most tender cut, seems that it’s the norm to wrap it up with bacon. Who doesn't love bacon, am I right?

A good resource which I plan to add upon, and would love if more experienced people contribute is the following Youtube collaborative Vidflow playlist:

The current videos are:

  • Buying meat
  • Different grades of meat
  • Cooking steak in a pan
  • Preparing steak on a grill
  • Pairing food with wine

Let me know what you think!

P.S. For the UK - South Yorkshire I will be trying Andrews Butchery in Rotherham, if you are from there and have bought, please let me know .. any other good ones, please share below.

Hugs! :hug:
 
A tip for beginners is to learn the "finger poke" method of determining the done-ness of a piece of steak.

I know a lot of people swear by thermometers, especially instant reads, but my fingers are always with me at the ready. Once you get good at it, you can nail a rare, medium rare, or more well cooked steak.
 
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Methods of cooking should include reverse sear, which I think is best done on a grill. There is a version of bone in rib-eye called a Tomahawk.
 
Does anyone have any idea on how to improve that playlist? I want to create the best playlist out there and have all the information in one place.
If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.
 
Meat Tenderizer..jpg


I bought this a while back & used it on a steak that I marinated & cooked. The steak was delicious & so tender!! It almost melted in my mouth!! Oh, so good!!!! :wink::hungry:
 
MicheleJ said:
Does anyone have any idea on how to improve that playlist? I want to create the best playlist out there and have all the information in one place.
If anyone can help, it would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...
Have you considered the provenance of the meat? There is a world of difference between commercially produced Angus and meat from slower growing traditional breeds. If you are looking for the ultimate steak try exploring meat from grass fed Dexter, Longhorn, Hereford etc.
 
@Michel - I think you have set yourself a really difficult task here! Cuts of beef can be different in America from those in UK and indeed Europe - probably Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. (I'm mentioning mainly English speaking countries). Not only are some of the cuts different, there can be different names for the same cuts. Also, as @epicuric mentions above, there are different breeds which produce different meat. Many of these breeds will only be available in certain countries.

Who is the playlist aimed at? Is it primarily UK or American audience? If both, then I think you need notes on the names and availability of the cuts, breeds etc in each country otherwise it will be confusing. Quite a task! If it were me, I'd limit myself to a UK audience, simply to narrow the field and make it much more specific.
 
morning glory said:
@Michel - I think you have set yourself a really difficult task here! Cuts of beef can be different in America from those in UK and indeed Europe - probably Australia, New Zealand, South Africa etc. (I'm mentioning mainly English speaking countries). Not only are some of the cuts different, there can be different names for the same cuts. Also, as @epicuric mentions above, there are different breeds which produce different meat. Many of these breeds will only be available in certain countries.

Who is the playlist aimed at? Is it primarily UK or American audience? If both, then I think you need notes on the names and availability of the cuts, breeds etc in each country otherwise it will be confusing. Quite a task! If it were me, I'd limit myself to a UK audience, simply to narrow the field and make it much more specific.
Click to expand...

Now that you mention it, I can see the problem. I'll start my research on a per country bases and try to see if I get enough material to satisfy every audience.
Thank you, I don't mind the work :wink:
 
MicheleJ said:
Now that you mention it, I can see the problem. I'll start my research on a per country bases and try to see if I get enough material to satisfy every audience.
Thank you, I don't mind the work :wink:
Click to expand...

One type of steak with noting is of course Wagyu. It is now farmed in the UK - but not cheap.
 
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