I often get inquiries as to what grassfed steak this is or where does it come from on the animal. I’ll go through a few of the more popular steak cuts to help you understand where the steak comes from and how the flavors differ.
Delmonico Steak- The name “Delmonico” comes from a famous restaurant in New York City called Delmonico’s and was known for serving this cut of beef. It is usually a thick cut of beef deriving from the rib or short loin section.This cut should have plenty of marbling and lots of flavor. Don’t confuse the Delmonico with a Rib eye. The Delmonico is boneless and comes from the same area in the cow as a Ribeye. The Delmonico generally is larger in size but does not have quite as much marbling as a Ribeye.
Porterhouse Steak- This cut is a combination of both the Tenderloin and New York Strip. It comes from the rear end of the short loin. It is prized for its tenderness and juiciness. Normally this cut is at least 1” thick and has a T shaped bone in it separating the two parts.
T-bone Steak- The T-bone steak is very similar to the Porterhouse steak but it is cut from the front end of the short loin. This cut also includes both the tenderloin and the strip steak but the tenderloin piece is smaller in size.
Sirloin Steak- The Sirloin steak is cut from the suboptimal posterior to the short loin where the T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are cut from. This cut is a great “all-round” cut that is a leaner, tender, flavorsome and juicy steak. For most steak lovers, this cut is “just right’. The sirloin is affordable with great flavor.
Strip Steak- This cut comes from the short loin and it consists from a muscle that does little work. This makes the Strip steak a tender cut of beef. This steak is known to be flavorful, tender and tasty and can be enjoyed with a wide variety of rubs and sauces. The ideal Strip should be 1.5” in thickness and generally is small enough in size to be consumed by one person.
Tenderloin Steak- The Tenderloin steak is small, thin, lean and incredibly tender muscle located on either side of the backbone. Tenderloin are the most prized cut on the entire animal. There are several sections of the tenderloin consisting of the butt, the tail and the chain. These parts all are considered part of the tenderloin and are all flavorful and delicious. The Tenderloin can be purchased as a whole or cut up individually in smaller single serving sizes.
I hope you can use these descriptions to help you purchase the perfect grassfed steak for your mealtime enjoyment. Take the challenge and see if you can find the perfect cut of beef for you. Personally, I find every cut to have its own characteristics that I can enjoy throughout the grilling season. Next time I will go into the specialty cuts of beef which will allow you to refine your pallet even more so you can enjoy the whole cow experience. There is so much more enjoyment to cooking beef when you know the fine etiquettes of the different cuts.