Selecting The Best Cut Of Steak

Heading to your local grocer, and not sure what type of steak to get? Here are a few tips on selecting the best cut of steak for your meal:

How do you plan to cook your steak?

How and where you cook your steak will have an impact on the cut and quality of the steak you select. You can grill it, pan sear it, or broil it. For grilling, I prefer Porterhouses, Strips, Ribeyes, and Sirloins. The reason I choose these cuts is because their is a higher concentration of fat. Since the grill doesn't allow your steak to sit in it's own juices or marinades, retaining those flavors, leaner cuts don't fair as well on the grill. Leaner cuts that you may broil or sear are perfect for roasts, stews, or even sandwiches. I like to use top round cuts for these types of dishes.

How to select the perfect cut of steak?

You'll want to look for adequate levels of marbling in the steak. Many people ask me, what is marbling? Marbling is the term used to describe the layers of fat that are spread out throughout the cut of beef. You want the proper balance between the fat (white) and muscle tissue (red). You'll also want to look for the marbling to not be all consolidate in one area of the steak. Rather, you want marbling that is as evenly distributed throughout the steak as possible. The reason is, as you grill the steak, the marbling liquifies and is what gives the steak it's great flavor. I look for steaks that look like they have about 1/10th - 1/8th of their surface area covered with the white marbling.

What are the different different types of beef?

Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime typically has the most marbling, it's also the most expensive. I've been to restaurants and ordered the Choice, while my wife has ordered the Prime. To be honest, more important than the cut's quality is how it's cooked. I like mine at a hot red center, my wife likes her's at a hot pink center. I tried her cut of steak versus mine, and can honestly say I liked mine better. So don't think that just because you're grilling on a budget that you have to relegate yourself crappy cuts of steak - it's all about how you cook it! (Of course, if you do cook the Prime & Choice exactly the same, the Prime will be a bit more tender!)