Steak

BeefCutPlate

The word steak originates from the mid-15th century Scandinavian word steik or stickna in the Middle English dialect along with the Old Norse word steikja.

Steak is generally a cut of beef sliced perpendicular to the muscle fibers, or of fish cut perpendicular to the spine. Meat steaks are usually grilled, pan-fried, or broiled, while fish steaks may also be baked. Steak can also be meat cooked in sauce, such as steak and kidney pie, or minced meat formed into a steak shape, such as Salisbury steak and hamburger steak. Without qualification, the word "steak" generally refers to beefsteak. Steaks from other animals are usually qualified as such - for example, 'swordfish steak' or 'venison steak'.

Types of steak

Beefsteak

Main article: Beefsteak

The more tender cuts of beef, from the loin and rib, are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from the chuck or round are cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized (e.g. cube steak). Steak can be cooked to a level of very rare (bleu, a cold raw center), rare, medium rare, medium, medium well done, or well done. Beef, unlike certain other meats, does not need to be cooked through. Food-borne human illnesses are not normally found within a beef steak, though surfaces can potentially be contaminated from handling, and thus, very rare steak (seared on the outside and raw within) is generally accepted as safe.

Boston butt

Boston butt originates from colonial New England, where butchers would commonly take less valuable cuts of pork to pack the bottom of storage and transport barrels. The barrels were called butts.

Chateaubriand

Image of freshly prepared chateaubriand steak in the traditional style

Filet mignon

Seasoned and chargrilled British lamb fillet steak

French for dainty fillet.

Fish steaks

Main article: Fish steak

For fish, steaks are cut perpendicular to the spine and include bones. In North America, fish usually cooked as steaks include swordfish, halibut, and tuna. Other fish often cooked as steaks include salmon and mahi-mahi, though they are also frequently cooked as fillets or whole.

Unlike beefsteaks, fish steaks are often baked in sauce.

Rib

Main article: Rib steak

A rib steak is a beef steak sliced from the rib primal of a beef animal, with rib bone attached. In the United States, the term rib eye steak is used for a rib steak with the bone removed; however in some areas, and outside the U.S., the terms are often used interchangeably. The rib eye or "ribeye" was originally, as the name implies, the center best portion of the rib steak, without the bone.

Salisbury

Named after James Henry Salisbury and is first recorded in 1897; Salisbury was a renowned dietitian and nutritionist doctor during during the Civil War. He often recommended poeple eat hamburger 3 times per day. During World War I, American solders replaced the word hamburger with Salisbury steak. They did not care for using the word hamburger because it had originated from Hamburg steak from Hamburg, Germany.

Sirloin

Main article: Sirloin steak

The sirloin steak is a portion of the sirloin part of the cow which is near the cow's rear, the nearer the meat is from the rear, the tenderer it is likely to be, like the rump steak. Although there are two parts of the sirloin: upper sirloin is generally more expensive than the lower sirloin because it is more tender. Sirloin steaks are often served at steakhouses and are often accompanied with French fries and vegetables such as broccoli, carrot or peas. They are usually cooked by grilling or frying.

Skirt

Main article: Skirt steak

A skirt steak is a part of the plate (situated at the cow's abdomen), the steak is long, thick and tender and it is usually priced by its flavour rather than the tenderness because its flavour is better than its tenderness. Skirt steaks are not to be confused with flank steaks because they are near the sirloin and shank. Skirt steaks are used in many international cuisines: Mexican cuisine use this steak for fajitas and arrachera. In the United Kingdom it is often used as filling for Cornish pasties as well as vegetables such as carrot and potato. In Chinese cuisine it is used for stir-fries, in Spanish cuisine the steak is made for churrasco and Italian cuisine use skirt steak for making bolognese sauce as well as with tomatoes.

T-bone

Main articles: T-bone steak and Porterhouse steak

A T-bone steak being cooked on a grill

A T-bone steak is a steak that comes from the short loin which is at the cow's lower back area. When being processed, these steaks are normally cut nearer to the front of the animal with an area of tenderloin still attached. Porterhouse steaks have a larger tenderloin section than T-bones.

T-bone steaks are commonly grilled, broiled or occasionally fried so that the outside is browned while the inside is maintained to desired doneness – usually from rare to medium rare, although this cut of steak, when well aged, will retain its tenderness even if well done.

Porterhouse

The origin of porter-house steak is disputed but there is evidence to support that it originated on Pearl Street in Manhattan, New York approximately 1814 when Martin Morrison operated as the porter house proprietor and began serving particularly large T-bone steaks. The origin of the word porterhouse comes from the Porter House hotel which operated in Flowery Branch, Georgia in the late-19th century. The word porter itself originates from the latin word portare (to carry), later the medieval latin word portator which is further translated to porteour in old french to finally come to the name porter in Middle English.

Swiss steak

Swiss steak refers to the meat having gone through a process called swissing.

See also

• Chuck steak
• Flank steak
• List of beef dishes
• List of steak dishes
• Marbled meat
• Meat chop
• Meat on the bone
• Pork steak
• Rib eye steak
• Standing rib roast (prime rib)
• Strip steak
• Surf and turf