Sirloin steak

"Sirloin" redirects here; not to be confused with Sir Loin.

"Coulotte" redirects here. For the item of clothing, see culotte.

This article is about the American cut of beef. For the equivalent cut in British, Australian and South African butchery, see rump steak. For the British, South African and Australian sirloin, see strip steak.

American cuts of beef (Parts are clickable)

British cuts of beef (Parts are clickable)

In American butchery, the sirloin steak is a cut of beef from the sirloin, the subprimal posterior to the short loin where the T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is divided into several types of steak.

The top sirloin is the most prized of these and is specifically marked for sale under that name. The bottom sirloin, which is less tender and much larger, is typically marked for sale simply as "sirloin steak". The bottom sirloin, in turn, connects to the sirloin tip roast.

Cut anatomy and structure

The sirloin steak has several muscles that contribute to variation in texture and flavor between different cuts. The top sirloin primarily contains the Gluteus medius, along with the gluteus accessorius, gluteus profundus, and part of the biceps femoris. During butchery, these parts are separated along natural seams. These muscles differ in size and function. The gluteus medius is the largest and most prominent portion of the steak.

These muscles contain connective tissue that contributes to differing tenderness between cuts. The gluteus medius cut is consistently tender. Heavily worked muscles, like the biceps femoris, are often firmer and more flavorful.

Differences between countries

The sirloin steak is called the rump steak in British butchery. In common British, South African, and Australian butchery, the word sirloin refers to cuts of meat from the upper middle of the animal, similar to the American short loin, while the American sirloin is called the rump. Because of this difference in terminology, in these countries, the T-bone steak is regarded as a cut of the sirloin.

Etymology

The word sirloin derives from the Middle English surloine, itself derived from the Old French word surloigne (variant of surlonge), that is, sur for 'above' and longe for 'loin'. Therefore, a sirloin is the cut from above the loin. In Modern French, the cut of meat is called aloyau or faux-filet.

A fictitious etymology explains the name as being derived from an occasion when a king of England knighted the loin of beef as "Sir Loin." In fact, though the pun is reported as early as 1630, and the notion of a king knighting it dates to 1655, the name predates any of the kings who are mentioned. The story at most influenced the spelling sir rather than sur.

Dishes

See also: List of beef dishes and List of steak dishes

Sirloin steak, served with garlic butter and French fries

A sirloin steak dinner served with french fries and vegetables.

A raw slice of French faux-filet

External links

• Media related to Sirloin steak at Wikimedia Commons

• "USDA Institutional Meat Purchase Specifications". Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2023. (687 KiB)