Le Steak

Last night I BP II and I decided to have steak for dinner. We went to Food Emporium and wandered down the meat isle. I must be honest; I get so confused about which kind of steak to choose. I have been told before but I always forget. I mean everything sounds the same: top roast loin, Skirt steak, Prime rib, Rib-eye, New York strip, Sirloin and T-bone. Also, I want to get a good value for my steak. I know that Filet Mignon is a very nice piece of meat but I want a good middle of the road grade that I don’t need to save up for. Anyway, we bought an Angus Beef top loin strip steak for $15.99/ lb. While there I also grabbed some russet potatoes and white asparagus to complete the meal.

I cooked the steaks like I always do, salt and pepper the meat on both sides, a little butter in a pan then sear on both sides until a brown crust forms. (about 2-3 minutes) Pop in at 350° for another 3 minutes. Finally, I let the meat rest for about 10 minutes or until I finish cooking everything up.

The asparagus was just pan seared with a little olive oil and seasoned with some salt and pepper. The potatoes were boiled and mashed. I added some milk, sour cream and at the last minute stirred in some blue cheese for flavor.

I found a breakdown of different kinds of steak. I will try to remember for next time.

• Tenderloin: The tenderloin is a cut of meat that is the most tender (and therefore usually the most expensive). On a cow or pig the tenderloin is found in the middle of the back between the sirloin and the rib. The tenderloin is extremely tender because the muscles that make up the tenderloin are rarely used. The elongated muscle can be separated from the bone and is sold as a tenderloin roast. When the tenderloin is cut into pieces, it is called fillet mignon steaks.

• T-Bone: The T-bone is a bone-in steak from the short loin. This cut has a T-shaped bone that separates the tenderloin section from the larger portion of the top loin. These steaks are not as tender as the porterhouse steak.

• Porterhouse: The Porterhouse steak is a large steak from the thick end of the short loin containing a T-shaped bone and large piece of tenderloin. Porterhouse steak is one of the most popular types of steaks.

• Strip or Top Loin: Porterhouse or T-bone steaks that have been stripped of the choice tenderloin portion. Top loin steaks are usually expensive.

• Club: Club steak are triangular. Club steaks are s cut from the short loin, next to the rib end.

• Rib-Eye: The rib eye or ribeye is a beef steak from the beef rib. When cut into steaks, the ribeye is one of the most popular, juiciest, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is tender and fattier than other cuts of beef. This extra fat makes ribeye steaks and roasts especially tender and flavorful. The rib-eye steak is also called Scotch Fillet

• Sirloin: The sirloin is near the rump. Sirloin steaks are tougher than cuts from the loin or the rib. There are several different sirloin steak cuts,

• Flank: Flank steak is a beef steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow. Long and flat, the flank steak's best known application is London Broil. The flank steak is much tougher than the loin and rib steaks. Many recipes for flank steak use marinades or braising. Flank steak is best when it has a bright, red color. You can tenderize flank steak by marinating it in a tenderizing liquid, including acids like tomato-based products, lemon juice, wine, vinegar, pineapple or ginger.

• Skirt: The skirt steak is a cut of beef steak from the belly primal cut. The skirt steak is a long, flat cut that is flavorful, but tougher than most other steak cuts. Most people use skirt steak to make fajitas.