When I bought my first grill, I had no idea how to grill a steak, at all, let alone what cut to buy. I was left to peruse the supermarkets cluelessly looking at cases of meat.
Now that I’m a little smarter, I’d like to share my favourite cuts of steak with you and provide some much-needed advice on how to serve them.
Before we begin to list a wide variety of different types of steaks you might purchase, you should establish yourself with the basic knowledge of what to look for when buying your steak.
Regardless of what cut you decide to buy, you need to make sure it is graded at choice, as not all cuts of steak are equal, and some are better than others. The key thing is that the more marbling running through it, the more tender the meat will be.
In the United States, supermarket beef will either be graded at choice or select, with a choice having more fat in it than select.
Taking a trip to a butcher would also provide you with prime cut beef, with even better marbling than choice steaks. There is also the option to order from an online butcher.
If you can’t find local steaks to your desired level of quality, we recommend American Wagyu steak and Bone-in Ribeye from Porter Road.
There are two main ways to prepare your steak, either a reverse sear, or cooking it hot and fast, Both can be done with a gas or charcoal grill, or even a cast-iron pan.
Ribeye is a tender, juicy, well-marbled cut considered the ‘king of steaks’ by many. Unsurprisingly, the ribeye is used for the Steak Cookoff association for all competitions.
You can purchase them either on-the-bone or off-the-bone. When shopping yourself, look for cuts that streaky marbling through them, whilst avoiding cuts with big globs of fat in the middle.
Your butcher can prepare you steaks from anywhere between ½” thick and 2” thick. Steaks like these do well when seared at a hot temp and then switched to the cool side of the grill.
Also known as the New York Strip, Club steak, shell steak and Kansas City steak. A very tender and well-marbled cut with a nice beefy flavour makes this another classic cut around the world, famous in many steakhouses.
The butcher can prepare this in similar ways to the ribeye, ranging from between 0.5” to 2” thick, and also can be seared at a hot temperature and then switched to the cool side of the grill.
A cut from the tenderloin, Filet Mignon is one of the most tender cuts of beef available.
Because of this, Filet Mignon is one of the most expensive cuts available, and despite being so tender, it’s not overly flavourful.
The T-Bone is a carnivores favourite, and an especially large cut as its two cuts together.
With the striploin on one side of the bone and the tenderloin on the other side, it becomes a tricky steak to prepare as one side can cook quicker than the other.
Reverse Sear this cut for the best results, and have the butcher cut it at least 2” thick.
It's a common misconception that porterhouse and t-bone are the same steaks, when porterhouse is actually further up the animal, resulting in a larger section of tenderloin.
Like the t-bone, reverse sear a thick cut of it.
This completely boneless cut comes from the shoulder clod in the shoulder of the steer. The second-most tender cut, only second to filet mignon, this well-marbled steak is perfect for grilling.
The thickness tends to range from ¾” to 1 ¼”, and is a steak often seasoned with a simple salt and pepper and then quickly grilled until medium-rare for a delicious treat.
A cut off the sirloin primal, top sirloin is excellent for those on a budget, and even those it's less tender than a lot of the other steaks on this list, it comes with a lot of flavours.
It's best to quickly grill this steak, whilst watching the internal temperatures to avoid going past medium-rare and drying the steak out.
As I’m sure you guessed, this steak is from the belly area (or ‘flank’) of the cow. It is a flavourful and tough cut, and as with many other thinner steaks, it requires a quick grill over high heat, and can’t be allowed past medium-rare. For maximum tenderness, you should slice against the grain.
If you’ve tried fajitas, you’ve tried skirt steak. This is yet another thin steak that benefits from a hot and fast sear directly above the heat.
A marinade or spice rub can go well with the beefy flavour, but be careful not to overdo it so it doesn't burn. Remember to slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.
Also known as the ‘butcher steak’, as its a common favourite among them.
The cut hangs between the rib and the loin, in an area that is not overly thick. Because of this, its best to prepare this steak quickly over direct heat, and like flank and skirt steak, it is best to slice against the grain for maximum tenderness.
There’s a wide variety out there for different steaks and cuts to try to go down to your local supermarket and try something extraordinary! Try different things and feel free to let us know what you do and don't like below.