Question for Steak experts (T-Bone)

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rush

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Recently, I've been getting more acquainted with steak cuts. I'll always be a burger-and-fries guy, but there's something about the simplicity of a nice chunk of steak.

So far, I've tries three cuts - top sirloin, ribeye, and NY strip steak.

The top sirloin was very tough and chewy, even when cooked to medium. I think I'm gonna reserve this cut for burgers in the future. It was $2 a pound.

I read that NY strip steak was a class above the top sirloin, but they were pretty identical to me. Tough and chewy, and even the fat was like rubber. It was $3 a pound.

The ribeye was very soft, and it was easily the best tasting cut of the three. I understand that ribeye has a lot of marbling, so it's soft, but even the meat alone seemed soft on it's own. It was $4 a pound.

With all that outta the way, I decided to try out the t-bone steak tomorrow. It's $4 per pound, like the ribeye. Not sure if that's a good price, but it's supposed to be on sale, so I'll give it a shot.

My questions...

1. How does it stack up against the ribeye? 'Cause they cost the same...

2. I read that the t-bone is composed of the tenderloin and short loin. What kinda cuts are these? Are they softer than top sirloin and NY strip? I also read the NY strip is cut acquired from the short loin, so maybe it's the same thing...

3. What's the difference between tenderloin and short loin? Not so much the anatomical differences, but the texture and taste...

Thanks, as always!
 
I can't answer some of those questions but with my experience you need to find a place with the best quality, only taste will tell the difference.

Today I only buy steak for stirfry or those special dinners. When I do it is generally ribeye, Prime grade. I have bought the Prime ribeye at a number of places and there is a HUGE difference (at least in my area). Those prices seems VERY cheap to me, it seems as though NY or Ribeye (Choice grade) goes for about $8-10/lb, when I buy Prime grade it is $17/lb

Taste will vary GREATLY on the quality of the meat, so find different places in your area and see which has the best. I do most my grocery shopping at a local place but I never buy meat there, I have found a good place and will go out of my way for it.
 
Wow, where are you buying your meat? In my neck of the woods sirloins are around $5 per pound, with New Yorks running in the $6.50/lb range. Ribeyes generally cost around $7-8.50/lb! And beef you're getting at those prices probably will be pretty tough, unless you're in some part of the planet where the economics of things is very different.

There are many grades of beef. The lowest you generally find in stores is Commercial or the somewhat better Select. This is certainly edible but generally lacks marbling and isn't as flavorful as better grades. Anything below Select will generally be a poor choice for steaks unless you're going to tenderize it or braise it. Choice beef is considerably better and usually the best you'll find in a typical supermarket. This is what most restaurants will use. Prime beef is superb but very expensive; very little beef is graded Prime. It will be well marbled and generally very tender.

There are several cuts that are all considered Sirloins. In your average grocery the coulette steak will be left on the loin and cut as part of the sirloin. Other times it will be removed and cut separately. A good sirloin shouldn't be tough, although it's not as tender as a ribeye.

A New York shouldn't be tough, either. Overall the Ribeye is cut from a part of the animal that does less work, so it's even more tender. If all you're concerned about is tenderness, the filet is the most tender. As you mention, a T-bone basically has a filet eye on one side and a NY strip on the other. It's a terrific cut of meat but expensive, and there's a bit of waste from all the bone. The texture of all those steaks will vary depending on where they're cut. For instance, the loin a ribeye is cut from has two ends. On end where the Delmonico is cut from has less fat and is a bit more chewy. The other end is more marbled, more tender and (IMOHO) has better flavor.

Sometimes a marinate can improve the texture. Also, you can get a multi-bladed tenderizer called a Jaccard that does a very good job of tenderizing tougher cuts. Many restaurants use them. They sever some of the fibres, making the meat more tender. And perhaps counterintuitively, since those fibres constrict less, less moisture is forces out and the meat remains more juicy.

The Cliff Notes version:

1) Generally filet is the most tender. It's also about $9.50 a pound, and most steak connoisseurs don't consider it all that flavorful.

2) Ribeye is about the next most tender and has better flavor. It's tough to beat a ribeye. IMO probably the very best part of the cow comes from the ribeye and is called the spinalis dorsi. It's sometimes called the cap. It's wonderfully marbled, very tender and supremely flavorful. If you don't like spinalis you don't like beef!:ROFLMAO:
3) A good New York is on par with about any steak you can get. But you're wise to pick one that doesn't contain an "scar" and that's well marbled.

4) A good T-bone is also sublime.

5) Your opinion of sirloin will likely change when you try a good one.



 
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Over here T Bone is about the same price as rib eye because of the inedible bone.
My take on steak is it must be hung for a min of 30 days, reared within 20 miles of the abattoir, if you cannot find or afford this don't buy cheap steak, buy a different cheaper cut like shin or skirt and cook it appropriately you cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Fillet if properly aged is full flavoured but lacks texture due to the fact it is a non working muscle.
Before PC arrived in the UK Fillet was known as a womans steak:ohmy:
 
I happen to be a slave to a proper fillet of migon nowadays, but,...for dicucssion purposes, I simply die for the smaller side of a t-bone, &, lay "claim" to the bone as well...(those bits are 97% of the time undercooked...yums for me! )LOL
Sirloin, well, if you take proper care of it prior to cooking (meaning a good mirinade that consists of numerous different ways to get the cut to "break down" or ""soften" will help by leaps & bounds. Beer, brine, acidicity, carbonation, sugars, & salts just to name a few will help in breaking down a sirloins "beefy" texture.
As for a strip, well, I really don't ever buy nor cook them. I do know however, that, that particular cut has quite a following.
Myself, I am a ribeye gal all around. Sometimes even, I go w/a cheaper cut of chuck-eye. They both aim to please ME, &...I have thus far had around 95% satisfaction in my preferred cuts.
Steak is steak...just really kiinda boils down on how you cook it, &, what you have done to it before cooking has commenced. It's fun when you get it "right"!!, &,..I wish you gobs of luck! :)
 
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Merl, I am lucky, I buy a "Choice Cut" ( rump,sirloin and fillet on the bone) from my local abattoir, I like the Welsh Black breed, it is smaller and takes longer to reach slaughter weight, the piece is then hung for 36 to 40 days, I then take the meat of the bone(the trimmings make excellent burgers the bones I use for stock, I dont have the ability to cut T bones)I break down the sirlion into two cuts, steaks and the trad UK cut for roasting rolled sirlion (the fatty rib flap wraps the center steak) both cuts eat well with good flavour and texture.

Tip I roast the bones make the stock then reduce it down to a whipping cream thickness and freeze in an ice cube tray, I also use the American Foodsaver Vacpac machine to keep my meat in prime condition in the freezer:)
 
Rob Babcock said:
Wow, where are you buying your meat? In my neck of the woods sirloins are around $5 per pound, with New Yorks running in the $6.50/lb range. Ribeyes generally cost around $7-8.50/lb! And beef you're getting at those prices probably will be pretty tough, unless you're in some part of the planet where the economics of things is very different.
Click to expand...

You're probably purchasing USDA Choice.

The steaks I get are not from some fancy shmancy butcher. It's either from Vons or Ralphs. Vons (Safeway) carries Ranchers Reserve steaks. That's where I got the top sirloin for $2/lb, and ribeye for $4/lb. Ribeye actually turned out pretty good.

I got the NY strip steak ($3) from Ralphs, which carries USDA Select.

And I'll be purchasing USDA Select T-bones later today...

I know that the quality is lacking in these grades, but this is as upscale as it gets for me. At this point, it's hard to justify spending $8-20/lb on Choice/Prime meats, when I can get 30 Foster Farm drumsticks for $8 at Costco. :ROFLMAO:

Then again, that's probably why my experience with top sirloin/NY strip has been lousy. I didn't know quality steaks had such a high price.
 
Rob Babcock said:
There are many grades of beef. The lowest you generally find in stores is Commercial or the somewhat better Select. This is certainly edible but generally lacks marbling and isn't as flavorful as better grades. Anything below Select will generally be a poor choice for steaks unless you're going to tenderize it or braise it. Choice beef is considerably better and usually the best you'll find in a typical supermarket. This is what most restaurants will use. Prime beef is superb but very expensive; very little beef is graded Prime. It will be well marbled and generally very tender.

There are several cuts that are all considered Sirloins. In your average grocery the coulette steak will be left on the loin and cut as part of the sirloin. Other times it will be removed and cut separately. A good sirloin shouldn't be tough, although it's not as tender as a ribeye.

A New York shouldn't be tough, either. Overall the Ribeye is cut from a part of the animal that does less work, so it's even more tender. If all you're concerned about is tenderness, the filet is the most tender. As you mention, a T-bone basically has a filet eye on one side and a NY strip on the other. It's a terrific cut of meat but expensive, and there's a bit of waste from all the bone. The texture of all those steaks will vary depending on where they're cut. For instance, the loin a ribeye is cut from has two ends. On end where the Delmonico is cut from has less fat and is a bit more chewy. The other end is more marbled, more tender and (IMOHO) has better flavor.

Sometimes a marinate can improve the texture. Also, you can get a multi-bladed tenderizer called a Jaccard that does a very good job of tenderizing tougher cuts. Many restaurants use them. They sever some of the fibres, making the meat more tender. And perhaps counterintuitively, since those fibres constrict less, less moisture is forces out and the meat remains more juicy.

The Cliff Notes version:

1) Generally filet is the most tender. It's also about $9.50 a pound, and most steak connoisseurs don't consider it all that flavorful.

2) Ribeye is about the next most tender and has better flavor. It's tough to beat a ribeye. IMO probably the very best part of the cow comes from the ribeye and is called the spinalis dorsi. It's sometimes called the cap. It's wonderfully marbled, very tender and supremely flavorful. If you don't like spinalis you don't like beef!:ROFLMAO:
3) A good New York is on par with about any steak you can get. But you're wise to pick one that doesn't contain an "scar" and that's well marbled.

4) A good T-bone is also sublime.

5) Your opinion of sirloin will likely change when you try a good one.
Click to expand...

Wow, you certainly know your cattle.

Very knowledgeable post. Thanks a lot!

Question: What is the "filet eye?" Is that the same as a filet mignon?
 
NAchef said:
I can't answer some of those questions but with my experience you need to find a place with the best quality, only taste will tell the difference.

Today I only buy steak for stirfry or those special dinners. When I do it is generally ribeye, Prime grade. I have bought the Prime ribeye at a number of places and there is a HUGE difference (at least in my area). Those prices seems VERY cheap to me, it seems as though NY or Ribeye (Choice grade) goes for about $8-10/lb, when I buy Prime grade it is $17/lb

Taste will vary GREATLY on the quality of the meat, so find different places in your area and see which has the best. I do most my grocery shopping at a local place but I never buy meat there, I have found a good place and will go out of my way for it.
Click to expand...

Thanks, all of my steaks have been mediocre Select or Ranchers Reserve.

I don't think any of the markets near me, even bother carrying Choice, let alone Prime.

Costco carries Prime grade, but it's way above my pay grade. I guess I'll have to return to burgers, once my steak excursion ends. :ROFLMAO:
 
Bolas De Fraile said:
Over here T Bone is about the same price as rib eye because of the inedible bone.
My take on steak is it must be hung for a min of 30 days, reared within 20 miles of the abattoir, if you cannot find or afford this don't buy cheap steak, buy a different cheaper cut like shin or skirt and cook it appropriately you cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Fillet if properly aged is full flavoured but lacks texture due to the fact it is a non working muscle.
Before PC arrived in the UK Fillet was known as a womans steak:ohmy:
Click to expand...

Why do you recommend skirt or shin? Are they softer? Yet cheaper? How does that work?
 
The cut, and my preferred steak, is the Porterhouse.

In answer to your question, yes, a filet Mignon and filet eye are the same thing.

The Porterhouse is kind of a composite steak coming from the point where the tenderloin and top loin meet. Basically an over-sized T-Bone steak the porterhouse is thicker cut and has much more of the tenderloin relative to the loin portion. If you remove the bone and cut out the two steaks that basically make up this steak you will get a tenderloin steak and a top loin (or New York Strip Steak). So if you are ordering a Porterhouse, I hope you're hungry.
 
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Midnight_Merlot said:
I happen to be a slave to a proper fillet of migon nowadays, but,...for dicucssion purposes, I simply die for the smaller side of a t-bone, &, lay "claim" to the bone as well...(those bits are 97% of the time undercooked...yums for me! )LOL
Sirloin, well, if you take proper care of it prior to cooking (meaning a good mirinade that consists of numerous different ways to get the cut to "break down" or ""soften" will help by leaps & bounds. Beer, brine, acidicity, carbonation, sugars, & salts just to name a few will help in breaking down a sirloins "beefy" texture.
As for a strip, well, I really don't ever buy nor cook them. I do know however, that, that particular cut has quite a following.
Myself, I am a ribeye gal all around. Sometimes even, I go w/a cheaper cut of chuck-eye. They both aim to please ME, &...I have thus far had around 95% satisfaction in my preferred cuts.
Steak is steak...just really kiinda boils down on how you cook it, &, what you have done to it before cooking has commenced. It's fun when you get it "right"!!, &,..I wish you gobs of luck! :)
Click to expand...

I've never brined anything. What kinda brine would you recommend for steak?

And how much will brining improve a top sirloin steak? Will it become as soft as a prime rib?
 
Selkie said:
The cut, and my preferred steak, between a rib-eye and a filet (yes, a filet Mignon and filiet eye are the same thing) is the Porterhouse. A Porterhouse is the best part of a rib-eye.
Click to expand...

Who with the what?

I'm sorta confused.

I read that the porter house is basically a t-bone with a bigger piece of tenderloin (filet eye).

But you're saying that the porterhouse is a subsection of the ribeye?

I wish we had classes at school that taught this stuff... memorize the geography of a cow, instead of the U.S. :ROFLMAO:
 
The tenderloin, which is the large center section of the rib-eye is also the larger section of a porterhouse (same muscle). the tenderloin on a t-bone is the smaller side, so what you get is more tenderloin from a porterhouse, with some marbling on the other side of the bone. Besides, I like the flavor the roasted bone gives to the rest of the steak, unlike a rib-eye.
 
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Your bad experience with steak is because you are buying a very cheap grade of beef. If you want to enjoy steak, maybe save up and buy better quality meat. I honestly have never seen steak for sale fir $2 pound in probably 20 years.

A TBone and Porterhouse are basically the same thing. A filet mignon on one side and a NY strip on the other side. Tbones usually have a bigger filet. They are good steaks, but for your purposes probably not worth the extra money if its low quality meat.

You can't brine beef and get the same results as you get with poultry or shrimp.

One idea would buy some round steak of a higher quality, marinate it, grill it to medium rare, and slice it thinly against the grain: London Broil.
 
Rush, with the quality, or lack thereof, of the cuts you are purchasing, your best bet is to treat them like chuck.;) Trying to compare the grades you are purchasing with prime grade or better is not worth discussing.

Craig
 
I buy cheap steaks to always have some in the freezer. Not as cheap as you, Rush, but pretty darn cheap for my area. It's so cheap there isn't even a grade stamped on it. A couple years ago I think I payed 2.99/lb for strip and last year 3.99/lb for ribeye. I buy the whole loin and cut them myself (although the grocery store offers free cutting). The trick is to buy one with the most marbling. If none of them look good, I wait until they set some new ones out. I would rather buy a cheap ribeye than an expensive sirloin, but that's my taste. My preference is for rare and that's how I cook them. They are always tender and juicy. Sometimes I will treat myself to a better grade from behind the counter. There is an appreciable difference, but since I like to eat steak a lot the cheaper grade suits me fine, as long as there is some decent marbling. Without that marbling you might as well grind it up into lean hamburger.
 
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