Buying Tips for Steak

Lesson

No matter where you buy your steak, either from a butcher (which we highly recommend if you can) or the grocery store, the best tips we can give you are to know which cut you want, and to choose each piece of meat carefully.

Types of cuts

For grillin’, we recommend cuts like ribeyes, t-bones, and Porterhouse steaks, which have more flavor and moisture. We also recommend buying steaks with the bone in, because it adds a lot of flavor to the meat.

Fillets and tenderloin cut steaks (filet mignon, chateaubriand, and tournedos) are the most tender cuts, but they don’t have as much flavor as other cuts. Tender steaks also don’t marinate as well, because the acids in most marinades can turn tender cuts mushy if they are marinated too long.

Chuck, flank, and round steaks are heavier, tougher cuts, and do well with marinating. They are best cooked on the indirect side of the grill, with low temperatures and for a longer period of time.

The best, most tender cuts (and also the priciest) are Prime grade steaks. Most supermarkets sell Choice or Select grades.

Another premium option: dry aged steaks. This type of meat is hung in a cooler where it dries and can shrink a bit, resulting in tender, flavorful meat.

What to look for when buying meat

No matter which cut you choose, there are several things you should look for.

• Look for meat that is bright red, has no grayish or brown patches, and is firm to the touch.
• Make sure there are no holes in the plastic covering, and no accumulation of juices (called purge by butchers) in the package.
• Look for meat with some fat content. Fat (also called marbling) makes the meat moist, helps tenderize it naturally, and adds a huge amount of flavor. Fat in a steak should be creamy white and in thin veins all over the meat.