Is there a better meat than BBQ beefsteak? From ribeye to New York strips, the variety of steak cuts gives you endless grilling options. Learn everything you need to know about the different steaks and how to prepare them.
Steak is king when it comes to grilling, and it’s not hard to see why. Whether it’s a rare tenderloin or a tomahawk centerpiece, the focus is always on a high-quality steak.
So, where do you start when choosing your next piece of meat? In this meat guide, we show you the best steaks to throw on the grill this year. Let’s get into that.
Tomahawk
Is there a more iconic meat than the tomahawk steak? A beauty to behold, this centerpiece of meat offers much more than just a hunk of bone and presents an outstanding challenge for anyone looking to improve their grilling skills.
The tomahawk steak is a nice bone-in ribeye cut that gets its name from the large bone that protrudes from much of the meat removed from the cow’s ribs.
Most tomahawk steaks are at least two inches thick and the bone is about seven inches long. It looks amazing, especially when it’s cooked perfectly on the inside and has a charred crust on the outside.
Tomahawk steaks are French Cooked – a stage of meat preparation used for lamb, pork and beef ribs where the meat and fat are separated from the end of each bone. It’s a time-consuming process, but one that produces an elegant presentation.
How to cook
One of the best ways to cook tomahawk steaks is using the hybrid grill. This involves slowly smoking the meat to just below the desired doneness before searing it over high heat to finish it off. It’s best to use a charcoal or pellet smoker to do this, before putting it on a grill to sear. However, you can also do this by toasting it in the oven before grilling or pan frying.
Prepare the tomahawk with a simple blend of herbs and spices and a touch of butter. Smoke at 107°C(225°F) until internal temperature reaches 50°C(125°F) to achieve medium doneness. This usually takes 45-60 minutes but can take longer.
Transfer the steak to a preheated grill over high heat, turning every 2-3 minutes until the outside has developed the desired crust. Remove from the stove and let stand. Check out our full Upside Down Seared Tomahawk Steak recipe for more.
On the site
Flank steak is a nice, lean, chewy cut of steak with a rich, meaty flavor. Many people might opt for sirloin or strip as their grilled steak, but flank steak is far more versatile and flavorful.
The brisket comes from the cow’s lower abdomen, making it lean and rich in tough muscle fibers. This composition gives it a distinct intense taste.
Flank is one of the most reliable cuts of beef for making jerky . However, like roast beef, it is also slightly more expensive than round or keel, so the price can be a little surprising for newcomers.
How to cook
Cooking hot and fast is the best way to get the most out of the flank. It goes well conversely grilled or pan fried and is even prepared as a flank steak.
For a basic roast, you only need to fry on high heat for 5 minutes per side until you reach your desired doneness.
Smoke at 107°C(225°F) for reverse browning until the internal temperature is 50°C(120°F) for medium doneness. This should only take about 40 minutes but may take a little longer. Place on a preheated grill over high heat, turning every 2-3 minutes until crisp on the outside.
Skirt
Flank steak is a notoriously tough cut of meat that contains tough muscle fibers, making it difficult to cut and often difficult to chew.
While other steaks can be smoked or fried upside down, brisket is so chewy that it can only be enjoyed lightly or moderately. For this reason, it should be grilled or grilled over a higher heat.
It may be less tender than other steaks, but it’s that sturdy, sturdy construction that makes the brisket so unique. It’s packed with flavor, and while it can be served plain, it’s an ideal filling for sandwiches , fajitas, and barbecue tacos.
Flank steak comes from the primary beef dish and comes in two forms: “inside” flank and “outside” flank. The “inner” breast comes from the bottom of the ribs and is cut from the inside of the meat. It is more consistent in shape and texture, but may begin to shrink as it cooks.
The “outer” breast runs through the diaphragm muscle and the chest wall of the bovine, from the sixth to the twelfth rib. It tends to have better flavor, thickness, and texture than the inner brisket.
Whatever you choose, flank steak tends to be leaner than most other steaks, so it cooks much faster. It only needs to be grilled for two to three minutes on each side.
How to cook
Marinate the steak for at least an hour to tenderize it and break down its tough muscle fibers. Light your grill on high heat and with the grates directly over the fire. Pat the steak dry while it preheats(this helps with the Maillard reaction and gives us great flavor).
Grill for 2 to 3 minutes per side until streaks form and medium doneness is achieved. Remove from the heat and let rest for five minutes before serving.
Rib eye
The T-bone steak is another cut where the name gives a good indication of the shape. The T-bone steak IS cut from the short loin of the cow, but still includes a top loin strip and a loin section.
Both cuts are delicious and coveted on their own, but when they’re boned in with a small T-shaped piece on top, you have one of the most famous(and expensive) steaks to be served in restaurants.
Like the tomahawk, the T-Bone is another piece of steak with a bone: Not only does the bone help hold both sides of the cut together, it can help cook the meat by slowing the spread of heat, which is less likely to result in an overcooked steak to get.
In terms of taste, you get the best of both worlds with a ribeye: you have the meaty taste of the fillet on the one hand and the tender steak on the other.
How to cook
Cooking a ribeye to perfection might seem complicated, but it’s all about knowing how to cook the steak and where to put it on the heat.
Slowly smoked over low heat before searing at high temperatures, this Upside Down Seared T-Bone recipe is the perfect way to enjoy this premium cut of meat.
The slowest-cooking part of the steak is the strip side, particularly the part that sits in the curve of the bone at the base of the cut. This side should be placed over direct heat for searing and roasting, while the steak side should rest further away from direct heat.
Porter house steak
The porterhouse steak is cut from the short loin of the cow but so that it includes a top loin strip and a loin section… deja vu? That sounds exactly like a T-bone steak, doesn’t it?
Steak size is important
Speaking of cuts of meat, a porterhouse steak is exactly the same cut as a T-bone steak. It is a bone-in cut consisting of a fillet steak on one side and a fillet steak on the other side. The difference is that the T-bones are cut from the front of the short loin while the steak is cut from the back . This makes the porterhouse at least 1.25 inches wide while the T-bones are thinner.
To cook a porterhouse steak, the fillet should be at least 1.25 inches wide at its thickest point. Smaller than that, and it has the status of an equally delicious but slightly smaller T-Bone.
Tape
Tenderloin steaks are a rich, flavorful and tender cut thanks to good marbling and a cap of fat on one edge. Often referred to as the New York strip steak, this cut comes from the subprimal tenderloin and may sound familiar if you’re a fan of T-bone steak. The steak is the part that, along with the fillet, forms the center of a T-bone steak; The cut can sometimes be left as a bone-in steak and renamed a club or shell steak.
Tenderloin steak is a good middle ground for flavor and texture between meaty ribeye and buttery filet mignon. The degree of intramuscular marbling exhibited by a fillet steak helps keep it juicy when cooked and contributes to why it is one of the most expensive cuts of steak.
How to cook
Tenderloin steaks should be trimmed nicely, so probably not much prep is required before cooking other than patting with paper towel and seasoning with salt.
Tenderloin steak is ideally served medium rare, so cook it quickly over high heat. Sear and sear the fillet steak for a few minutes on each side and let rest before carving or serving.
Check out our New York Grilled Tenderloin Steak to see how it’s best enjoyed. With just a little spice and butter, this recipe lets this beautiful cut of beef do the talking.
Rib eye
Ribeye steak is a primitive cut of beef made from the upper part of the cow’s ribs. It has a large amount of marbled fat, which gives it its flavor and juiciness, and a layer of fat surrounding the “eye” that separates the two muscles that make up this cut of meat.
Ribeye is usually a boneless steak, but you can have it bone-in too. If the bone is left intact, it’s called a “rib steak.”
Two common forms of rib eye steak are the cowboy steak, a large rib eye steak with a cut French bone, and a tomahawk steak, a large steak with the bone standing out to resemble an ax handle.
The main things YOU look for when choosing a ribeye steak are good distribution of marbling and a good eye of fat separating both dying muscles. This “eye” gives the ribeye its distinctive beef taste.
How to cook
Ribeye steak tastes great when cooked on the grill, but due to the high fat content, no care needs to be taken about dripping fat sprouts onto open flames. One way to cook a ribeye steak is to use a skillet:
- Set your pan on high heat and let it get hot.
- Season your steak with a pinch of salt and place in the pan and cook for at least 5 minutes on each side(or until almost halfway through).
- Remove from the heat and wrap in aluminum foil with a knob of butter.
- Once it has rested for at least 10 minutes, it can be sliced and served.
Roast beef
We all know and love sirloin steak – it’s juicy, tasty and great for grilling. The actual part of the original roast beef that we use for roast beef steaks is known as the top roast beef, while the bottom roast beef IS USED to make cuts for ground beef, stews or roasts.
The roast beef is a lean, juicy cut with a moderately meaty flavor. It isn’t has a lot of fat marbling running through it. In order to achieve its optimal tenderness, it should be cooked to medium-hard doneness.
Sirloin steak is an excellent cut of meat for a ‘steak dinner’ – it goes well with a side of fries or vegetables and is often served as such in restaurants. Since it is a lean and relatively inexpensive piece of meat, it is also often used in stir-fries or as a topping for pasta dishes.
How to cook
The fillet is an ideal piece for grilling with a two-zone configuration. First, YOU want to sear the steaks on the hottest side of the grill for 1-2 minutes on each side. They can then be moved to the indirect heat side of the grill to finish cooking. One inch sirloin steak will take about 10 minutes to cook until medium rare, but as always, the best way to gauge doneness is with a meat thermometer.
Round steak
Round steak, also known as rump steak to our official and Australian readers , is a lean but flavorful cut that comes from the primary round part of the cow’s hindquarters. Because it’s considered a tough meat, it’s often used for “low and slow” cooking, like roasts and stews. It can be used for steaks, but they benefit from being tenderized or marinated before cooking.
Because the round steak comes from the cow’s hip and leg area(the muscle group that surrounds the femur bone), it’s a well-worked area that makes the cut leaner and less tender than others, but still has a good meat flavor. . It’s one of the cheapest cuts of meat and very versatile once you learn how to prepare and cook it.
How to cook
Round steaks can be eaten in a variety of ways and are a very versatile cut of meat. Because it is a lean cut, if you plan to use round steaks for grilling, it’s best to marinate them before cooking to tenderize the meat.
Care should also be taken not to overcook the rind on the grill – the rind’s grain is very firm and firm, so if overcooked the grain will shrink from moisture loss and can become tough. .
To grill a round beef steak, place it on the grill over medium-high heat, about 6 minutes per side. You only have to turn it once and it’s ready to eat when it reaches an internal temperature of 145℉. Once off the grill it can be sliced against the grain to create tasty round strips of steak.
Round Steak is an excellent piece for delicious low and slow cooking dishes such as roasts or stews. Round roast beef can be thinly sliced to make roast beef slices perfect for sandwiches or to serve as charcuterie. Cubed meat is great for stews or liquid-based dishes as it helps keep the meat moist.
Denver steak
Denver steak may not be a cut of meat you’re all too familiar with, having only been discovered and popularized in the last few years.
It’s a tasty and inexpensive cut that comes from the main part of the cow in an area that can best be described as the top of the shoulder.
Well I know what you’re thinking, over the shoulder? This is an area of the cow that is used a lot for walking and grazing; Will it surely be a harder and muscular cut full of connective tissue?
Well you wouldn’t go wrong! The staple feed is notoriously a tough area and one of the least valuable main cuts on a cow, BUT the Denver steak has been hiding in plain sight the whole time.
The Denver steak was discovered by Dale Woerner in the early 2000s. Dale was a meat scientist and professor at Colorado State University tasked with finding ways to make lower-value cuts of meat more attractive and valuable. Examining the hard chuck, he came across the serratus ventralis muscle, located in the primary chuck below the scapula. Because this muscle is located behind the shoulder blade, it doesn’t get much use, making it one of the most tender cuts of meat from this prehistoric man!
The Denver steak is cut from some of the cow’s most heavily marbled muscles, giving it a rich meat flavor. This marbling also gives it a deliciously tender texture(it was actually rated as the fourth tenderest cut of meat !) and it stays juicy as long as it’s cooked properly.
Because it’s a relatively new cut of meat, YOU probably won’t be able to find it in supermarkets and you might find a specialist butcher to buy it.
How to cook
Because the Denver steak is such a new cut, there isn’t much information out there on the different ways to cook it. Because it IS associated with the tough main dish it IS cut from, people often assume it needs to be cooked low and slow, but that’s not the case!
Following the advice of the man who discovered it, Denver’s incredible flavor should shine through and not be overcooked.
- Pat your Denver steak dry and season lightly with salt before placing on a very hot griddle.
- Cook over high heat until a crust forms, then turn the steak. Once the other side has also developed a crust, reduce the heat to medium and add a large amount of butter.
- Let the fillet sit in the butter for a few moments before removing from the heat and letting rest 3-4 minutes.
Denver steak is best served raw or medium and cut across the grain.
Fin steak
Beef steak is a type of steak that is usually tougher than others. It is cut under the cow’s belly and is best cooked in a slow cooker or in a pan over low heat. The tip of the beef fillet is a small piece of beef with a triangular shape, long grain and an immense and intense flavor. It makes an excellent piece for roasting and a steak for searing or grilling.
Rumpsteak
The beef sirloin steak is a cut of beef cut from the highest part of the animal’s back. It’s often overlooked because it’s leaner than other cuts of meat, but it’s quite tender and flavorful. It’s a tough cut of meat that lends itself well to being served in a variety of dishes. If you’re a beef fan but are looking for a cheaper cut, consider beef. The cut is tender and juicy, resulting in a delicious dish.
Crown meat
Hanger steak is not a cut that most in North America are familiar with. While it’s a long-time favorite in Europe, it’s only recently made its appearance in steakhouses in the US and Canada.
It’s a versatile cut with an intense flavor thanks to its unexpected marbling and the fact that it doesn’t work too much as a muscle. It is the primary area of the plate under the cow, “hanging” from midriff to belly and literally under the cow(hence the name!).
The sirloin steak is often thought of as the second tenderest cut of the cow(the fillet comes first). Its rich grain is similar to beef brisket, but Hanger’s intense meat flavor is closer to Ribeye’s.
Steakhouses often serve hanging steaks as an accompaniment to fries or vegetables, but in South America and Mexico they’re often found as strips of meat for tacos or fajitas.
How to cook
Hangsteaks can become tough if cooked incorrectly. While it’s high in marbled fat, it still saves from being marinated in something with an acidic component(such as a marinade made with vinegar or citrus juice) to tenderize and carry moisture to the meat before cooking. Hanger steak tastes best when served medium rare and cut across the grain.
It’s a “tall and dry” steak, so you should cook it on a very hot grill and only need 3-4 minutes per side.
To promote
The flat beef steak WILL be cut from the primary cut of the shoulder blade . It is a cut commonly used to make diced steaks or thinly sliced seared steaks. Known for their tenderness, these cuts of meat are a popular choice for cooking among a large number of people. Best known for being relatively plain and tender, beef steak is common in dishes like beef stroganoff. The primary lining cut is also known as the shoulder.
Sausage steak
Cube Beef Steak is a cut of beef that is usually cubed for easy cooking. It has a smaller surface area than a steak cut from the same cut of meat, making it easier to brown and cook. Beef cube steaks are typically categorized as Select, Choice, or Prime, with Prime being the most expensive. The diced steak is often seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic, and then fried with butter. The meat is usually tender and juicy with a nice meaty flavor. Steak is one of the most popular types of steak on the market today and is often served in smokehouses and restaurants.
Filet mignon
You know you have an expensive cut of meat when it has a fancy French name, but believe it or not, “mignon” literally means “sweet” or “small”.
Filet mignon is a cut of the tenderloin muscle(a name used interchangeably with this cut). The loin is a muscle that the cow doesn’t use for grazing or running, so it stays nice and tender, making this one of the tastiest and most expensive cuts of steak.
Filet mignon is a thin-grain steak with no connective tissue and very little marbled fat. Because of this, it has a tender, buttery texture rather than a meaty flavor. The lack of marbled fat means it can dry out if overcooked. Combine that with its milder flavor and you’ll often see filet mignon cooked with strips of bacon wrapped in it to add a bit of pizzazz and help retain moisture.
A well-done filet mignon is a sensational cut, so it is not often used as part of a dish, it is the dish.
The only real exception to this is its use in Beef Wellington.
Tow to cook
Very little preparation is required for a filet mignon as the cut will be stripped of any surrounding fat. All you need is a little salt and pepper and wrap it in bacon if you’re making it ahead.
The key to properly cooking a fillet steak is temperature. They are best served medium or medium cooked(any more than that and you may lose tenderness).
To cook a filet mignon on the grill:
- Heat over direct medium heat, close lid and cook 3 minutes.
- Open the girl, turn the steak 90 degrees(to get the characteristic diamond grill marks) and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- The fillets turn and on the other side the same procedure.
- Once the internal temperature has reached 125-130°F, the steak can be removed and left to rest for 5 minutes. This should result in medium to medium rare.
London Broil
London Broil is a general term for various cuts of beef based on the rump, which is tougher and has more connective tissue. A London barbecue is traditionally prepared with beef that IS cut from the chuck, a piece of meat from the shoulder. It is usually sliced and served plain and in a bowl. This dish is at the wheel in the United States, but can also be found in many other countries.
Writer & content creator. BBQ fanatic!
