How to Pick the Perfect Steak

How to Pick the Perfect Steak

We've all got a favorite cut of steak, be it rib-eye or tenderloin, T-bone or New York strip. But how do you pick the best steak of them all?

The love language in my family is meat. If it’s a holiday, prime rib. If it’s a casual get together, ribs. If it’s a more intimate birthday at home, a semi-special occasion, or — honestly — just a Tuesday, steak. (Nevermind that my daughter recently declared herself a vegetarian).

For the longest time, I left the domain of steak to my husband. He’d fire up the coals, get the barbecue to temp, and magically coax out a perfect medium-rare rib-eye, with some crispy singed bits. My favorite. But that meant waiting until the weekend for steak because he gets home so late during the week.

And then ... One day, my hankering for a steak was so intense, I decided I would do it myself. I would forgo grilling — lighting coals is not a skill I ever plan to develop — and lean into a straightforward Martha Stewart recipe that changed everything for me: pan-seared steak. I heated a ridged pan and slipped a hefty pat of butter beneath each well-seasoned steak. Then, 4 to 6 minutes on one side, 3 to 4 on the other, until the steak felt like the pad of my thumb. Then I let it rest. A perfect, juicy steak — no marinade or coals in sight.

I won’t lie, it’s a rather messy process, filled with smoke and splatters and a pain to clean up. But, for weeknight steak, absolutely worth it.

As I cooked more steak more often, I started to pay better attention. And here are a few things I’ve learned about buying steaks.

(Mind you, personal preference is everything. My favorite steak might not be your favorite steak — and that’s why the world is a wonderful place.)

Know your steak cuts

I am a rib-eye girl, through and through. My mom prefers a New York strip. My husband? Filet mignon. If I’m cooking for a crowd, though, it’s skirt steak or tri-tip — both are full of flavor and relatively inexpensive. (Though I don’t necessarily think of either as steak.)

Broadly speaking, anything called “chuck” or “round” is going to be tougher and leaner ... and less delicious. Those are the hard-working muscles near the shoulder and butt! Those cuts beg for a marinade in order to stay tender — and I don’t think of these for grilled, broiled, or pan-seared steak dinner.

Instead, I go for tender cuts from the loin or rib. Top loin steaks are better known as strip steaks — i.e. New York strip or shell steak. Tenderloin is better known as filet mignon. T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are the best of both worlds — top loin and tenderloin, together, with a big, beautiful bone at the heart. And then there's my beloved rib-eye, which you can buy either bone-in or boneless. I’m good with both.

Other names you might see on menus or at the meat counter are bavette (a.k.a. flank steak) and onglet (a.k.a. hanger steak). Tasty, less traditionally steak-y steaks include skirt steak and tri-tip. Other perfectly okay (but not my favorite) cuts include top sirloin and flat-iron. Choose according to your budget, your taste, and whatever looks the best at the butcher shop when you get there.

Size matters

I seek out 1 ½ to 2-inch steaks. Thinner steaks are harder to cook to a perfect medium rare.

Read the label

The USDA has a pretty straightforward grading system for beef: Prime, Choice, or Select. High-end Prime steaks are arguably the highest-quality, and therefore the best, most expensive, and hardest to find. (Only 1 to 2 % of steaks on the market are labeled as Prime). USDA Choice cuts have less marbling than Prime cuts, but are still very good. Select is the leanest, and therefore toughest, with the least marbling. (Sensing a theme here? It’s all about marbling).

Some other words it pays to know:

  • Angus. Most steaks in the U.S. are from Angus beef, whether or not they’re labeled as such. “Certified Angus” is more or less a guarantee that the steak will be pretty decent.
  • Wagyu. Super-marbled, expensive beef from Japan.
  • Kobe. A type of wagyu beef that’s even more marbled. Not to be confused with Kobe-style beef, which is raised in the U.S.
  • Organic. USDA Certified Organic Beef is raised on organic feed, without hormones or antibiotics. This is a pretty stringent, legally-defined term.
  • Grass-fed. To be grass-fed, the cow must have eaten only grass for its entire life. But some “grass-fed” cows are grain-finished. “Grass-finished” has more meaning, as a label. And grass-fed doesn’t necessarily mean organic.
  • Natural. Or “natural” — emphasis on the quotation marks — if we are being honest. This label is frustratingly vague, since, by USDA definition, all meat is technically natural (unless it is enhanced). But USDA-labeled “Naturally Raised Beef” is raised without hormones and antibiotics.
  • Enhanced. There are additives.

You’ll see many different variations of these terms and other nonsensical marketing ploys. I try to stay somewhat skeptical when it comes to labels, and instead to buy from markets and websites that I generally trust.

Use what you’ve got

If your meat doesn’t have a USDA label, you have to use your best judgment — which is to say, your senses. Look for ample marbling and meat that is firm and cool to the touch. Beautiful, cherry red meat is obviously a draw, but off-color doesn’t always mean it’s bad, per se. Most importantly, it shouldn’t smell anything other than meaty.

Befriend a butcher

I love experts of all kinds, but I revere butchers. A good local butcher can guide you to new-to-you cuts, full of beefy flavor and perhaps a little easier on the wallet; or, on the other end of the spectrum, a surprising and decadent cut of beef for a special occasion. They know what on earth you do with a chateaubriand (including how to spell it!). A good butcher will let you know what’s good this week, and give you a hint about what’s coming in, too.

The three steaks I always serve

Once you've picked up your favorite cut of meat, it's time to get cooking! Try one of these personal favorites, or check out the roundup at the end for a wide variety of steaks.

Perfect Rib Eye Steak

Perfect Rib Eye Steak

Most of the time I stick with salt, pepper and a clove of garlic — and I’m more than happy. But for those times you want to kick it up a notch, this version from Kevin Is Cooking, with its DIY Montreal Steak Seasoning and compound butter, is delish.

Pan-Seared Strip Steak

Pan-Seared Strip Steak

You’ll master your butter-basting skills with this strip steak recipe, from MyRecipes.

Perfect Filet Mignon for Two

Perfect Filet Mignon for Two

Tenderloin is a tender but less fatty cut, which will appeal to anyone who is watching calories, perhaps. This is about as straightforward as it gets for filet mignon. The trick to perfect steak every time? A meat thermometer.

A steak for every taste

Want even more recipes? Here are some of the most popular steak recipes on Yummly for a variety of cuts.

Skirt Steak Recipes

Balsamic Marinated Skirt Steak RecipeBalsamic Marinated Skirt Steak Recipeskirt steak, Dijon mustard, ground black pepper, low sodium soy sauce and 4 more
Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese RecipeSkirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese RecipeDijon mustard, skirt steak, worcestershire sauce, chives, honey and 7 more
Garlic Butter Brazilian Steak RecipeGarlic Butter Brazilian Steak Recipeskirt steak, minced garlic, chopped parsley, salt, unsalted butter and 2 more

Sirloin Steak Recipes

Delicious Steak Marinade RecipeDelicious Steak Marinade Recipegarlic powder, dried basil, lemon juice, olive oil, dried parsley flakes and 5 more
Garlic Butter Steak Bites RecipeGarlic Butter Steak Bites Recipepepper, sirloin steak, red pepper flakes, butter, salt, garlic and 2 more
Sheet Pan Steak and Veggies RecipeSheet Pan Steak and Veggies Recipetop sirloin steak, freshly ground black pepper, kosher salt, garlic and 4 more

New York Strip Steak Recipes

Broiled New York Steak RecipeBroiled New York Steak Recipeolive oil, mustard, new york strip steaks, seasoning salt, ground pepper and 2 more
One Pan Steak and Veggies with Garlic Herb Butter RecipeOne Pan Steak and Veggies with Garlic Herb Butter Recipefresh thyme leaves, cremini mushrooms, unsalted butter, shallot and 7 more
Pan Seared Steak with Garlic Butter Sauce RecipePan Seared Steak with Garlic Butter Sauce Recipeunsalted butter, fresh thyme, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and 3 more

Filet Mignon Recipes

Garlic Rosemary Filet Mignon RecipeGarlic Rosemary Filet Mignon Recipekosher salt, fresh rosemary, garlic powder, garlic, kansas city steak and 2 more
Steak Au Poivre RecipeSteak Au Poivre Recipeunsalted butter, olive oil, whole peppercorns, kosher salt, cognac and 2 more

T-Bone Steak Recipes

Pro
Bistecca Alla Fiorentina RecipeBistecca Alla Fiorentina Recipe
extra-virgin olive oil, baby arugula, sea salt, extra-virgin olive oil and 5 more
Butter-Basted, Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Steaks RecipeButter-Basted, Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Steaks Recipesliced shallots, bone, kosher salt, vegetable oil, unsalted butter and 2 more
T-Bone Steaks with Hotel Butter RecipeT-Bone Steaks with Hotel Butter Recipesalted butter, steaks, butter, steaks, pepper, pepper, paprika and 6 more

Porterhouse Steak Recipes

Grilled Porterhouse Steak Sicilian Style with Marinated Cherry Tomatoes & Kalamata Olives RecipeGrilled Porterhouse Steak Sicilian Style with Marinated Cherry Tomatoes & Kalamata Olives Recipecherry tomatoes, olive oil, olive oil, lemon, kosher salt, fresh thyme and 20 more
Spice-Roasted Porterhouse Steaks RecipeSpice-Roasted Porterhouse Steaks Recipeporterhouse steaks, olive oil, coriander spice mix
Grilled T-Bone Steak with Garlic Herb Butter RecipeGrilled T-Bone Steak with Garlic Herb Butter Recipekosher salt, minced garlic, lemon zest, butter, chopped fresh thyme and 3 more

Flank Steak Recipes

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak RecipeGrilled Marinated Flank Steak Recipeolive oil, flank steak, ground black pepper, honey, red wine vinegar and 2 more
Slow Cooker Mongolian Beef RecipeSlow Cooker Mongolian Beef Recipegreen onions, olive oil, brown sugar, garlic, soy sauce, cornstarch and 3 more
Lemon-Garlic-Marinated Flank Steak RecipeLemon-Garlic-Marinated Flank Steak Recipekosher salt, garlic cloves, extra-virgin olive oil, dried oregano and 3 more

Rib-eye Steak Recipes

Salt and Pepper Rib Eye Steak RecipeSalt and Pepper Rib Eye Steak Recipeblack peppercorns, kosher salt, bone-in ribeye steak, coarse sea salt and 1 more
Korean Steak RecipeKorean Steak Recipehoisin sauce, coca-cola, toasted sesame oil, scallions, soy sauce and 2 more
Steak with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce RecipeSteak with Garlic Parmesan Cream Sauce Recipeunsalted butter, beef broth, all purpose flour, freshly ground black pepper and 12 more

Tri-tip Recipes

Tri-Tip in the Oven RecipeTri-Tip in the Oven Recipeseasoning salt, tri tip, olive oil
Santa Maria Style Tri Tip RecipeSanta Maria Style Tri Tip Recipesage, cayenne, rosemary, ground black pepper, dried oregano, garlic powder and 3 more
Tequila Marinated Tri-Tip W/ Avocado Cream Sauce RecipeTequila Marinated Tri-Tip W/ Avocado Cream Sauce Recipepepper, salt, black ground pepper, garlic cloves, fresh cilantro and 15 more

Flat Iron Steak Recipes

Keto Low Carb Mongolian Beef RecipeKeto Low Carb Mongolian Beef Recipeflat iron steak, green onions, garlic, coconut aminos, coconut oil and 1 more
Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce RecipeGrilled Flat Iron Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipeolive oil, cilantro leaves, flat leaf parsley leaves, red wine vinegar and 6 more
Flat Iron Steak with Maple Bourbon Espresso Sauce + Pasture to Plate Tour RecipeFlat Iron Steak with Maple Bourbon Espresso Sauce + Pasture to Plate Tour Recipeoil, flat iron steak, reduced sodium soy sauce, sliced mushrooms and 10 more