Meat Education beef steak guide
BLADE STEAK
Blade steak is sliced from the bolar blade located on the beef forequarter. The blade is a versatile primal that consists of many muscles that contain connective tissue that requires low and slow cooking methods to break down the fibres. Blade steak is suitable for a variety of cooking methods including stir fry and dice as well as braising or roasting as a whole piece.
CHUCK STEAK
Chuck steak is sliced from the whole chuck located on the beef forequarter lying underneath the blade. Chuck consists of many different muscles and connective tissue that requires a low and slow cooking method to break it down to produce a tender juicy gelatinous braise.
FLANK STEAK
The beef flank is a thin, coarse grained abdominal muscle with very little fat. Seasoned well and cooked quickly on the grill, this steak has a great beefy flavour and texture.
FLAT IRON
The flat iron steak is produced by seaming the whole oyster blade - it is one of the muscles located within the whole blade, once seamed, the flat iron steak offers excellent flavour and tenderness and suits a grill, bbq and stir fry.
HANGER STEAK
There is only one hanging tender (thick skirt) in the beef carcase. It is attached to the inside of the backbone at the thin end of the tenderloin and the diaphragm. This muscle has a ribbon of gristle running through the centre, once this is removed these pieces of beef offer an original beefy flavour and suit a grill or pan fry.
OYSTER BLADE STEAK
The Oyster blade steak is sliced from the whole oyster blade (intact) and suits many cooking methods including roasting whole, grill, bbq or braised. It offers excellent flavour and tenderness when cooked correctly.
RIB EYE ON THE BONE
The rib eye on the bone is cut from the standing rib roast. This tender juicy piece of beef is actually the scotch fillet on the bone and suits roasting whole, grill, pan fry and bbq.
RUMP CAP
The rump cap is a very popular roast in Brazil where it is known as Picanha. This juicy piece of beef has excellent flavour and is suitable to roast whole, grill, bbq, pan fry, stir fry and thin slice.
RUMP EYE CENTRE CUT
The rump eye centre cut is sliced from the centre muscle of the whole rump. A versatile flavoursome cut that suits grilling, bbq, stir fry, thin slice, braising and roasting in the whole piece.
RUMP MEDALLION
Rump Eye side muscle or Rump Medallion is a tenderloin sized rump sub primal that can sit on fine dining and hotel menus. This tender and juicy little steak can roast whole, bbq, pan fry, grill, thin slice, stir fry.
RUMP STEAK
The rump consists of four different muscles that have a great mix of texture and flavour. This popular multipurpose cut suits roasting whole, pan fry, grill, bbq, stir fry, thin slice and braising.
SCOTCH FILLET
The scotch fillet is located between the striploin and the eye of chuck. This muscle has some intramuscular fat that lends this steak a great juicy flavour. Scotch fillet is suitable for roasting whole, pan fry, bbq, stir fry or thin slice.
SKIRT STEAK
There are several skirts located throughout the beef carcase (including inside and outside skirt), all offering great flavours and tenderness. These popular steaks suits a variety of cuisines in particular Mexican, Spanish and Asian. Easy to cook on the grill or bbq.
STRIPLOIN
The striploin (sirloin) is located along the back on the outside of the carcase, connecting between the cube roll and rump. The striploin is the larger muscle on the T-bone steak. Roast whole, grill, pan fry, stir fry or bbq this steak is known for its versatility in many dishes.
T-BONE STEAK
The T-bone is the muscle located along the outside of the backbone of the carcase and incorporates the tenderloin that is located on the inside of the back bone. The T-bone must consist of the two muscles (striploin and tenderloin) that are separated by a thin piece of bone. This cut is suitable for bbq, pan fry, grill or roasting whole.
TENDERLOIN
This tender cut of beef is located on the inside of the backbone and is the smaller muscle on the T-bone steak. Tender and juicy, this steak can be eaten raw in beef tartar or carpaccio and is a very popular steak for pan fry, grilling, roasting whole, stir fry or thin sliced.
TOMAHAWK
The Tomahawk steak is a larger version of the rib eye on the bone where the short ribs have been kept intact. Generally cut from larger beasts and leaving approximately a 30cm rib bone, this steak is perfect for 2 - 6 people depending on its size. The tomahawk is best seared then roasted or cooked in a broiler to maintain juiciness and flavour.
TRI TIP
The Tri tip steak is a largely unknown cut in Australia but is hugely popular in California and other parts of the USA. This coarse grained triangular muscle is removed from the whole rump and is suitable for roasting, grilling, pan fry, bbq and slow cooking.
