Many people order steak while dining out for special occasions and celebrations. However, you don’t have to go to a restaurant to enjoy a wonderful meal of juicy beef—you can cook it in your own kitchen. To get the most delicious results, you’ll need to know which cut to choose and how best to cook it. Here’s a guide to get you started.  

5 Common Steak Cuts and How to Cook Them

1. Tenderloin

Known by other names like filet mignon, fillet, and tender steak, it is boneless and comes from a cow’s short loin and sirloin under the ribs. This cut doesn’t have much fat but is tender enough to have a buttery texture. Cook it however you want—pan-roast, grill, or sear until brown and then finish with gentle heat in the oven.

2. New York Strip

It goes by monikers like NY strip, Kansas City steak, and club steak, but it’s from the same part of the cow—short loin behind the ribs. This cut is boneless and more in the middle in terms of texture and taste, with less marbling and tenderness. Like tenderloin, you can pan-sear, grill, or broil a strip steak, but avoid overcooking leaner meats.

3. Porterhouse

This cut is simply a NY strip and tenderloin separated by a T-shaped bone, a cross-section of the short loin. Sometimes called a T-bone, it is slightly different because of its tenderloin portion—it should be 1.25 inches wide to be classified as Porterhouse. Since you’re getting two steaks in one, expose the tenderloin to less heat to prevent overcooking when grilling or broiling.  

4. Rib-Eye

A prized cut from the upper ribcage, the rib-eye can be boneless or bone-in. Known as Delmonico, Spencer, cowboy, or tomahawk, it is abundant in fat—marbling within the meat and edging the cut with a white cap. It is beefy and juicy, thanks to its high fat content. That’s why you can grill, pan-sear, or broil it past medium without being too chewy.

5. Flank Steak

Cut from below the loin and sirloin and along the abdomen, the flank steak has plenty of long fibers without much fat. Since it is lean, it can be tough to chew if prepared incorrectly. It’s best to cook it at a quick high heat to prevent overcooking. You can also marinate it, roll and stuff, or use it as filling for fajitas and sandwiches.

For premium quality steak cuts, look no further than Arrowhead Beef. This small farm in Chipley, FL, is among the few that raise and process grass-fed beef for consumers nationwide. They carry Wagyu beef, bone broth, roasts, and ground beef—perfect for your special meals. Call (850) 270-8804 to order, and view their full range of meats online.