The Steak Guide

Ok, am I the only one who shows people where certain beef cuts come from rather than explain?

While I could give you the cut by cut break-down of muscles and its parts, I'll save you the boring anatomy class and use a much more interesting and visual approach.

After all thats how I learned. Growing up around the Butcher House, I will never forget a poster hanging in the meat room.

A photo of a pretty lady with different primal cuts drawn on her body.

While I admit it was a sexy picture to entertain the guys, as a young girl I found it both beautiful and relatable.

I mean we basically have the same parts as any four legged animal. So whenever someone asks, "Hey where does Flat Iron come from?" I hit the upper part of my back behind my arm and say, "Chuck!"

For me, my brothers and cousins growing up around the slaughterhouse it was all very simple and common sense. This image has stuck with me my entire life, and thanks to the internet we were able to find it.

So here you go, I'm sure this image will now stick with you too :)

CHUCK
This steak is flavorful local favorite with generous juicy marbling. Enjoy cut as a steak (shown in photo) or in a thicker "Roast" cut, for a delicious pot roast.

This steak is the perfect pau hana steak for after a long day of work.

Enjoy this steak with good friends gathering around the grill talking story.

This steak will satisfy your cravings and you won’t mind the extra chew for its big, beefy, juicy flavor.

FLAT IRON
If Filet Mignon is your jam and we are all sold out, Try the FLAT IRON.

The Flat Iron is the second most tender cut, next to the filet Mignon. It's a lean thin cut of muscle that is super tender and delicious.

Season with Hawaiian Salt and pepper, throw it on a grill. The thin steak will puff up when it's cooked. Then add some chimichurri sauce.. Omg!

SPENCER
Moving to the end of the Chuck and Into the rib, you will find the Spencer.

If you love our Boned-In Ribeye, kick it up a notch and try the Spencer. Unlike the center cut of the Ribeye steak or the big Delmonico, the Spencer is French cut from the front end of the rib primal. It is the most marbled of the ribeye steaks so it's full of juicy flavor.

I love it for it's beautiful shape, and it is easy to prepare and cook!

Early on when I started selling beef, I noticed how some of my regular customers would dig though the weeks choices of Rib-Eye Steaks. When I asked, "What are you looking for?" They explained how they looked for this particular part of the Rib-eye.

Since it was so popular and that I can only cut 2-3 Spencer Steaks per Rib, I decided it deserved its own name. Spencer!

RIB-EYE
Bone In Ribeye, the gentlemen's cut.

You will savor the flavor. The ribeye is a crowd favorite with intense marbling and rich flavor. This cut of meat is delicious! It’s tender, juicy, and very flavorful, with the perfect balance of fat.

The Cut: Rib-eye steaks, one of the most common and best types of steak, come from the beef rib primal cut.

TOMAHAWK
The Tomahawk steak is essentially a ribeye steak with a longer rib bone left intact. This gives the steak its unique look, resembling a Native American tomahawk axe (hence the name).

The extra-long, french trimmed bone utilizes the same culinary technique that shapes a rack of lamb.

"Frenching" means trimming the bone of meat and fat to the point that it looks like a handle.

DELMONICO
Reserve the Delmonico when you want something special for yourself or for a special occasion. This is an impressive big bone-in ribeye steak with the cap on. Whether you’re looking to make a lasting impression serving those special people in your life or simply to treat yourself, our prime rib steaks are truly a cut above.

3, 4, and 5 bone-in prime rib roast are available upon request. We recommend reserving your beef early because these go quick! Our bone-in ribeye steak with the cap on, also known as the big end of the ribeye. This is a fantastic prime rib steak ranges in weight from 1-2 pounds. It consists of high-quality meat with plenty of marbling!


(Moving on down to the LOIN...)

T-BONE
The T-bone steak consists of both the filet mignon and the strip steak! The filet mignon side is super tender and has a subtle flavor. The strip side is bold and full of beefy flavor! Why choose between one or the other when you can have both!

The Cut: Consisting of two of the most prized cuts of beef, the short loin, and the tenderloin, T-bone steaks are generally considered amongst the highest quality steaks. These subprimals are carved from the center of the animal where there is less activity. This means both sides are delicious, tender cuts of beef.

PORTERHOUSE
Return to glamour, the best of both worlds 1/2 Filet Mignon and 1/2 New York strip steak. Great for when you can’t decide between one or the other.

The Cut: Porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin. They include a bigger portion of filet mignon (compared to the T-bone steak), along with a large strip steak (New York Strip Steak) on the other side of the bone.

If you remove the bone and cut out the two steaks that make up this cut, you get a Filet Mignon and a New York Strip.

FILET MIGNON
Perfect for lavish entertaining or indulging your health-conscious tenderloin loving family!

The filet mignon is an elegant steak with a fork-tender texture and mild flavor. It’s the steak that you choose for special occasions. A steak that’s designed to impress.

THE CUT: The filet mignon is cut from the tenderloin, which is part of the loin primal. The tenderloin itself runs through the short loin (which also includes the strip) and the sirloin (which includes the top sirloin) sections of the loin primal. This highly-prized cut of beef only represents 2-3% of the total animal. That’s why it’s so rare, and why it tends to be more expensive than other steaks.

NEW YORK
A steakhouse and our families favorite with a light texture and a strong beefy flavor.

The Cut: Our Boned-In New York Strip Steak is a cut from the short loin. It is hugely popular and my husband's favorite!

In the steak world it is also known as the Kansas City Strip Steak, Contre Filet, Sirloin Steak, or Strip Loin Steak.

PICANHA
Something new for the grill.

It is the most prized cut of beef in Brazil but is relatively unknown to most. Try our beef sirloin cap, called Culotte in France and Picanha in Brazil.

Grill it over medium heat, then slice it. The Cut: Picanha is a cut of beef that comes from the rump cap muscle located on the top of the Round.

TOP SIRLOIN
The finest top sirloins you’ll have the pleasure of tasting. Perfect for large gatherings, or a fast family kid-friendly meal.

This is the filet of sirloin and is naturally lean, boneless, and incredibly tasty. We hand carve these steaks into tender baseball cuts.

The Cut: This cut is a naturally lean steak, the sirloin is cut from the primal loin or subprimal sirloin. This is an area that gets more exercise which is why the sirloin tends to be lean. The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak, the top sirloin is the most prized of them.

TRI TIP
This meat lover’s cut is ultra-thick, nicely marbled, and strongly flavored.

Our Tri-tip is an extremely popular cut, reserve yours today! Since it’s a lean cut of meat, the Tri-tip cut benefits from quick cooking methods such as grilling, broiling, and pan-searing.

The Cut: Tri-tip is taken from the bottom sirloin subprimal cut, it comes from a triangular muscle with plenty of flavors. A boneless steak, Tri-tip is generally around 1-inch thick and is lean and tender, with a reasonable amount of marbling.

TOP ROUND
Sometimes called London Broil. Yeah, I know what your thinking...Too tough.

Well, not ours.. Thanks to the way we care for our animals and using our unique Dry-aging technique. Grinding this into ground beef would be a waste!

Try this steak for a quick pan fry meal.

Now for the abs or stomach muscles..
FLAP
The Flap Steak is a family favorite and is often the butcher’s secret cut of beef (because we like to keep it for ourselves).

It is similar to flank steak or skirt steak because it’s best marinated and cooked on high, dry heat.

When prepared the Flap Steak has a delicious meaty flavor and fine texture. Marinate it or grill it with simple ingredients. Stir-fry with broccoli or make an amazing beef stew. This cut comes from a bottom sirloin butt-cut of beef and is generally a very thin cut of meat.

SKIRT
Skirt steak is taken from the plate of the beef. Prized for its flavor over its tenderness, it is a long and flat piece of meat. This is one of the most flavorful steaks despite it being a tougher cut, it’s fantastic when grilled.

The Cut: This cut is the trimmed, boneless part of the cattle’s diaphragm muscle on the underside of the short plate.

HANGER
Attached to the skirt steak is the Hanger steak. I believe it is called the hanger because it is a piece of muscle that actually hangs off the skirt muscle.

The Cut: There is only one Hanger per carcass, making it super special.

FLANK
This lean piece of meat is flavorful while containing little to zero fat! Our flank steak is a long, flat cut that can be used in a ton of dishes (like fajitas!)

It’s tasty and tender when marinated and is great grilled over high heat or slow-braised.

This cut is from the abdominal muscles or lower chest, which means it’s an economic cut. It’s generally long and thin. Flank is often cooked whole instead of dividing into smaller steaks.

Well, there you go. That about wraps up the different cuts of Steak we process each week. Thank you for reading - Please share with your friends.

Check out our complete list of cuts on our BUTCHER SHOP page.