You’ll wish you had known these steak science secrets sooner.

Most home cooks would argue that baking is more scientific than cooking if you were to ask them. After all, anyone who has ever watched a baking disaster knows that, frequently, the cause of the disasters can be traced back to a little, scientific aspect of the procedure. Perhaps you added insufficient leavening agent, or perhaps the issue was much more trivial—perhaps the eggs weren’t the proper temperature when you added them.

However, cooking, though more forgiving than baking, comes with its own science, too. Take steak, for example. Everyone has their own personal take on what makes a good steak, whether that be the level of doneness, cut, or cooking method. Whatever the opinion, though, it all comes down to science. A multitude of factors influence how a steak cooks and then tastes, on a scientific level. Starting with biology, how a cow is raised and its lifestyle will impact your final dining experience. Then, after the cow is turned into steak, you get into chemistry and how the steak changes due to environmental factors. Eventually, when it’s time to cook, you get into thermodynamics. Sounds a little complicated? Don’t worry; understanding the secrets of steak science is easier than you might think. Here’s what you need to know.

A great steak starts with the cow
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While it might not always be pleasant to think about, your steak started as a cow which had a life before it made its way to your plate. How that cow lived its life directly impacts what your steak tastes like and its texture. If a cow pasture grazes its entire life, then its body will naturally contain more omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have a gamey flavor. According to Murdoch University, how active the cow is (and how old it is) will impact texture, as active muscles build up collagen which is tough to chew. Additionally, added hormones also result in tougher meat, because hormones affect muscle development. When you eat a steak, you’re eating that muscle.

All of the above said, though, if you really want to control your steak’s flavor and texture starting with the life of the cow, you’ll have to do some extra legwork to really find out how the cow lived. According to Max Greb, also known as Max the Meat Guy on social media, where he covers all things cooking with meat, “Beware of labels like ‘grass fed,’ as grocery stores often fail to disclose the full truth. The cow may have been ‘grass-fed’ for some of its life, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it was grass fed the entirety of its life. Always ask the butcher (or check the label) to make sure the steak is 100% grass-fed and grass-finished.”

There is such a thing as a too-fresh steak
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If you’re a true crime fan, then you know what “rigor mortis” is. However, just like rigor mortis affects a deceased human, it also affects that cow you’re going to eat. Because of this, there is such a thing as a “too-fresh” steak. While, when it comes to most food, fresher is better (who doesn’t love a summer tomato eaten minutes after it was picked from the vine?), that’s not the case with beef cattle.

According to a professor at Murdoch University, just as is the case in humans, about 24 hours after a cow is butchered, rigor mortis occurs. Put very, very simply, rigor mortis is a chemical change in a muscle that stiffens that muscle. A stiff muscle is a tough muscle and not one that’s exactly great to eat. It takes a minimum of five days for this stiffening effect to begin to wane.

Picking a good steak is about more than just marbling
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You’ve probably heard the very basic advice regarding picking up a good steak in the grocery store. You’re supposed to look for a steak with lots of marbling. More marbling equals a good steak. However, it’s a bit more complex than that. Picking a good steak is about more than just marbling. It’s about acids and fats, too, and marbling covers both of these.

Marbling is technically fat, as Max Greb told us. He explained that marbling is “the flecks of white intramuscular fat within the steak itself. More marbling equals more flavor and juiciness.” Additionally, as Smithsonian Magazine pointed out, some steaks with more marbling also have more acid content, like oleic acid, which is often connected to desirable flavors. A steak with more oleic acid might be a cut that’s considered more flavorful, like a ribeye. How much acid, fat, and marbling a steak contains can be traced back to, again, how the cow was raised and lived.

The Maillard reaction is a chemical process that impacts flavor
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If you know even one thing about steak science, you probably know about the Maillard reaction. If not, though, Max Greb explained, “If you’ve ever tasted a steak with a nice char, you know how important that crispy crust is for flavor. This caramelization is achieved through something called the ‘Maillard reaction’ which only starts to occur past 300 [degrees Fahrenheit]. This is why steamed food can never develop a flavorful ‘crust.'”

The Maillard reaction occurs when amino acids and sugars undergo a chemical reaction when they reach a certain temperature. The reaction produces new molecules that are directly responsible for the charred, caramelized flavor that you can enjoy on not only steak, but also on any food that you can brown. It’s why a vegetable roasted in the oven tastes a whole lot better than a vegetable boiled in water on the stovetop.

Aging and marinating serve the same function
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If you’re preparing a steak at home, you might choose to marinate it for a few hours or overnight before cooking. The idea is to create a more flavorful, more tender cut of meat. However, you’re likely not going to do any steak aging at home. That sounds a little more complicated, and it might be best left to the pros. That’s why you see aged steaks in high-end steakhouses. That said, from a purely scientific standpoint, aging and marinating aren’t that different. They serve the same function.

Both marinating and aging call upon chemical processes to tenderize a cut of meat. The processes just differ slightly. In aging, over a short period of time, enzymes, fats, and bacteria begin to change within the meat, breaking down collagen and muscle, which makes for a more tender steak. Marinating does the same work in a shorter time period, using acids. Rather than let the steak do its own thing over several weeks, when you marinate a steak, you add in some extra helpers, like vinegar or fruit juice, to speed up the collagen and muscle breakdown.

You might not need to let your steaks come to room temperature
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Yet another piece of advice that you’ll hear again and again from well-meaning home cooks? Let your thawed steak sit out on the counter until it comes to room temperature before cooking it. However, some experts say this step is unnecessary. Max Greb said, “[Whether or not to let your steaks come to room temperature] is probably the most controversial steak question there is. While many chefs swear by this, I believe it is not necessary. I’ve run several tests, going as far as cooking steaks that were still completely frozen, with very minimal difference in results. The bottom line is, it doesn’t hurt, but likely won’t make a noticeable difference.”

One case study, produced by engineer Wei Wang, found that if you take a steak with 75% water content at an average refrigerated temperature while using a typical gas burner, while also noting the heat capacity of both beef and water, all of that data can predict that you can cook a steak from refrigerated to finished (or to an internal temperature of 60 degrees Celsius, or 140 degrees Fahrenheit, so medium rare) in 12 minutes. Cooking another steak from room temp to the same degree of doneness only takes 10 minutes. In other words, you can get the same results from both methods, cooking at room temperature or straight from the fridge, with only a two-minute difference in cooking time.

Temperature impacts your steak’s appearance
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Beyond how science impacts your steak’s flavor and texture, though, it also impacts how your steak appears, which is a matter that differs in importance depending on who you ask. However, if you want a steak that’s the same color, all the way through, with no weird lines on the inside, Max Greb explains how to make it happen: by using the reverse searing technique.

He said, “This works particularly well for thicker steaks. Start by slowly letting your steak come up to your target internal temperature in a low-temp oven, smoker, or grill (about 250 degrees Fahrenheit). If using a grill, create a ‘hot zone’ and a ‘cool zone.’ To do this, only turn on the burners on one side on a gas grill [or] pour your hot coals on only one side of [a] charcoal grill. Once the steak reaches its target doneness…let it rest for about 10 minutes, then sear [it] over extremely high heat on a grill or cast iron. By cooking with low heat to start, the steak will have a perfect, edge-to-edge pink interior and you will avoid the dreaded ‘gray band.'”

The cooking process doesn’t end when you take the steaks off the heat
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While you might be able to skip letting your steak rest on the countertop before you cook it, there is a time when you might want to let it rest otherwise — after it’s finished cooking. This is due to something called “carryover cooking” and it’s something you need to pay attention to. This ensures that you don’t overcook your steak and that you have the juiciest steak possible. 

When you remove a steak from the grill or turn off the burner, it’s not like it magically cools to room temperature instantly. It’s still holding on to all that heat, so, until that heat dissipates, the steak continues to cook; because of this, you’ll want to remove it from heat slightly before the steak’s doneness and let it continue to do its thing as it rests. Additionally, while it rests, your steak will also be redistributing its juices. During the cooking process, the water content within the steak pools near the steak’s exterior. As the steak cools, that moisture redistributes, for a juicy interior all the way through. So, how long should you let the steak rest? Max Greb advised, “Let thin steaks rest on the cutting board for about 5–7 minutes before slicing, and thicker steaks 10–15 minutes. Resting cooked steaks allows the flavorful juices to redistribute back into the meat, instead of being wasted on the cutting board.”

Carryover cooking depends on environmental factors
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While you can rely on carryover cooking to always occur, when cooking really anything (unless you’re blanching an ingredient, which means boiling it and then placing it in icy water in order to stop the cooking quickly), carryover cooking is not an exact science. Environmental factors impact how and to what degree carryover cooking occurs.

As the aforementioned case study explains, a range of factors will influence how much the internal temperature of your steak rises during carryover cooking, as you allow it to rest. These factors can include the cut of steak, the temperature in the room, the humidity in the room, and airflow. According to ThermoWorks, additional factors that can influence carryover cooking include your food’s thermal mass (or its heat capacity), the steak’s shape, and surface area. ThermoWorks estimates that on average, carryover cooking raises the internal temperature of your steak by between 3 and 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Oxidation isn’t a bad thing, even though it’s not pretty
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Have you ever avoided a steak in the grocery store because it had a little gray-brown tint to it? You may have assumed the steak had gone bad. After all, shouldn’t raw steaks be bright red? The truth is, you may have passed up a perfectly good steak. That odd hue was mostly likely caused by oxidation and it’s nothing to worry about. According to Max Greb, “Don’t be afraid of oxidation. Sometimes meat turns slightly grayish. This is only due to the meat being exposed to oxygen. Often, you will find perfectly good steaks at a huge discount due to this discoloration, which has zero impact on taste.”

The United States Department of Agriculture agrees, noting that beef stored in a refrigerator or similar environment may experience oxidation. However, if you have beef that’s been in extended storage, like in the freezer, vacuum packed, and it turns brown, that could be a sign of spoilage.

The higher the steak’s fat content, the easier it is to cook
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If you’re a newer home cook or just getting your footing around the grill, you may be looking for a steak that’s particularly easy to cook. If so, Max Greb said to reach for a steak with a high fat content. He explained, “The fattier the cut, the easier and more foolproof to cook. Let’s compare a ribeye, which is rich and fatty, to a filet mignon which is extremely lean. A ribeye tastes great medium rare, but even if you overcook it, the marbling will really help prevent the meat from drying out. On the other hand, a filet mignon is amazing when cooked to rare or medium rare, but if you overcook it by even 30 seconds, it will quickly dry out, and your $30 per pound steak will turn into shoe leather.”

Greb also added that there are other great steak cuts if filet or ribeye are too expensive. He suggested, “Steaks like flat iron, Denver, outside skirt steak, hangar, and flap steak are all underrated [and a] great value, and quite foolproof as well.”

A steak’s muscle fibers and water content impacts when it’s best to flip it
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There’s a fine line you have to walk when it comes to flipping your steak and that line is created by your steak’s muscle fibers and water content, as well as the Maillard reaction. On one hand, you don’t want to only flip it once, Max Greb said. You don’t want to flip it too late in the game, either.

Greb noted, “There is a myth that steaks should ‘only be flipped once.’ Flipping frequently allows even contact with the heat source and significantly more even cooking. However, it’s important to only start flipping once the crust has started to set. Immediately flipping a steak can make the seasoning start to fall off. A good rule of thumb is to let the steak sear for two minutes on both sides, then start flipping every 30 seconds.” Home cooks should flip steaks about a third of the way while cooking because the muscle fibers contract and push the water content around the steak as it heats up. Flipping the steak a third of the way into the process (rather than halfway) ensures that the water content doesn’t pool on one side of the steak, thus cooling it and requiring a longer cooking time.

Level of doneness isn’t just personal preference
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Some swear that a rarer steak simply tastes better and that a well-done steak has no flavor at all. In contrast, some say that a well-done steak is superior and that anything that bleeds has no place on their plate. Whatever your preferences, though, they’re due to science.

A rare steak hasn’t been heated through enough for the fatty acids to break down. As those fatty acids break down while cooking, they create some of the characteristic steak flavors. Once you begin heating the steak a little bit longer, more flavors are produced. However, heat a steak longer than that and some of those flavors dissipate, as compounds break down and emerge. While you likely want to cook your steak long enough that the Maillard reaction takes effect, once that reaction runs its course, burning begins. So, depending on how you order your steak, it could indicate that you prefer the flavors of certain beef compounds.

A seared steak isn’t a sealed steak
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Another common misconception regarding cooking steaks? If you’ve seared a steak, you’ve essentially sealed it, preventing any moisture from leaking out, at least until you pierce the steak’s exterior. However, this isn’t the case. Rather, it’s more likely that you just think you’ve sealed the steak by searing because you’re cooking the steak at such a high temperature that any moisture that leaks out is sizzling and evaporating quickly.

As The Exploratorium covered, when you examine a raw versus seared steak under a microscope, it’s clear that moisture can pass through the steak’s exterior just as easily after the steak’s been seared as it can when the steak is raw. When you listen to a steak sizzle, that’s water coming out of the steak and immediately evaporating. When you remove the steak from the heat and put it on a plate, that liquid will then pool on the plate, whether or not the steak is seared. This is because the high heat has been removed, and there’s nothing to make the liquid evaporate. So, don’t worry about searing a steak in order to seal in the juices. Instead, just rely on searing for flavor.

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Cuts Of Steak, Ranked Worst To Best
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BY Mashed Staff/JULY 24, 2020 1:41 PM EST
Pretty much everyone loves a good steak. After all — unless you’re vegetarian or vegan — there’s nothing quite like a nice cut of beef, grilled or fried nicely with a little bit of seasoning, and served with a nice batch of fries or potatoes. Sounds great, right? The problem is, however, that there is such a thing as a bad steak.

In fact, the rift in quality between a great steak and a bad steak is perhaps greater than any other food; just as the best can make your day, so too can the worst totally ruin it. And there are plenty of mistakes to make when cooking up a steak, of course: you might overcook or undercook it, you might cut into it too soon, or, of course, you might start things off with the wrong cut of beef. There are so many different cuts that can be cooked as steaks, and — let’s just say — some are better than others. These are some of the most famous cuts of steak, ranked from the very worst to the very best.

13. Round steak
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    It’s probably important to point out that few cuts of steak are genuinely nasty. Some are better than others, sure, but most have some kind of purpose and there aren’t many that you ought to genuinely avoid at any cost.

Then again, there is the beef round. It’s a large primal cut of the cow, mainly coming from its rear leg and rump. It’s made up of three parts — the top, the tip, and the bottom. Let’s start with the top round. It’s basically the most tender part of the round, though that’s not saying much, and tends to be extremely tough and lean. This cut of beef is fantastic for roast beef or a slow cooker pot roast recipe your family will beg for. As a steak, however, it’s next to useless. It’s way, way too tough, and is lean enough to make it basically devoid of flavor.

The tip isn’t much better. Otherwise known as sirloin tip, this lean, boneless cut might do you a good kabob or stew, but the connective tissue in there means that, unless you braise it, it’s going to turn out all chewy and gross.

Finally, there’s the bottom round — which includes the eye of round, a cut of meat The Splendid Table once called “one of the few unredeemable cuts of meat.” Nigh-on tasteless, tougher than John Wick and absolutely not worth your money, no matter how cheap it comes. Avoid.

12. Skirt steak
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    Skirt steak comes from the part of the cow known as the plate, which is essentially the muscle that you find inside the chest and below the ribs. Although you can get two different kinds of skirt, inside and outside, they’re not that different from each other; and you’re most likely to come across inside steak at the grocery store, since the outside is far more difficult to get hold of.

Skirt does have one or two things going for it. Mainly, the fact that it’s genuinely quite flavorful — although, like the round, it’s still best cut into thin slices than served as a full steak. This is because it’s a very tough, muscle-heavy cut, meaning overcooking by just the slightest amount is going to make you very unhappy. If you really must cook skirt steak, keep it rare or medium rare at the very most.

Frustratingly, although they’re fine to pan-fry, the long shape of the skirt makes it unwieldy to prepare and season, and a total nightmare to fit into all the but the largest pans. For many, skirt steak just isn’t worth the fuss. That said, you may find that this simple 3-ingredient steak marinade is all you need to elevate the cut of meat.

11. Flank steak
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    Like skirt steak, the flank cut of beef comes from the underside of the cow — this time a little further back, right behind the plate. It’s actually very similar to skirt steak too, with each having their own advantages and neither really being much better or worse than the other. The main difference is that, while skirt steak is a flavorful, tough steak, flank steak is a slightly less tough, yet also more flavorful cut of beef. That’s not saying much, however, and flank steak does still tend to be tougher than many other cuts.

Again, you’re generally not going to want to cook flank as a steak at all unless you intend to serve it as thin slices, but they do at least marinade nicely. As ever, remember to cut against the grain or you’re in for a whole world of pain.

All things considered, there’s not a lot more to be said for this one. We can’t really tell you which to go for if you’ve got a choice between flank steak or skirt steak — it probably depends on whether you prize taste over tenderness, or vice versa; but there’s really not a whole lot of difference between the two. Either way, you’re probably better off with something else.

10. Bottom sirloin
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    The sirloin is one of the most famous cuts of beef, but it’s actually generally divided up into three smaller cuts: the top sirloin, the bottom sirloin, and the rear part of the tenderloin. These different parts vary wildly in general quality, tenderness, and flavor. By and large, the bottom sirloin is the inferior cut of the three.

The sirloin is the hip of the cow, with the bottom sirloin being taken from the upper hip section. Now, the bottom sirloin is actually great for roasting, but it’s generally not great for turning into steaks, unless — like the flank or skirt — you fancy slicing it up and marinating it. Even then, it’s going to be a little too chewy, especially compared to the meat from the top sirloin. Equally, certain parts of the bottom sirloin, such as the tri-tip, ball-tip, or flap steak, will do well for dishes such as kebab or stew.

Use it purely for a steak, however, and the bottom sirloin is likely to prove tough, chewy, and chunky. Bottom line: it’s probably not going to be the worst steak you’ll ever eat, but it definitely won’t be the best, either.

9. Strip steak
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   Otherwise known as the New York strip, the ambassador steak, the strip loin steak, the Kansas City strip, the club steak, the Omaha steak, or whatever other name you care to give it, the strip steak is a cut of meat that comes from the short loin, which is located in the top-center of the cow’s body, just in front of the sirloin. Put more simply, the strip cut is what remains once you take the tenderloin away from the short loin. Serve them together, and you’ve got a T-bone or Porterhouse steak — which we’ll come on to in good time.

Now, if you’re after a middle ground between tender and tough, the strip steak is probably the steak for you. It’s got a little chew to it, without being a nightmare to eat. It’s also great for flavor and moisture, thanks to the marbling you’ll find across the breadth of the cut. Sadly, however, this marbling does mean strip steak can be a little on the pricey side, and it’s debatable whether that extra cost is really worth it, especially compared to some of the other (arguably superior) expensive cuts out there.

For the record, you can sometimes find bone-in strip steaks (think of it like a T-bone without the tenderloin) which are otherwise known as shell steaks or club steaks, and these versions pack some extra flavor. Always worth considering, but again, expect to pay a little more for the privilege.

8. Vacio or bavette steak
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   One of the steaks you might not have heard of is the vacio steak, an extremely popular steak in Argentina (but it’s available here too). The vacio is a primal cut of the flank, but it’s actually quite different from a flank steak. In the cow, the vacio hangs beneath the loin and is bolstered by the cow’s belly, which encases the meat in layers of fat. It’s always slow-grilled whole, then sliced, and the well-marbled meat is tender and very flavorful. The crispy belly fat is almost as cherished as the steak itself.

In France, the vacio steak is called the bavette d’aloyau. It’s the exact same cut, but as you might expect, it’s cooked in the French way. The bavette is cut into individual steaks and is either marinated and grilled or pan-fried in butter (naturally!) and served with a shallot sauce and French fries. So, the next time you’re sipping wine in a bistro on the Champs-Élysées, and see steak-frites (steak and fries) on the menu, order it, and enjoy a steak that’s loved on two continents.

7. Top sirloin
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   Now we come to the other part of the sirloin, and by far the better choice for steak fans. The top sirloin comes from — you guessed it — the upper portion of the sirloin butt, and is usually presented in the form of a tender, boneless steak. Now, while it may not be the most tender cut of beef, especially compared to some of the pricier cuts, it’s not too tough at all and careful cooking can prevent it from becoming too chewy.

The great thing here is that top sirloin is hugely flavorful, and often marbled nicely. It’s also fairly lean, making it a little healthier than its rival cuts. But the best thing top sirloin has going for it is that it’s great value for money. You’re unlikely to have to shell out as much cash as you would for a good ribeye or T-bone, for example, but you’re going to get a much better steak than cheaper options such as the round or bottom sirloin. It’s also versatile, being as suitable to a Stroganoff or a kebab as it is a steak. If you’re cooking on a budget, this is probably one of the best options you could choose.

6. T-bone steak
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   A T-bone steak is cut from the short loin on a steer, and contains both a strip of top loin (i.e. a strip steak) and a nice big slab of tenderloin. And what you’ve got here is a great combination of the texture and flavor of those two cuts, in one impressively-sized chunk of beef. The strip steak has got all the flavor, and the tenderloin has got that amazing, tender feel to it. With the T-bone, you get to experience both at once. The last big positive of the T-bone, if you’re the kind of person who gets a kick out of this (and who isn’t?) is that T-bone steaks are always the ones you see in cartoons. And they always look so good.

There are two downsides to T-bone steaks, though. The first is that they’re usually crazy expensive, partly because they combine two prized cuts of beef, and partly because they seem to have become so popular in high-end restaurants. The other is that they lack some of the versatility of tenderloin alone, which can be used in a number of different ways. They’re not huge negatives, however, and if you’re hankering for a good old fashioned hunk of steak — a real steak lover’s steak, you know? — then you can probably do no better.

5. Flat iron steak
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   Also known as butler’s steak or boneless top chuck steak, flat iron steak is a relatively modern cut of beef as far as butchering techniques go. According to Kansas City Steaks, flat iron steak comes from the shoulder region or “top blade” section of a cow. The meat is full of rich juicy marbling and is incredibly tender but for years had been considered unusable because of a very tough sinew that typically runs through that region of the animal.

Omaha Steaks has reported that researchers at the University of Nebraska and the University of Florida actually set out on a scientific study to figure out how to best make use of the piece of meat, ultimately determining that if you sliced the meat off at either side of that tough sinew, you’d be left with an intensely flavorful and highly affordable cut that was ideal for grilling, broiling, or pan-frying. And they were right!

Many chefs consider the flavor and texture of flat iron steaks similar to more popular and pricy cuts like filet mignon. By definition, they’re inherently smaller pieces of meat so you may not want flat iron for a Sunday feast. But for an affordable, week-night dinner they’re ideal whether you’re eating them whole and fresh from the grill or cast-iron skillet or slicing thinly for a stir-fry or fajita. Because of the ample marbling, most experts recommend cooking flat iron steaks to medium-rare and seasoning liberally with coarse sea salt and fresh black pepper.

4. Porterhouse steak
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   Okay, maybe you can do a little better. To all but the most discerning eye, the porterhouse steak is pretty much the exact same cut of steak as the T-bone steak. The main difference is that the porterhouse steak is thicker and contains more of the tenderloin cut than you’ll find in a T-bone steak. And the U.S. Government actually takes this quite seriously: according to the Department of Agriculture, the tenderloin filet has to measure at least 1.25 inches from the bone to the edge, or it’s not a porterhouse at all.

So why does the porterhouse steak come out ahead on this list, compared to the T-bone steak? Well, for just one reason: it’s bigger. That may sound ridiculous, but this is steak we’re talking about here. Bigger is better. Sorry, we don’t make the rules. That’s just how it works. There’s a reason people call it the “King of T-bones,” you know.

3. Hanger steak
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   Hanger steak isn’t the most popular cut of beef out there. You certainly won’t find it up on the fancy steakhouse menus with filet mignon, ribeye or porterhouse. But the truth is that this type of steak is criminally underrated.

The hanger steak is cut from the short plate, on the underside of the cow, and is a neighbor of sorts to the skirt steak. And it’s got plenty going for it, too: it’s absolutely chock-full of flavor, and, because the muscle it comes from does little work, it’s incredibly tender, too. Hanger is also extremely easy to cook, and takes barely any effort to prepare compared to some of the other lesser-known cuts of beef. It’s usually pretty cheap, too, because so few people seek it out. In fact, hanger steak was actually once known as “butcher’s steak,” because butchers used to keep it for themselves. It is getting more popular, however, and more expensive as a result.

The only problem, really, is that hanger steak is kind of difficult to get hold of. This is because only one cut of hanger can be taken from each animal, so it’s difficult to produce on a widespread basis. As chef Jon Elwood tells Myrecipes.com: “For a grocery store to sell ten hanger steaks, they would need to buy ten cows. This would not only take up a disproportionate amount of storage space, but it would also require having to sell thousands of pounds of beef just to secure ten hanger steaks.”

2. Tenderloin steak
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   Ah, tenderloin. Now we’re in the big leagues. The tenderloin is a muscle that comes from the spine to the ribs of the cow and because of the nature of the muscle it derives from, contains very little connective tissue. The result is an incredibly tender cut of beef that acts as a source to some of the finest steaks in the world.

Take filet mignon, for example. This steak is cut from the end of the tenderloin, and is quite rightly regarded as some of the best meat you’ll find on a cow. It’s tender beyond all belief, and though it lacks a little in flavor compared to its other expensive brethren, it’s suitable for all kinds of cooking and pairs beautifully with flavor enhancing extras such as bacon.

Of course, you might argue that, because a T-bone or porterhouse steak contains tenderloin and some strip steak on the side, those cuts are superior to this. But the fact is that, unencumbered by its strip companion, the tenderloin becomes incredibly versatile. For example, tenderloin is the cut of beef used in the preparation of steak tartare, thanks to its lack of gristle or toughness. It can also be used to make carpaccio, a delicious Italian appetizer dish. Or, of course, you could fry it up with a little butter and have it as a good ol’ steak. Either way, you’re in for something special.

1. Ribeye steak
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   And now, the best of them all: Ribeye steak. This cut of beef is taken from the rib of the cow (of course) and is easily one of the most prized and sought-after varieties of steak out there.

All you need to do to gauge the quality of ribeye is take a gander at that marbling. These cuts are practically covered in it, and the flavor itself is, naturally, just as impressive. All that extra fat imbues the ribeye with an incredible amount of beefy flavor, making for one of the tastiest cuts on the cow. It also helps that they’re usually extremely juicy, wonderfully soft, and exactly as tender as you could ever want your steak to be. Unlike tenderloin cuts such as filet mignon, you’ve also got size on your side, as the ribeye steak should easily fill the belly of even the most ravenous steak-lover.

It’s also worth mentioning that one of the most prized types of beef in the world is a ribeye cut: Kobe. This kind of beef is ribeye cut from the Tajima strain of cattle that are raised in Hyōgo, in Japan. Real Kobe (remember, what is sold to you as “Wagyu” beef or even “Kobe” might not necessarily be Kobe) is the perfect encapsulation of all that is right with the ribeye cut; as tender as it is tasty. Ribeye steak is just the best there is — period.

Read More: https://www.mashed.com/230024/cuts-of-steak-ranked-worst-to-best