Steaks...

[HumbleHomeCook]

So I have a nice little local butcher shop I like. It's a satellite shop of their main store so a little more limited but still a decent selection. Every time I pop in I seem to grab an Angus ribeye. I look at the other cuts and the Wagyu but I always seem to just go with the my safe play. Part of it is price for sure. These aren't cheap steaks so when I splurge, I kinda want to just get what I know will be excellent. To be honest, we haven't had a lot of upper quality "other" cuts. Sure we've had t-bones and strips and whatnot but not really of this caliber.

I know it might seem like a silly question but I'm genuinely curious what you all think. Should I branch out on the cuts or at ~$30/lb am I making the smart choice and sticking with the ribeyes? They are very good by the way, no arguing that.

 

[nhb22]

This is all about personal preference. Like knives, you kinda have to spend a bit and try everything you can before you can establish your preference. I personally do not like wagyu much. I have tried it in many places in Japan including Kobe. I only like it when it is super thin sliced and cooked in a hot pot (shabu shabu). I dislike American or Australian wagyu even more. I LOVE the angus prime I can get from FreshDirect in New York. No idea where they source it from, but it is always better than regular USDA prime from places like Costco. I like dry aged bone in ribeye. If there is a great local shop that would do dry age, it is probably worth a try. Most of Whole Foods do dry age, but it is never that good imo (not sure why). My sweet spot is Costco prime grade ribeye. I buy the whole package and slice it myself using my beloved 285mm Heiji suji and then vacuum seal each steak and freeze. Not as good as boutique shops (prime grade is definitely not all same), but only cost something like $15/lbs (not cheap, but not expensive for prime grade).

 

[Just a DK]

 

[jakuda]

Hanger steaks were all the rage in the early 2000s.
I also have a soft spot for Flat Irons. Often times I prefer them over a ny strip bc they have great flavor by themselves.
Also portion sizes for hangers and flat irons can be smaller which works well for my kid.

 

[rickbern]

Hanger steaks were all the rage in the early 2000s.
I also have a soft spot for Flat Irons. Often times I prefer them over a ny strip bc they have great flavor by themselves.
Also portion sizes for hangers and flat irons can be smaller which works well for my kid.

Hanger steaks are still great!

Denver steaks are also good, often bargains. I find them called zabuton when from wagyu I love them sliced thin after cooking

https://www.crowdcow.com/steaks/denver-steak#

Also, @HumbleHomeCook , using butchers that you can develop a relationship with is so key to getting good quality. If there’s anyone there that knows what they’re doing, ask the butcher for their advice. I’ve never gone wrong trying that approach.

 

[SwampDonkey]

I've been on a picanha tear for past several years. I really just love the flavor and texture of the meat. You get that delicious fat cap while also a leaner, tender cut in the middle that you can cook more rare than a ribeye since you don't have to worry about rendering all that internal fat. Best of both worlds IMO, takes particularly well to charcoal. You can slice it in to steaks or smoke it whole and it comes out like prime rib.

It's getting more expensive since the gawtdayum instagram grill bros have discovered the cut and its growing in popularity, but by that same token it's more available. The local Brazilian community had trained my Publix to package/carry it long before it blew up but now I'm seeing it across the US. If you can nab it prime from a proper butcher it's most joy-per-dollar IMO

 

[panda]

wagyu skirt steak is worth it. any other cut waste of money if you ask me. I'll take a grass fed prime ribeye anyday...

some.butcher cuts to try:
teres major
Flatiron
coulotte
if you ever see ribeye "cap" that is def worthwhile

 

[dhruan]

Ribeye, or entrecote as it is called here in the eurozone, is the thing for me. I like buying it as a larger chunk instead of precut steaks because... I like thick steaks and I can not lie.

Also, I am very mindful of the ratios of the muscles in the ribeye, as in, a cut that has a bigger percentage of spinalis (the ribeye cap), is by far more important than marbling/amount of fat (after a certain point). It is by far the beefiest, tastiest, and most tender part of the ribeye (IMHO it is the best cut of beef overall). I wish it were offered here in Finland as is, but nope...

The way the steak is cooked also plays a huge part. There is always the stove-top and pan frying steaks but I much prefer to grill mine on the balcony on this grill attachment doodad for an Iwatani portable gas stove. It works great and keeps the smoke and grease outside of the apartment.

Also, as the rendered fat from the steaks hits the hot central pan in the grill attachment it flames up, giving the steak awesome flavor. It must also be fun for the neighbors across the street, seeing the at times foot-high flames shoot out... Fortunately, no one has called the fire department in (yet).

But yeah, I've fed ribeyes grilled like that to my friends multiple times and the verdict has been unanimous, those steaks are consistently among the best steaks they have ever had (and they know good meat/food). IDK, it is much easier, in a way, to keep tabs on how the meat is grilling on that than on a frying pan that is just a flat evenly heated surface. The center part of a ribeye is more sensitive to heat and overcooking than spinalis so playing around with the steak with the different temperature zones on the grill attachment can help the end result be more evenly cooked (as in, nothing being overcooked, medium-rare max).

 

[OkayMode]

I also tend to play it safe with a ribeye when spending a lot, but I’ve been trying to branch out.

I quite like a Denver steak, and hangar steaks are my go-to for carne asada and a lot of dishes requiring a degree of marinading.

My local butcher got a new Wagyu supplier last year and had flat irons for sale at a crazy deal - they were stunning but you really do only need 200/250g as they are so rich.

Horses for courses, but I think tomahawk/T-bone/Porterhouse are a bit gimmicky and not worth it.

I would love to try picanha but haven’t gotten around to it yet.

Going back to rib-eye, I would recommend trying ex-dairy if you can get it. They’re older cows than the standard for steaks and have a funkier (and imo deeper) flavour. It can almost be a bit too much if they’re also dry-aged for too long though.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

wagyu skirt steak is worth it. any other cut waste of money if you ask me. I'll take a grass fed prime ribeye anyday...

some.butcher cuts to try:
teres major
Flatiron
coulotte
if you ever see ribeye "cap" that is def worthwhile

Glad I'm not alone. I've tried Wagyu and didn't enjoy it nearly as much as a good Angus (or similar prime).

 

[cooktocut]

I think wagyu is worth a try if you’ve never had it, but I’d recommend from experience to smoke the steak for at least 45 mins to an hour if you’re able to. I usually do it on the lowest temp I can do on my smoker so it doesn’t cook the steak much, then I finish in sous vide. The smoke does a really good job of balancing the richness of all that fat, so good that if I eat wagyu without it I almost don’t like it.

 

[MarcelNL]

Ribeye, or entrecote as it is called here in the eurozone, is the thing for me. I like buying it as a larger chunk instead of precut steaks because... I like thick steaks and I can not lie.

Also, I am very mindful of the ratios of the muscles in the ribeye, as in, a cut that has a bigger percentage of spinalis (the ribeye cap), is by far more important than marbling/amount of fat (after a certain point). It is by far the beefiest, tastiest, and most tender part of the ribeye (IMHO it is the best cut of beef overall). I wish it were offered here in Finland as is, but nope...

The way the steak is cooked also plays a huge part. There is always the stove-top and pan frying steaks but I much prefer to grill mine on the balcony on this grill attachment doodad for an Iwatani portable gas stove. It works great and keeps the smoke and grease outside of the apartment.

Also, as the rendered fat from the steaks hits the hot central pan in the grill attachment it flames up, giving the steak awesome flavor. It must also be fun for the neighbors across the street, seeing the at times foot-high flames shoot out... Fortunately, no one has called the fire department in (yet).

But yeah, I've fed ribeyes grilled like that to my friends multiple times and the verdict has been unanimous, those steaks are consistently among the best steaks they have ever had (and they know good meat/food). IDK, it is much easier, in a way, to keep tabs on how the meat is grilling on that than on a frying pan that is just a flat evenly heated surface. The center part of a ribeye is more sensitive to heat and overcooking than spinalis so playing around with the steak with the different temperature zones on the grill attachment can help the end result be more evenly cooked (as in, nothing being overcooked, medium-rare max).

those are my favorite too, where I live butchers have a weird tendency to slice this sirt of beef FAR too thin which IMHO is a waste of meat. I always buy it off the whole piece asking for like 5-6 cm thickness. I like to sous vide them and the sear off on th BBQ using Weber or Coconut coal that gets hotter.

 

[Jovidah]

All I can say is... try hanger steak.
It is IMO the best most flavorful cut on the cow, and even from a mediocre cow it's still awesome. It's also shockingly affordable.
Just make sure to slice it thin before serving... it's not really something you throw a on a plate as a big hunk since it's not the most tender cut. Also you want to stick to medium rare, it'll get tough if you overdo it.

Flat iron steak can also be a good deal if you buy the whole muscle group as a whole and do the work yourself.

You could also try grass vs grainfed. Personally I think grainfed is overrated. Yes the marbling looks prettier but the taste is better on grassfed IMO.

I don't really care for ribeye... it's a rather expensive cut that's IMO annoying to cook; it forces you to go higher in temp than I'd want to because otherwise the fat won't render.

 

[Jovidah]

Also I second the recommendation for teres major (had to google it, didn't know that name). It's sold as 'diamanthaas' here... probably the more politically correct alternative for what it used to be called 'Jodenhaas' (jew loin)... because it's essentially the most tender cut on the front legs. Definitly a really nice piece, that over here is normally surprisingly cheap.

 

[MarcelNL]

sssssst do not say that out loud!

same thing happened to Bavette....and Picanha....the BBQ crowd messes up prices real quick

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

sssssst do not say that out loud!

same thing happened to Bavette....and Picanha....the BBQ crowd messes up prices real quick

We used to eat beef tongue and "ox" tail because they were basically throwaway. Now they're some kind of delicacy.

 

[VincenteFox]

Ribeyes and strips are the safe plays. A filet is if you want something tender, but you have to do more work on the flavor front. For other grilling cuts, I'd consider a skirt or flank, as I think they're excellent, or a picanha. Lots of different great cuts of beef, and great ways to cook them, but those are my favorites fairly basic ones without leaving the general realm of steak.

 

[HolyDiverScallop]

Flank, Hanger, Flat Iron, Bavette.

All of those are delicious. My all time favorite steak is a flank marinated in Adolph's and cooked over charcoal.

 

[Jovidah]

Bavette was alright when it was cheap, but it's nothing special. For some reason it became popular last couple of years and now it's just overpriced.
One of my butchers liked to make fun of the fact that he used to just throw it in with the scraps for minced meat in the past when no one cared for it.
Please don't let the hipsters discover hanger steak. Luckily it's somewhat protected by the fact that it's a bit more work to clean up and make it pan-ready.

 

[M1k3]

sssssst do not say that out loud!

same thing happened to Bavette....and Picanha....the BBQ crowd messes up prices real quick

We used to eat beef tongue and "ox" tail because they were basically throwaway. Now they're some kind of delicacy.

And the bones used to be dirt cheap. But now that "Bone broth" is a thing, not anymore

 

[DitmasPork]

So I have a nice little local butcher shop I like. It's a satellite shop of their main store so a little more limited but still a decent selection. Every time I pop in I seem to grab an Angus ribeye. I look at the other cuts and the Wagyu but I always seem to just go with the my safe play. Part of it is price for sure. These aren't cheap steaks so when I splurge, I kinda want to just get what I know will be excellent. To be honest, we haven't had a lot of upper quality "other" cuts. Sure we've had t-bones and strips and whatnot but not really of this caliber.

I know it might seem like a silly question but I'm genuinely curious what you all think. Should I branch out on the cuts or at ~$30/lb am I making the smart choice and sticking with the ribeyes? They are very good by the way, no arguing that.

Pretty much every section of the steer yields good steaks—had an awesome tongue steak at an LA izakaya recently. Personal preferences weigh heavily, as does the wallet—I'm not a fan of wagyu; love a good ribeye, but it's probably not at the summit of my top 10.

My Top 10 Steak cuts:
strip/shell
boneless short rib
hanger
flank
skirt
flat iron/top blade
picanha
ribeye
chuck (both tender and first cut)
tri-tip

Korean style boneless short rib steak—supper during the Pineapple Express storm in LA.

 

[WildBoar]

Please don't let the hipsters discover hanger steak. Luckily it's somewhat protected by the fact that it's a bit more work to clean up and make it pan-ready.

Hanger steak was outted 15+ years ago. it had it's time already.

 

[ARSons]

So I have a nice little local butcher shop I like. It's a satellite shop of their main store so a little more limited but still a decent selection. Every time I pop in I seem to grab an Angus ribeye. I look at the other cuts and the Wagyu but I always seem to just go with the my safe play. Part of it is price for sure. These aren't cheap steaks so when I splurge, I kinda want to just get what I know will be excellent. To be honest, we haven't had a lot of upper quality "other" cuts. Sure we've had t-bones and strips and whatnot but not really of this caliber.

I know it might seem like a silly question but I'm genuinely curious what you all think. Should I branch out on the cuts or at ~$30/lb am I making the smart choice and sticking with the ribeyes? They are very good by the way, no arguing that.

Hey there! Your loyalty to those Angus ribeyes sounds like a tasty habit! It's totally understandable - when you're splurging, you want that assurance of deliciousness. But hey, life's short, and the meat counter is calling! Maybe give those Wagyu or other cuts a chance for a delightful change. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite. Treat yourself to a steak adventure without abandoning the trusty ribeyes completely. After all, a little variety keeps things sizzling!

 

[VincenteFox]

how did I forget to mention tri-tip, it's probably my favorite cut of beef.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Hey there! Your loyalty to those Angus ribeyes sounds like a tasty habit! It's totally understandable - when you're splurging, you want that assurance of deliciousness. But hey, life's short, and the meat counter is calling! Maybe give those Wagyu or other cuts a chance for a delightful change. Who knows, you might discover a new favorite. Treat yourself to a steak adventure without abandoning the trusty ribeyes completely. After all, a little variety keeps things sizzling!

This really is the gist of it and the spirit of my original post.

I've had most all cuts of beef. Heck, I lived on a cattle ranch. But if I'm grabbing skirt or a strip or something, I just go with whatever the grocery store has that looks good.

But when I'm fixing to drop $40+ on a single piece of meat, everything other than the ribeyes sort of shrink away. Yeah, the other cuts are a little cheaper but still expensive and invariably the voice in my head (the one dedicated to meat purchases) says, "lot's of money, stick to what ya know is great!"

I always go in thinking this is the time I'm getting that t-bone and then leave with a ribeye.

Very first world for sure.

 

[SwampDonkey]

Funny enough, Fresh Market had A5 American wagyu ribeyes in stock today so we took a flyer. Never had it before

 

[DitmasPork]

This really is the gist of it and the spirit of my original post.

I've had most all cuts of beef. Heck, I lived on a cattle ranch. But if I'm grabbing skirt or a strip or something, I just go with whatever the grocery store has that looks good.

But when I'm fixing to drop $40+ on a single piece of meat, everything other than the ribeyes sort of shrink away. Yeah, the other cuts are a little cheaper but still expensive and invariably the voice in my head (the one dedicated to meat purchases) says, "lot's of money, stick to what ya know is great!"

I always go in thinking this is the time I'm getting that t-bone and then leave with a ribeye.

Very first world for sure.

You live on a cattle ranch??!! I'm green with envy at the access to cuts you have.

 

[btbyrd]

That looks nice, but there's no such thing as A5 American wagyu. Japanese A5 wagyu ribeye looks like this:

Frankly, I'd rather eat your steaks than A5 almost any day of the week. You can't eat A5 like it's a normal steak or you'll kill yourself.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

You live on a cattle ranch??!! I'm green with envy at the access to cuts you have.

I lived on a cattle ranch. That was close to forty years ago.

 

[McMan]

I’d say give a strip a try, especially since you’ve found a place that’s local and top quality. I find strip has a little more of that nice iron-y taste, while ribeye has a little more of that fat-driven umami unctuousness. Very different all around so it’d be fun to do a little comparison--buy a strip and a ribeye and compare at the same time.

But strip vs ribeye is one of those debates… might as well be a debate about mayonnaise—people have a lifelong favorite and stick with it. If ribeye's been your go-to, I doubt a strip will dethrone it now. I’m on the opposite team, I’ll always get a strip—I just like the texture and flavor profile more than a ribeye.

Flat iron are wonderful if you can find a butcher that does them right. Some places will just call chuck steaks flat iron...