Everybody knows that a sirloin steak comes from the loin section of a steer and the rib-eye comes from the rib section. Flank steak comes from the animal’s flank. Rump steak comes from its—well, its rump.
But what about all those steaks seen on menus that don’t offer anatomical cues? Turns out, some popular steaks get their names for descriptive reasons, whether poetic or practical. Still others have historical inspirations behind their names.
Herewith, a simple alphabetical guide to steaks not named for their anatomical sources.
Names of Popular Steaks
- Baseball steak. Descriptive name for a roughly spherical, 2-to-3-inch cut of top sirloin, like a large filet mignon. Rich and meaty, it is so thick that is best cooked no more than medium rare to avoid turning it tough.
- Butcher’s steak. See Hanger.
- Club steak. See Delmonico.
- Chateaubriand steak. Fancy French name for a thick tenderloin steak, cut close to the filet mignon. Named for a recipe featuring it, in which the steak is grilled with butter and black pepper, created in tribute to the Napoleonic era French diplomat and writer François-René, the Viscount of Chateaubriand.
- Delmonico steak. A triangular cut from the short loin, near the rib end, tender and flavorful. Named for the 19th-century New York City dining club whose menu featured it.
- Flat Iron steak. A tender, flavorful cut from the top shoulder of the chuck section.
- Hanger steak. A hanging muscle, known in French as onglet, that wraps around the pancreas and supports the diaphragm. Requiring careful trimming of membrane before cooking, and very flavorful and tender when cooked rare, it is also sometimes known as the Hanging Tender or the Butcher’s steak, the latter because the one-per-animal steak was traditionally taken home by meat cutters for their own tables.
- Kansas City Strip steak. See Shell. So named for its popularity in Kansas City.
- New York Strip steak. See Shell. So named for its popularity in Manhattan.
- Porterhouse steak. A thick bone-in tenderloin steak, from the sirloin end of the short loin, containing a larger portion of tenderloin than the T-Bone. Generously sized, very flavorful and rich. Named for the bars in which it was traditionally served, often with a glass of porter or some other robust beer.
- Shell steak. A descriptive name for the flavorful, full-bodied meat that remains after the tenderloin strip is cut away from the short loin. Served with or without bone.
- T-Bone steak. From the center of the short loin, descriptively named for the section of bone that separates its large top loin and smaller tenderloin portions.
Order with confidence, whether from the butcher shop or at the steakhouse. Have a great steak dinner!
Norman Kolpas - I've been writing about lifestyle topics–including food, travel, art, design, books, theater, and movies–since the ...
