When beef is mentioned, most people quickly think – STEAKS!
But which part of the cow where the more popular beef cuts are derived from and adored by steak lovers?
The Short Loin!
Most restaurants and food service operations often include beef in their menu as it is a significant part of a standard diet for most people.
Chefs and skilled cooks have the advantage of knowing how important it is to know the different cuts of beef. They know that each beef cut has features that serve a dish in terms of flavour and cost.
PRIMAL CUT #3: SHORT LOIN
A butcher first divides a cow carcass into nine Primal Cuts: Chuck, Rib, Short Loin, Sirloin, Round, Flank, Plate, Shank, and Brisket.
The Short Loin comes from the hindquarters, typically measuring 16 to 18 inches long and can yield from 11 to 14 steaks, depending on their thickness. Ideally, a butcher cuts them at least 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick, but sometimes as thin as 1 inch. Meat cuts from this area are generally tender and juicy because the short loin muscles don’t get much exercise. However, the meat gets more challenging farther back on the cow and closer to the posterior leg muscles. Still, cuts from this area are tender compared to the other primal cuts.
SHORT LOIN SUBPRIMAL CUTS:
Sub Primal cuts are the subsequent cuts from a primal cut.
Tenderloin
The Tenderloin, a pencil-shaped muscle called the psoas major, is the most tender muscle in the cow. It extends almost through the loin, with the pointy end towards the front. Expensive cuts such as the filet mignon and chateaubriand come from the Tenderloin.
But why is Tenderloin expensive?
- Tenderloin meat is tender, and when it comes to meat, most markets place a high value on tenderness.
- Tenderloin meat makes up only 10 lbs out of the total meat on beef. There’s not a lot to go by.
Cooking Recommendations:
Beef Tenderloin can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, with a smoker, a slow cooker, and sous vide but are best cooked in low heat for an extended period because it dries up quickly. It is also best served medium rare because it loses a lot of flavours when cooked beyond that. It is a lean cut, meaning it doesn’t have a lot of fat to keep it tender and flavourful. Surprisingly, Tenderloin is the least flavourful steak in beef despite the price.
Fillet Mignon
Among the subprimal cuts from a short loin, Filet Mignon is the choice steak prized for its tenderness.
Filet mignon is a tender and lean cut usually presented as a round cut taken from the thinner end of a tenderloin.
Aside from being prized for its tenderness, Filet Mignon is also one of the most expensive cuts of beef because there is only a tiny amount of this cut that can be butchered from each animal.
Cooking Recommendations:
Filet mignon has an almost buttery texture, but because of its leanness, it only offers a mild flavour. This is why chefs prefer to serve it pan-seared and with rich and flavourful sauces or with other cuts of meat,
Ideally, steaks should be at least 1½–2 inches thick to maintain juiciness.
T-Bone Steak
As the name suggests, the T-Bone steak has a T-shaped bone running through it, making it one of the most easily-identifiable steaks.
The T-Bone is cut with two steaks attached to the bone, and the strip is on the long side.
Cooking Recommendations:
Cooking T-Bone steak on the grill is unbeatable, but pan-searing comes close. You can also broil T-Bone steak in the oven.
Porterhouse
How easily identify a Porterhouse? It is almost similar to T-bone Steak, only more significant!
The Porterhouse has a significantly more significant portion of filet meat. It is a composite steak from where the top loin and the Tenderloin meet.
Cooking Recommendations:
These large steaks are best grilled with charcoal, gas or a wood smoker. Great results are also achieved with a broiler, a smoking hot cast iron or a skillet on the stovetop.
Strip Steak
If you are looking for bold, beefy notes, Strip Steak is the one to go for. Strip steak is also known as New York strip steak, Kansas City strip, Omaha Strip. Ambassador steak, strip loin steak and club steak,
The Strip Steak has rich marbling making for a robust flavour. It is not a tender cut. Most chefs serve them as boneless strips but they can also be served with the bone left in them.
This cut is considered among the higher-end cuts of beef, such as the filet mignon, the Porterhouse and T-bone steak and the rib-eye.
Cooking Recommendations:
The Strip steak has an intense flavour. When serving as strips, it is best to quickly grill them on a super hot grill to sear without overcooking. Cooking with bone requires skill because the meat closer to the bone will cook slower than the meat farther from the bone. ,
However, it has plenty of marbling that melts into the meat, so no matter how you cook it, It will still offer a bold flavour.
Strip Filet
Also known as Baseball Cut Strip Filet; Manhattan Filet; Strip Steak, Split; Top Loin Filet. Filet of Strip, Sirloin Filet, Manhattan Steak, Boston Club Steak, Top Loin Steak, Split Strip Steak, Club Steak
Strip Filet is a smaller diameter version of a Strip Steak but thicker. It has a strip of fat along one of the cut edges, making it flavourful.
Cooking Recommendations:
Strip Filet flavour and tenderness are brought out best when grilled.
Grilling Strip Filet is a great way to bring out the flavour and tenderness of this thick cut. If cooked in a pan on a stovetop, ensure it is pan-seared to achieve a golden brown colour and highlight flavour. Broiling and sous vide also yield great results.
Strip Roast
Also known as New York Strip Roast, Kansas City Strip Roast, Top Loin Roast and Strip Loin Roast,
A strip roast is a large and tender cut of beef. This meat is tender because it’s near the animal’s spine and isn’t heavily worked during activity.
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Cooking Recommendations:
Because a strip roast is a significant cut, it is essential to cook the interior of the roast without overcooking the exterior. It should be cooked at low to medium temperature, using dry heat methods like smoking or roasting. Roasts are typically cooked medium rare to keep the most flavour and tenderness.
In Summary:
The Short Loin is the home of some of the most prized beef cuts for their quality. Meats cut from this area are generally tender, which makes them more expensive. However, they are lean and do not have much fat, therefore knowing how to properly cook them so as not to “butcher” such pricey beef cuts is vital,
Knowing how to cook each cut of meat to get the most tenderness and flavour is a skill that chefs have.
And if you are looking for skilled chefs and kitchen staff based in Perth and Western Australia for your staffing needs, give us a call at Anytime Staff.
We have a roster of professional chefs and kitchen staff that are available as short-term hires for :
- peak periods
- events/private parties and celebrations/pizza chefs
- fill in for an emergency or annual leaves
- start-up team for opening venues
As part of our team, we have polite, professional Kitchen Stewards to assist you in cleaning and organising your kitchens.
Anytime Staff can also assist you in looking for permanent hires by facilitating your recruitment process.
We also offer a Consulting Service to assist you in opening or running the cafe or restaurant of your dreams.
That’s it for this week.
As always, professional chefs are on call at Anytime Staff!
Ciao for now,
Thomas
