Selecting the perfect steak can be a task in itself. To help you make the right choice for the right cut, we’ve narrowed the choices down to four of our favorites – one for every taste, style, and budget.
- If you are looking for a steak that the whole family can share, look no further than the flank. A single long muscle found just below the rib cage, flank cooks up whole and is sliced for serving. Because it’s lean, flank can become tough if overcooked, so be sure to grill it just until medium-rare and then slice it against the grain. (But do start it over a hot flame to get a nice sear on the outside.) Thanks to that grain, flank steak absorbs marinades beautifully.
- If you’re a true meat eater, then you’ll want to grill up a ribeye. With its unctuous marbling and delicious fat cap, the ribeye has the beefiest flavor of any of our steak options. Why? Fat = flavor! The ribeye is also very forgiving on the grill because that fat will keep it from drying out even if slightly overcooked. To best enjoy its deep meaty flavor, simply season it with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper before grilling.
- Also called a top-loin steak, the strip has other regional aliases, including New York and Kansas City. While it may not have as much marbling as a ribeye, or be as tender as a filet, strip steak offers a combination of the two elements and so delivers a home run of a steak. Because it’s cheaper than both, it’s an excellent choice for a weeknight meal. Strip also takes well to spice rubs.
- If you want to please the crowd and don’t mind a splurge, filet mignon is always a good bet. Cut from a muscle that is rarely, if ever, used by the cow, it is the most tender of our four favorites. This lean cut is also the most mildly flavored. To amp things up, consider serving it with a summery herb sauce such as chimichurri or salsa verde or serve with buttery bearnaise.
