#steakhouse #steaks #wagyu #angus #beef #cow #ribeye #sirloin #ribeye #tomahawk #tender #juicy #steakcut #malaysia
What is steak?
Beefy, bloody and bizarrely hard to get it right, steak has an appeal far beyond the average piece of meat. It’s such a primary food in many countries and cultures that entire restaurants are dedicated to perfecting it known as Steakhouses, and the definition of the perfect types of steak is highly debated between the steaks experts.
Although it’s practically an easy dish to prepare, requiring only a simple of seasoning and some heat, there are essential things you must know about steaks before you start grilling, searing or ordering one.
Therefore, this article is dedicated to discuss the characteristics of a good steak, the best cuts to buy and the reasons why you should consider visiting our restaurant in search of the prime cut.
How to Choose Your Steak?
There are so many steaks to choose from. The choices can be overwhelming.
Let’s talk about some of the best cattle breeds for steaks. They are Wagyu, Premium Angus and Angus respectively.
1. Wagyu
Wagyu is regarded as one of the highest quality beef in the world.
Wa stands for japan while Gyu stands for cattle.
So, wagyu is Japanese cattle.
But not every cow born in japan can automatically be called wagyu.
Cattle of any these 4 breeds are called wagyu today.
They are Japanese Black, Japanese Brown, Japanese Polled and Japanese Shorthorn.
Wagyu Characteristics
The most outstanding characteristics of wagyu is its dense marbling with fat that melts at a temperature as low as 14 degrees Celsius. This means if you put a piece of nice wagyu cuts into your mouth the fat will start to dissolve that makes it extremely easy to eat and gives you the sensation of the beef melting in your mouth.
The high level of marbling creates more tender, juicy and flavorful meat than other breeds.
2. Angus
It’s a Scottish breed of small beef cattle. however, it's available now all over the world, mainly in Australia, US and Canada.
Angus beef is known for its finely marbled meat which means the fat is dispersed evenly against the actual cut of meat. It doesn’t have much marbling level like wagyu but it’s still super flavorful, juicy and more tender than other breeds.
3. Premium Angus
Premium Angus beef comes from the young Angus cattle, aged 17-24 months and is sold fresh. It has a higher marbling level than the normal Angus, stronger flavour and it’s more tender.
How to choose the Best cut of steak?
1. It’s especially important to look at thickness for a more juicy steak. Of course, the right thickness can vary with personal preferences.
But it’s a good idea to choose a cut that’s at least 1 inch thick.
2. Look at the marbling which is another name for the fat that runs through the steak almost like thin veins.
The marbling renders itself down creating the perfect texture and rich steak flavour you expect.
The more the marbling level, the more flavorful your steak will be.
My top breeds are Wagyu, Premium Angus and then Angus.
3. Here comes the tough part, choosing your steak cut that you will love
Here are my top steak cuts:
1. T-bone/ Porterhouse
A bit of everything. The T-Bone has T boned shaped which subdivides a small section of tenderloin with a larger section of striploin. The porterhouse has a larger section of tenderloin. It gives you two steak flavour and textures in one cut which is quite a treat for any steak lover.
2. Ribeye
Ribeye steak comes from the ribs section. It's usually a boneless steak. It’s one of the best steaks because they are fattier than the other cuts. the fat makes it super flavorful, juicy and very tender.
3. Sirloin
Sirloin comes from the short loin, its more affordable cut than T-bone, Porterhouse, Ribeye and others.
It's flavorful, juicy and has a unique texture.
4. Tenderloin
It’s the most tender and soft steak cut. Generally fatless but tender meat.
There’s so little of it on each animal. That’s why it’s a pricey piece of meat.
Besides, being a steak on its own, it's also available in a small portion in T-bone/Porterhouse.
5. Tomahawk
Tomahawk steak is a cut of beef ribeye that has five or more inches of extra rib bone.
It's called a "tomahawk" cut because the steak with the long bone resembles a single-handed axe.
The big size of tomahawk makes an ideal sharing steak for a special occasion or romantic meal.
Med-Rare, Medium or Med-Well, Which one is the best?
1) Blue Rare - 15% cooked, gently warmed, almost raw meat
2) Rare – 25% cooked, warmed and bloody (red center) from the inside, but cooked from the outside
3) Medium Rare – 35% cooked, slightly bloody pink, tender (soft) and juicy from the inside. Highly Recommended for Wagyu steak
4) Medium – 50% cooked, pink from the inside, tender and juicy
5) Medium Well, 75% cooked, grey-brown from the inside, no sign of blood in it, less juicy
6) Well Done – 100% cooked, fully brown from the inside, quite chewy and very little juice
