Piece of Meat

My experiences with steaks have always been hit or miss. Sometimes I get cheap little Denny's t-bones that are tender and juicy. Other times I get fancy/expensive steakhouse cuts that are tough and hard. It seems like its always based on chance whether or not I get a good steak. So I've finally decided to educate myself on what make a good steak, a good steak.

A couple weeks ago I went into Valley Farms Market looking for a good cut of steak, I was quite clueless. I know that more fat equals more flavor but after that all the cuts look the same to me. I couldn't figure out why one was 8.99/pound and an identical one was 13.99/pound. The butcher asked me if I needed help and I told him that I was trying to pick out a good steak for grilling but I didn't know a thing about steak. Of course he recommended the most expensive one, the porter house. He also recommended that I get two pounds.  He said that in addition to the nice marbelization, the marrow from the bone adds flavor.  When I saw that the price came out to thirty-five dollars I felt a little bamboozled. I was wary to not ruin thirty-five dollars worth of meat so I went home and carefully followed all of the butcher's instructions: "let the meat thaw to room temperature for forty-five minutes, lightly coat with olive oil and lightly sprinkle Montreal seasoning, grill on medium-high heat for seven minutes on each side, and then allow it to turn over for another seven minutes. What ever you do, don't close the grill." I did just as he instructed and it was well worth the extra cost. It was the tenderest, juiciest tastiest steak I've ever tasted!

Today I went back to Valley Farms and I asked the butcher what the difference is between a standard t-bone and a porter house t-bone. He said that the smaller side of the t-bone is the filet mignon, so since the porter house is cut near the center it has a much larger area of filet mignon. The difference became obvious, because I do remember the smaller side being my favorite part. He added that if I go to a fancy steak house and order a porter house they will give me a much larger porter house from a Texas Longhorn Steer. He added that his steaks were much better because they are cut from a smaller more stocky cow, an Omaha Angus. He said that Omaha Angus coined the original term "butterball," because of their stocky build and buttery taste. Also if I drive though the country I will see them lying down on their left sides. Since they use their right side to get up, the meat from the left side is much more tender.

So now I can't wait to go to a fancy steakhouse and order a porter house steak. I'll ask if it's from a Texas Longhorn or an Omaha Angus and whether the cute is from the right or left side. I'll sound so smart!

[I also found this very straight forward website that breaks it all down in lame men terms. It even includes how each piece should be seasoned and cooked! Steak Definitions ]