Beef recipes - Steaks & Ribs
Steaks
Since grass-fed steaks cook much faster than conventional steaks, and are very easy to over-cook, please check out Cooking tips if you're not already a grass-fed beef cooking pro.
Marbled and Tender Steaks
For the hero steak cuts that are supremely flavorful and also tender and marbled (e.g., Ribeye, NY Strip) we like to prepare them extremely simply (salt, pepper, maybe some butter and garlic). We think simpler preparations let the robust natural flavors of grass-fed beef shine, so we aren't sharing any elaborate recipes for them, but of course you can find more dressed-up approaches if you prefer.
Less famous but also with impressive flavor-marbling-tenderness profiles, the Flatiron and Denver steaks we also tend to prepare with minimal seasoning. Same for the Chuck Eye steak, which is the tragically unheralded next-door-neighbor of the Ribeye (it comes from the same muscle, after it crosses from the Rib to the Chuck primal).
Cuts that are tender but lean -- such as Filet Mignon -- may benefit from sautéing or serving with fattier sauces. Steak Diane is one classic way to add an unctuous sauce to a lean cut, and there are a million recipes on the internet that will also guide you through Diane's dramatic flambé step -- in contrast, this down-to-earth take skips the open fire and also subs in the lesser-known butcher's cut called Petite Tender (aka Teres Major), which when sliced thick resembles Filet in shape, with more flavor, though despite the name you do sacrifice some tenderness relative to the ultra-tender Filet.
Sirloin steak isn't as tender as Strip much less Filet, but it can stand up to high heat, and its strong flavor profile obviates the need for much seasoning, as Alton Brown outlines here. But you can also reasonably marinate it as you would a less tender, everyday steak, if you prefer.
Everyday Steaks
When you eat everyday steaks from grass-fed animals, you do not miss out on flavor. These steaks have terrific flavor profiles. You should, however, be deliberate about preparation, avoiding over-cooking, cutting against the grain to serve, and in many (not all) cases, you may wish to use a marinade.
Here are three marinade styles you can try out on a range of your steak cuts. For Ranch steak, Chuck Tender Steaks and other lean steaks, here's a nice recipe that uses a marinade and also complements the meat up with reliable companions mushroom and onion, and here's a recipe we use for Kebabs whose simple marinade is also a great choice for other lean steaks. (Detail on Kebabs and other beef miscellaneous cuts here.)
Another great option for leaner cuts is the Swiss Steak, in this case, skipping the inconvenient "Swissing" (a type of manual tenderizing) and using a braise to turn these cuts tender.
We also have this Ranch steak recipe recommendation from subscriber Brittany M. of Southeast DC (thanks, Brittany!), which complements the beefy steak with tangy, herbal chimichurri.
We find Minute steak works great as a Chicken-Fried Steak, and it's also nicely suited for dressing up with your favorite spice and condiment mix in sandwiches. Thin-cut and fast-cooking (thus, their name), these make a great lunch option.
Frozen in its packaging, Chipped steak looks like a thick block. But upon thawing you'll see it's actually comprised of ultra-thin slices. These, friends, can be used for the Philly Cheesesteak, and its lesser-known but totally bombastic New Englander cousin the Steak Bomb. In our family we also use Chipped steak in Hot Pots! (To be sure, many recipes call for shaved Ribeye as the thin cut of choice, and those would be delicious, but for everyday cooking, Chipped steak - which comes from the Round - is a solid option.)
Chipped steak becoming Cheesesteaks
The Flat Steaks
Flank, Skirt, Hanger and Bavette: These are the Flat Steaks. Characterized by deep flavor, rippling textures and natural form --they're generally not cut from larger muscles but are butchered "as is" - these steaks have a lot in common with each other. For one thing, they all shine with marinades. Additionally, because of their fibrous quality they all need to be sliced against the grain to maximize tenderness.
The Flat Steaks also have some differences that ace home cooks can take advantage of:
|
Cut |
Cooking |
Temperature range |
|
Flank |
|
Rare to Medium |
|
Skirt |
|
Medium-rare to Medium |
|
Bavette |
|
Medium-rare to Medium |
|
Hanger |
|
Medium-rare to Medium |
As for preparations, to start with, all of these steaks make great fajitas, tacos or burritos. For Cuban Ropa Vieja, Flank is preferred and Bavette is a solid second choice. Outside of our region, New Englanders turn Bavette (whose prosaic name in English is Sirloin Flap, or Flap Meat) into what they call Steak Tips. We also find that Bavette makes a great stand-in for Skirt Steak for just about any Skirt recipe. Some say Flank is the original London Broil steak (though as we note below, we use a slice of Top Round for ours).
Hanger is commonly a centerpiece rather than an ingredient, as it is chili-glazed and grilled here. For what it's worth, Hanger was reportedly Anthony Bourdain's favorite steak, particularly as Onglet Gascon (in the Les Halles Cookbook). But the other Flats do just fine as centerpieces, as well -- as they're prepared here, with umami punches from Worcestershire sauce and anchovy filets.
Honorary Flat Steaks
- Sierra Steak: Often described as a Flank steak analog, we actually think this cut from the Chuck is best considered a cross between Flank and Denver steaks. You won't find a lot of dedicated recipes for the Sierra, so try treating it like a Flank... then next time like a Denver!
- Merlot Steak: Very flavorful but lean, it benefits from a fat-rich sauce as in this recipe which also brings in sage.
Ribs
Short Ribs
Short Ribs are Just. So. Versatile. They braise wonderfully. We love this Korean-style braise modified by Smitten Kitchen, and Momofuku offers this Korean stew recipe as well.
Shorties make amazing taco meat. An Instant Pot or slow cooker and some standard spices and sauces can create a sumptuous Barbacoa taco night.
In an Italianate tradition, we're fans of this Anne Burrell oven-braise recipe whose piquant sauce is easy to make because it blends rather than chops the veggies, and this even simpler slow-cooker preparation. Not dissimilar from these recipes, check out our friend Eric Kozlik leading us in a braise of his own, buoyed by Italian red wine:
You can of course smoke Short Ribs -- Texans are the world champs at this Maybe less intuitively, according to the culinary-science nerds at SeriousEats, there's no better cut for grilling, either! In this take on grilled shorties, a clever use of ice cubes adds moisture while grilling.
If you've received Boneless Short Ribs, you can certainly use these bone-in recipes, but here's an "Easy BBQ" that puts Boneless shorties in the oven.
Korean-Style Short Ribs (aka Flanken)
Butchers create flanken by cutting Short Ribs at a 90-degree angle to the standard "English" cut, and cutting it thin. The cut is central in Korean cuisine, where the thin profile and high surface area makes it ideal for marinating and quick BBQing, creating Kalbi (or Galbi). They're also popular in Jewish cuisine, in a braise, or as "Miami Ribs."
Or, just use the Korean cut to make delectable Short Rib sliders!
Back Ribs
Back Ribs are a great cut that we offer as Add-Ons. Like Short Ribs, they have rich flavor that doesn't need much adornment, but if you do want a more aggressive approach, in his brazen Triple-C recipe, Meathead Goldwyn layers on chili... coffee... and cocoa... Seriously.
Steak-Roast In-Betweeners: Some Highlights
In this inelegantly-named category, we cover a few cuts that look something like roasts, and do have a bit in common with roasts, but are generally prepared like steaks. (Key to all of them: Cut the against the grain when serving.)
London Broil can be a little confusing. First, to get one thing out of the way: London Broil was not created in England but rather here in the US Mid-Atlantic! - in Philadelphia, in the inter-War years, according to the estimable James Beard. London Broil is a preparation style that can be applied to various cuts; your Near Country London Broil comes from the Top Round. But what good butchers and cooks do with London Broil is create a steak from a roast - yes, using high-heat cooking. Here's a recipe that has the key marinating and cooking steps well laid out.
Coulotte is the French name (and Picanha the Portuguese name) for the cut that in English is more blandly known as rump cap or sirloin cap. The reason it's more commonly known by its international names is because while Americans mostly haven't figured out what to do with the cut, it's a fixture in Brazilian steakhouses and French bistros. As a matter of fact, for those of you who know the DC-area Medium Rare restaurants, whose limited-by-design bistro menu revolves around steak frites, it's Coulotte that they exclusively serve. To prepare your Coulotte, most recipes will guide you to trim the fat cap and slice up the large roast-like cut into individual steaks, then lightly season and reverse-sear. We like this recipe that guides you through the prep and adds a mushroom cream sauce. Or try mole-rubbed, or with Chimichurri!
Then there's Tri-Tip. A Big Deal in California, this cut is barely known around our region. But there's a reason why Left Coasters dig on this triangular shaped muscle: It's flavorful, and pretty easy to grill, whether you complement it simply with garlic bread or prepare it as they do in Santa Maria, CA, with a special salsa. Tri-Tip is also great for entertaining. Why? The tapered end will cook more fully than the wide end, giving you a gradient of finished temperatures with which you can accommodate your guests varying tastes.
To see how these In-Betweeners fit into the roast universe, check out the summary table on the Roasts & Miscellany page.
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