A steak (from Old Norse steik, "roast") is a slice of meat, typically beef. Old Norse is the North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age Beef is the Culinary name for Meat from Bovines especially domestic Cattle (cows Most steaks are cut perpendicular to the muscle fibres, improving the tenderness of the meat. In North America, steaks are typically served grilled, though they are also often pan-fried. For the device used to cook see Grill (cooking, for other uses see Grill. Pan frying is a form of Frying characterized by the use of less Cooking oil than Deep frying; using enough oil to at most cover the food to be cooked Because steaks are cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole, the most tender cuts of the animal are usually used for steak. This also means that steaks have a premium price and perception; the idea of eating steak is a signifier of relative wealth. For people from Asia, steak is regarded as one of the quintessential dishes of Western cuisine. European cuisine, or alternatively Western cuisine is a generalized term collectively referring to the Cuisines of Europe and other Western countries
A restaurant that specializes in beef steaks is known as a steakhouse. A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared Food to Customers. thumb|right|200px|The Big Texan - Amarillo Texas steakhouse A steakhouse (or steak house) is a Restaurant that specializes in Beef Steaks In the United States, a typical steak dinner consists of a steak, with a starchy side dish, usually baked potatoes, but occasionally another potato dish, rice, pasta, or beans. The cuisine of the United States is a style of food preparation derived from the United States. Starch, CAS # 9005-25-8 Chemical formula (C6H10O5n is a Polysaccharide The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae Rice is a Cereal foodstuff which forms an important part of the diet of many people worldwide and as such it is a staple food for many Pasta ( Italian for "dough" is a generic term for Italian variants of Noodles. Bean is a common name for large plant Seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae used for human food or animal A small serving of cooked vegetables accompanies the meat and side, with green beans, creamed spinach, asparagus, tomatoes, mushrooms, peas and onion rings being popular. The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however Green beans ( American English) or French beans ( British English) also called squeaky beans are the unripe Fruits of any kind of Bean Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the Vegetable known as asparagus is obtained The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family A mushroom is the fleshy Spore -bearing Fruiting body of a Fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source A pea (inaccurately called a '''sweet pea''' by food distubutors is most commonly the small spherical Seed or the seed-pod of the Legume Pisum Onion rings are a type of Fast food commonly found in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia and A well-known accompaniment to steak is shrimp or a cooked lobster tail, a combination often called "surf and turf" or "reef and beef". True shrimp are swimming decapod Crustaceans classified in the Infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh Clawed lobsters compose a family ( Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine Crustaceans Lobsters are economically important as Surf and turf or Surf 'n' Turf is a Main course particularly common in North American Steakhouses which combines Seafood and Meat, Special steak knives are provided along with steak; steak knives are sharper than most table knives and are usually serrated. Prepared condiments known as steak sauces are generally on the table in steakhouses. A condiment is a prepared edible substance or Mixture, often preserved or fermented (usually a liquid that is added in relatively small In the United States, steak sauce is a generic term used for various premade sauces for serving with meat
In France, beef steak is usually served with French fried potatoes also known as "pommes frites", and the combination is known as "steak-frites". French cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of France. French fries ( North American English; sometimes not capitalized chips ( British English) fries or French-fried potatoes (formal Vegetables are not normally served with steak in this manner, but a green salad may follow. Salad is a mixture of cold foods usually including vegetables and/or fruits often with a dressing occasionally nuts or Croutons, and sometimes with the addition of In the United Kingdom they are also served with French fried potatoes although they are often thicker than the French variety and the combination is called Steak and Chips. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located French fries ( North American English; sometimes not capitalized chips ( British English) fries or French-fried potatoes (formal Peas, half a tomato or a fried onion ring often feature on the plate too.
In Italy, steak was not widely eaten until post-WWII due to the relative ruggedness of the countryside inhibiting the space- and resource-consuming raising of great bovine herds, but some zones of Piedmont and Tuscany were still renowned for their beef. Italian cuisine as a national Cuisine known today has evolved through centuries of social and political changes with its roots traced back to 4th century BC Piedmont ( Piemonte; Piedmontese and Occitan: Piemont; French: Piémont) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. Tuscany (Toscana is a region in Italy. It has an area of 22990 km² and a population of about 3 Bistecca alla fiorentina is a well-known specialty of Florence; it is typically served with just a salad or Tuscan beans. Florence ( Italian: Firenze Florentia and Fiorenza) is the Capital City of the Italian region of Tuscany From the 1960s onward the so called "economic boom" allowed more and more Italians to switch to a red meat-heavy diet.
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Degree of cooking
The amount of time a steak is cooked is a personal preference; shorter steak cooking times retain more juice, whereas longer steak cooking times result in drier, tougher meat but reduce concerns about disease. Temperature, or doneness, is a description of how thoroughly cooked a cut of meat is based on the color juiciness and internal temperature when served A vocabulary has evolved to describe the degree to which a steak is cooked. The following terms are in order from least cooked to most cooked:
- Raw - Uncooked. Used in dishes like steak tartare, Carpaccio, Gored gored, tiger meat and Kitfo. Steak tartare is a meat dish made from finely chopped or ground raw Beef or Horse meat. Carpaccio is a dish of raw Beef, Veal or Tuna traditionally thinly sliced or pounded thin served as an Appetizer. Gored gored is a raw beef dish eaten in Eritrea and Ethiopia. Tiger meat is a raw Beef dish Despite the name it is made with meat from Bovines, not Tigers. Kitfo (sometimes ketfo) is a dish found in Ethiopian cuisine.
- Blue rare or very rare - (37. 8°C/100°F core temp) Cooked very quickly; the outside is seared, but the inside is usually cool and barely cooked. The steak will be red on the inside and barely warmed. Sometimes asked for as 'blood rare'.
- Rare - (48. 9°C/120°F core temp) The outside is gray-brown, and the middle of the steak is red and slightly warm.
- Rare plus - The outside is gray-brown, and the middle of the steak is mostly red and warm, with some pink. Often ordered by those who prefer medium rare and don't mind rare but worry about overcooking towards medium.
- Medium rare - (52. 2°C/126°F degrees core temp) The steak will have a fully red, warm center. Unless specified otherwise, upscale steakhouses will generally cook to at least this level.
- Medium - (57. 2°C/135°F degrees core temp) The middle of the steak is hot and red with pink surrounding the center. The outside is gray-brown.
- Medium well done - (62. 8°C/145°F degrees core temp) The meat is light pink surrounding the center.
- Well done - (73. 9°C/160°F degrees core temp) The meat is gray-brown throughout and slightly charred.
A style exists in some parts of North America called "Chicago". A Chicago-style steak is cooked to the desired level and then quickly charred. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The diner orders it by asking for the style followed by the doneness (e. g. "Chicago-style rare"). A steak ordered "Pittsburgh rare" is rare or very rare on the inside and charred on the outside. A Pittsburgh rare Steak is one that has been heated to a very high temperature very quickly so it is charred on the outside but still rare or raw on the inside In Pittsburgh, this style is referred to as "black and blue" (black, i. e. sooty on the outside, Blue rare on the inside).
In Taiwan, a number system from "0" to "10" is commonly used to specify steak doneness, with 0 as raw and 10 as "well done. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. "
Types of beef steaks
- Chateaubriand steak — Usually served for two, cut from the large head of the tenderloin. The Chateaubriand steak is a thick cut from the tenderloin, which according to Larousse Gastronomique, was created by personal chef Montmireil for vicomte
- Chuck steak — A cut from neck to the ribs. Chuck steak is a cut of Beef and is part of the primal cut known as the chuck
- Cube steak — A cut of meat, usually top round, tenderized by fierce pounding with a mallet. Cube steak is a cut of Beef, usually top round or top sirloin, Tenderized by fierce pounding with a Meat mallet, or use of an
- Filet mignon — A small, choice tenderloin, the most tender cut. Filet mignon ( French for "dainty fillet" is a Steak cut of Beef taken from the tenderloin, or Psoas major of the steer
- Flank steak — From the underside. The flank steak is a Beef Steak cut from the belly muscles of the cow Not as tender as steaks cut from the rib or loin.
- Flat iron steak — A cut from the shoulder blade. The flat iron steak is a cut of Steak from the Shoulder of a Steer, also known as the Teres Major
- Hanger steak or (French) onglet — a steak from near the center of the diaphragm. A hanger steak is a cut of Beef Steak which is said to "hang" from the diaphragm of the Steer. Flavorful, and very tender towards the edges, but sinewy in the middle. Often called the "butcher's tenderloin. "
- Rib eye steak — A rib steak consisting of only the longissimus muscle. The rib eye or ribeye, also known as the Scotch filet (in Australia and New Zealand) is a Beef Steak from the beef The longissimus is the muscle lateral to the Semispinalis. It is the longest subdivision of the Sacrospinalis that extends forward into the Transverse processes This is the same cut used to make prime rib which is typically oven roasted
as opposed to grilled as is typical with rib eye. A popeseye steak is cut from this.
American cuts of beef. A standing rib roast is a cut of Beef from the rib section which is one of the eight primal cuts of beef The United States of America —commonly referred to as the - Rump steak, round steak or (French) rumsteak — A cut from the rump of the animal. A round steak is a Steak from the round section of a steer or heifer and may be known as a "rump steak" in the United Kingdom A round steak is a Steak from the round section of a steer or heifer and may be known as a "rump steak" in the United Kingdom A true grilling steak with good flavor though it can be tough, if not cooked properly.
- Sirloin steak — A steak cut from the hip. sirloin steak is Beef Steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs continuing off the tenderloin from which Filet mignon is cut Also tends to be less tough, resulting in a higher price tag.
- Skirt steak — A steak made from the diaphragm. The skirt steak is a cut of Beef Steak from the plate (belly primal cut Very flavorful, but also rather tough.
- T-bone steak and strip steak or porterhouse - The tenderloin and strip loin, connected with a T-shaped bone. The strip steak is one of the highest quality beef Steaks on the market The two are distinguished by the size of the tenderloin in the cut. T-bones have smaller tenderloin sections, while the Porterhouse- though generally tougher in the strip- will have more tenderloin. T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks are generally the most expensive steaks on a menu.
Several other foods are called "steak" without actually being steaks:
- Salisbury steak — Not a steak, but rather a patty from ground beef made with onions and occasionally mushrooms. Salisbury steak or Hamburger steak is minced Beef shaped to resemble a Steak and usually served in Brown sauce. Also known as "Hamburger Steak". A hamburger (or burger) is a Sandwich consisting of a cooked ground Meat Patty, usually Beef, placed in a sliced bun or between
- Steak tartare or tartar steak - Finely chopped fillet of beef, onion, parsley, and capers. Steak tartare is a meat dish made from finely chopped or ground raw Beef or Horse meat. Often this dish is uncooked with a raw egg yolk on top.
Other meats
Cuts of game animals similar to those of beef steaks are also known as steaks. Similar cuts of pork and lamb cut across the bone are designated chops, rather than steaks, but certain cuts, such as leg of lamb cut across the bone may be called steaks. Pork' is the Culinary name for Meat from the domestic Pig ( Sus scrofa) often specifically the fresh meat but can be used as an all-inclusive Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget A chop of meat is a cut of meat cut perpendicularly to the spine and usually containing a Rib or part of a Vertebra and served as an individual portion Lamb, hogget, and mutton are the meat of Domestic sheep. The meat of an animal in its first year is lamb; that of an older sheep is hogget
Fish steaks
A fish steak is a portion of cut perpendicular to the backbone, as opposed to a fillet, which is cut parallel to it. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two This article refers to the cut of meat For other uses see Fillet. For the steak to hold together during cooking, the flesh must be rather firm; fish that are often cut into steaks include salmon, swordfish, halibut, turbot, tuna, and mahi mahi. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae. Swordfish ( Xiphias gladius) are large highly migratory Predatory Fish characterized by a long flat bill. A halibut is a type of Flatfish Turbot ( family Scophthalmidae order Pleuronectiformes) are Flatfish native to marine or Brackish waters of the North Tuna, are several Species of ocean-dwelling Fish in the family Scombridae, mostly in the genus Thunnus. The Mahimahi (in Hawaiian Coryphaena hippurus, also known as common dolphin-fish, dorado maverikos, or lampuki (in Maltese The larger fish make boneless steaks; smaller fish (such as salmon) make steaks which include skin, meat, a section of backbone, and rib bones. Smaller fish such as mackerel are sometimes cut into similar portions for curing, but these are usually not called 'steaks'. Mackerel is a common name applied to a number of different species of Fish, mostly but not exclusively from the family Scombridae. In Food preparation curing refers to various preservation and Flavoring processes especially of Meat or Fish, by the addition of Fish steaks are usually grilled, baked, or pan-fried (with or without being breaded or battered). For the device used to cook see Grill (cooking, for other uses see Grill. Baking is the technique of prolonged Cooking of Food by dry heat acting by conduction, and not by radiation, normally in an Oven, Pan frying is a form of Frying characterized by the use of less Cooking oil than Deep frying; using enough oil to at most cover the food to be cooked Breading is a dry Grain -derived coating for a piece of food such as meat vegetable poultry fish Shellfish, Crustacean, seitan, or Batter is a liquid mixture usually based on one or more Flours combined with liquids such as Water, Milk or Beer.
See also
- Carpetbag steak
- Restructured steak - Inexpensive steak formed by binding together small chunks of low-quality meat using transglutaminase
- Steak tartare
- Cheesesteak
- Kobe beef
External links
Carpetbag steak is a uniquely Australian dish that was first popularised in Sydney, around 1950. Restructured steak is a catch-all term to describe a class of beef steaks made from smaller pieces of Beef fused together by a binding agent Transglutaminases are a family of Enzymes ( that Catalyze the formation of a Covalent bond between a free amine group (e Steak tartare is a meat dish made from finely chopped or ground raw Beef or Horse meat. The cheesesteak, known outside the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area as the Philadelphia cheesesteak, Philly cheesesteak, or simply a refers to Beef from the black Tajima-ushi breed of Wagyu cattle raised according to strict tradition in Hyōgo Prefecture, JapanDapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic