For those who know us quite well, you will know that we absolutely adore steak!

Growing up we started to have an early appreciation for steak from around our teenage years. This is all thanks to our parents who regularly treated us to lots of fine dining experiences, which allowed us the opportunity to taste some of the most divine types of steaks from different cuisines.

We also tend to get a lot of questions from friends and family about what state to buy, how to cook it and how best to consume steak.

So…

We thought it would make sense to do a blog discussing the different types of steaks with the hope that that it inspires you too cook it at home for yourself.

Besides, steak is one of the simplest and most delicious meals you can have – Whether it’s a quick meal during the week or you’re preparing food for a date, you can never go wrong with steak.

Plus, there are so many different things you can eat with it which is what adds to its beauty!

Types of steak

Filet Mignon

This cut also known as the fillet steak is an incredibly soft and tender cut. It is a favourite amongst many including top steak houses too.

The fillet steak is made up of very soft muscle with almost no fat thus creating a soft steak which is delicate and buttery in flavour.

Whilst it is a very soft piece of steak and easy to eat, the downside to this cut is it lacks a lot of flavour in comparison to other types of steak cuts which might be less enticing to meat eaters who love a juicy and flavoursome steak.

Given the low-fat content, the fillet steak does not require to be over cooked otherwise it can get quite chewy and loose its flavour.

Simple Yummies Tip! For optimum enjoyment, it is best to cook the steak on a hot griddle pan to rare or medium rare

Rib Eye

Ohhh the rib eye…

Where do we even begin!

This is probably one of the nicest cuts due to its mixture of meat too fat content.

The perfect marbling between the meat and the crispy fatty side means that once it’s cooked its juices melt within the meat creating such an amazing flavour.

Sounds delicious doesn’t it?

When buying a rib eye, make sure you ask for one that has lots of marbling evenly spread out throughout the steak.

This is because as you cook the steak all the fatty content in the middle of the meat will begin to melt thus creating the best flavour for your steak.

Simple Yummies Tip! The rib eye is best cooked at medium however for those who prefer a well-cooked steak, this is the best steak for you. Just add some salt, pepper, garlic and Rosemary and you’re good to go!

Sirloin

With all the different types of steak available for us this cut of steak makes the the perfect steak for a mid-week dinner.

It is more inexpensive cut and in comparison to some of the other types of steak is doesn’t have the strongest beefy flavour but can certainly be dressed up well and cooked to perfect perfection with a few little tricks.

The sirloin steak can be quite tricky too perfect as overcooking it will create a really chewy and tough steak that becomes unpleasant to eat.

Simple Yummies Tip! We recommend you sous vide the steak to medium before you sear the perfect finish.

This will allow the steak to cook gently at a consistent temperature thus tenderising the meat without overcooking the steak and ensuring it’s still delicious!

New York strip

If you’ve never heard of a New York strip before, write this cut down and make sure you try it ASAP!

The New York strip comes from the upper part of the sirloin of a cow.

It has a good mixture of meat to fat and is tender and full of flavour. When you talk about of types of steak that would be perfect for a barbecue this cut is definitely one of them.

Simple Yummies Tip! Similar to the rib eye, this steak is best served medium rare and doesn’t require too much additional flavours other than the classic salt and pepper mix.

Porterhouse

If you are ever in a restaurant and are absolutely famished, remember to order the porterhouse steak.

Out of all the types of steaks available this is a huge cut of steak. It is also known as the King steak in some areas as it has two steaks combined all into one.

The porterhouse steak is made out of the New York strip and the fillet steak – if you’ve already forgotten what those are, scroll up and re-read them and you’ll see why this is called a King steak!

It’s the best of both worlds!!!

The porterhouse steak has been known to be confused with the T-bone steak, which is somewhat the same, however the porterhouse steak is thicker.

It’s unlikely that one person can finish this steak on their own so it would require sharing.

Rump

The rump steak is also known as the butt steak, compared some of the other types of steak is one of the cheaper types of steak. Due to the location of the meat, the muscle tends to be quite overworked and becomes a tough steak to eat – understandably.

The rump steak is quite a versatile cut which can be used for both grilling and braising.

Unlike some of the other types types of steak the rump steak will require a lot of marination and will need to sit in the marination for quite a while before cooking.

Simple Yummies Tip! We recommend you marinate the meat for about three to four hours minimum or overnight if possible, for best results.

If cooking on a hot griddle pan, ensure the meat rests after cooking for at least 15 to 20 minutes to ensure the juices are absorbed back into the meat.

Tomahawk

Everything about the tomahawk steak looks beautiful, juicy and delicious.

Seriously? who wouldn’t want this steak?

The tomahawk steak is essentially a thick cut of the rib-eye steak on a bone – but it doesn’t just end there.

The tomahawk is amazing just on its own however, cooking the steak with the bone attached creates so much more flavour to the meat.

Like the porterhouse steak this is a sharing steak that could easily feed about two to three people.

Simple Yummies Tip! The cooking advice for the tomahawk is exactly the same as the rib eye – The key is to watch out that the meat cooks to the right temperature before eating as it is slightly thicker and may take longer.

Skirt

Before you ask, the skirt steak is not a garment!

It is a thin layer of meat that is taken off the section of the belly and can be quite tough to eat due to the large amount of tissues that can be found in this area.

If cooked correctly however it can be absolutely delicious!

Simple Yummies Tip! For the best results, marinate your skirt steak in lemon, salt, pepper, and garlic for up to an hour before cooking on the grill.

This steak is best served at medium and it is advised to cut the steak against the grain to avoid making this steak chewy.

Flank

The flank steak is a very similar cut to a skirt steak – the key difference to a flank steak is it comes from the rear part of the beef belly and tends to be slightly thicker than a skirt steak and also tends to be slightly more tender than a skirt steak.

Simple Yummies Tip! As with the skirt steak, use a flavourful marinade and ensure you leave the meat to soak up the marination for at least an hour before cooking.

Flat Iron

The flat iron comes from the shoulder blade of the cow and is a very tender cut of steak. It’s a great steak for eating with salad and holds similar characteristics to a filet steak.

Simple Yummies Tip! As with the fillet steak, cook the flat iron steak at high heat on a hot griddle pan and best served rare or medium rare.

Where to buy steak?

To ensure that you’re getting the best quality steak and the to choose from a variety of types of steak, it’s really important to source your meat from good butchers.

Local butchers or a specialist meat suppliers that we use regularly to supply us with various types of steak are Field and Flower, Ginger Pig and Dunwood Butchers.

Investing in quality meat is definitely something we don’t regret because it truly it that one thing that could make the difference between an good meal and an exceptional meal to remember!

If you visit your local butchers most the time they should be able to provide you with all or if not most of the different types of steak cuts mentioned above.

What makes a steak so expensive?

Have you ever been shopping for steak and ever wondered why the price varies so much for the different types of steak you’re buying? There are two main reasons why this may be.

The first reason is it could be that you are buying a steak of a good quality– for example a 60-day dry age steak is likely to be much more expensive than a 30-day dry age steak.

This is because dry ageing has been known to intensify the flavour of meat thus making it more expensive.

The second reason why you might find steak is expensive is because of the cut of the different types of steak – there are some cuts of the steak which are quite expensive as they are known to be the most flavoursome and juiciest part of the steak.

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Please check out our delicious Medium Rare Steak recipe!

In this article we show you how to cook medium rare steak perfectly it’s so simple! Steak is a classic, easy and undeniably delicious dish that is a favourite meal for many around the globe, whether it’s served up with crispy fries, sauteed vegetables or smothered in a punchy peppercorn sauce.

So, what exactly is the best way to cook it a steak?

The topic has been up for debate for decades, with answers varying depending on where in the world you are. But ask almost any chef how they like their steak, and chances are they’ll say medium-rare. With a tasty, crisp outside and a buttery, juicy middle, it’s easy to see why.

Many home cooks shy away from making steak at home, worried about the precise nature of the cooking times and the chance of ruining a rather pricey ingredient. But getting that perfect steak at home is easier than you might think. Just wrap your head around a few key principles and you’ll be recreating your restaurant favourite in no time. Here’s everything you need to know about how to cook medium rare steak.

How To Cook Medium Rare Steak

What Does Medium Rare Mean?

When it comes to how ‘done’ you like your steak, medium rare is one step up from rare, and is followed by medium, medium well and finally well done. To be medium rare, a steak should have a fully red, warm centre. It should be soft and juicy in the middle, but with a firm, crisp outer layer.

Officially, your steak has reached medium rare when the meat reaches a temperature of between 54.44° to 57.22°C. It’s at this magical temperature that the meat’s proteins have started to break down, resulting in its marvelous texture, and perfect amount of tender chewiness.

Is Medium Rare Steak Safe To Eat?

Absolutely. As long as you have bought your meat from a reputable source, there is no danger of sickness even when it is cooked medium rare. As steak is a whole muscle, the inside has not been exposed to open air, meaning there are no harmful bacteria inside. Even if you were to cook a steak rare, the meat has reached such a temperature that any potential “nasties” will have long been killed off.

5 Tips for A Perfect Medium Rare Steak

For extra peace of mind, you might prefer to buy your meat from a butcher instead of your local supermarket. After all, meat is their business, and they will take extra care in sourcing the highest quality cuts they can find from producers that they trust.

When it comes to how to cook medium rare steak perfectly, there are 5 tips you should bear in mind.

1. Cut: Different cuts of beef behave in different ways, so some are better suited to being cooked medium rare than others. Our favourite is sirloin. It’s a lean cut of meat which makes it great for cooking for short periods of time, and is also tender as it comes from a large area of back muscles. It also works as the perfect vehicle to take on the flavours of the marinade. If you can’t get hold of sirloin, you might like to use rib-eye instead, though it tends to be a little more expensive, it’s well worth the cost. As this cut has quite a bit more fat, it’s worth amping up the temperature of the pan to make sure it renders down.
2. Marinade: Marinating your steak before cooking helps to enhance the flavour of the meat. We like a simple mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and smoked paprika to complement the steak’s natural flavours while not being too overpowering. Make sure your marinade is rubbed evenly into the steak to ensure deliciousness with every bite, and marinade it for at least 30 minutes before cooking (but longer if you can manage it).
3. Heat: However you like your steak cooked, you should always start with a hot pan. If the pan doesn’t sizzle when the meat hits it, it’s not hot enough! However, you don’t want it to be searing unless you’re using a high-fat cut (like rib eye). If the temperature in the pan is too high then the outside of your steak will burn or cook too quickly before the middle warms up. Too cool, on the other hand, and you won’t get that lovely sear that locks in all the meaty flavour.
4. Cooking Time: Timing is everything when it comes to getting that perfect medium rare steak. We have found that the best results come from cooking it for two and a half minutes on each side. If you’re not sure if the steak is done, you can always check using the finger test. Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. This is what a medium rare steak should feel like. Alternatively, if you want to be extra precise, you can use a thermometer to test the temperature of your steak.
5. Resting Time: All meat is better when rested, and steak is no exception. Resting is a vital final step to the cooking process, allowing the delicious juices inside to redistribute throughout the meat as they slightly cool. If you serve the steak straight away, the juices will just spill out onto the plate as you cut into it, taking all that flavour with them. We have found a good resting time for medium rare steak to be between three and five minutes before serving. We promise it will be worth the wait!

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How To Cook Medium Rare Steak – Please let us know if you have tried this recipe please share any comments or images through Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest @simpleyummiesfood .

Please check out our Ratatouille recipe, it makes a very tasty side dish to go with this steak!