Steaks: The Different Cuts You Can Use On Your Outdoor Grill

What cuts of meat are the most tender?

When a steer (cow) is brought to the meat processing center, the meat from eight quadrants of the steer is cut. The quadrants are named Chuck, Rib, Tenderloin, Sirloin, Round, Shank, Brisket, Plate & Flank. The most tender fillets come from the back of the animal. The tenderloin is where the Porterhouse, T-Bone (my favorite), Top Loin & Tenderloin are cut. The most popular way to cook them is on a gas grill or charcoal grill. When grilling steaks, I recommend simmering the steaks, which prevents them from drying out. On my gas grill I like to flip the steak just once, this helps keep the steak juices in the meat. The more times you flip the steak, the more juice it will lose to the fat pan at the bottom of the grill. Let’s never use a fork to turn the steaks, use a pair of tongs.

Other cuts of fillets:

Chuck: Chuck Eye, Top Shoulder Blade, Plank, Ranch Steak, and Petite Tender Shoulder

Rib – Rib and Ribeye

Sirloin – Three-pointed steak and top sirloin

Round – Round top and center of sirloin tip

I live in a part of the country that can be considered a cattle country. My dad raises cattle so I have access to a lot of cuts of meat. Every year my dad will take a steer to the local meat processor and cut it into many cuts of meat including the many listed steaks plus ground beef etc. If you have the opportunity to do this, I would recommend it. The flavor of these steaks is hard to match in any restaurant. In fact, when we go out to eat, I don’t usually order steak, because I know it can’t match what I have at home in the freezer.

You can cook steaks on your gas grill, charcoal grill, or with your stovetop broiler. Cooking the steaks is very important, this will determine the flavor and texture. Using a gas grill is the fastest, but some people love the taste of charcoal. You can also use natural wood like Mesquite to add flavor when barbecuing.