Cannings' Guide To The Best Cuts Of Steak
POV: it's date night and you're gazing into the window at Cannings, appraising a seemingly endless beef section. You've got your meat thermometer ready, you've got your cast iron pan - but which steak to choose?? Every cut of steak has its own unique and delicious character. Whether you like your steaks lean and tender, or marbled and flavoursome, we'll point you in the right direction for the perfect steak for your individual tastes!
A bit about Cannings beef - all of our red meat at Cannings is grass fed AND finished, as well as free range, with no added hormones or non-therapeutic antibiotics. This means ruminant animals roaming freely across pasture as nature intended, and no grain ever! Grass fed beef has a rich, earthy flavour, which is generally more complex than that of grain fed beef.
Eye Fillet
One of our most popular cuts, eye fillet, is lean and tender. Each cow has two eye fillets, or tenderloins, which are tucked beneath the backbone. This is one of the least used muscles in the cow's body which is why it is delicate in flavour, lean and tender, with almost no connective tissue giving that famous soft buttery texture.
Scotch Fillet/Rib Eye
If you ask most butchers what their favourite steak is - they will tell you it's a scotch fillet. The scotch fillet is a tender and fatty cut that is bursting with flavour. A rib eye is a scotch fillet on the bone, usually cut extra thick. Scotch generally has the best marbling of all the premium steaks and is the top choice for those who prize flavour, but still want a very tender steak.
Porterhouse
Porterhouse is a great all rounder steak. It's got an ideal balance of value, flavour, and tenderness, combining the best parts of other cuts like rump (value), scotch (tenderness) and eye fillet (lean meat).
T-Bone/Bistecca alla Fiorentina
T-Bone is made up of porterhouse on one side and eye fillet on the other, with a big t shaped bone in the middle. Having a bone in the middle adds flavour and moisture during the cooking process. When it comes to T-Bone, the thicker the better! A really thick T-Bone can be reverse seared (cooked in the oven then finished on a pan) and is known as Bistecca alla Fiorentina.
A T-Bone is a great choice if you're entertaining as it strikes a very impressive figure on the plate. Choose this if you're looking for some theatre at your dinner party!
Rump
One of the more economical cuts of steak, great for everyday use. If you're looking for a decent cut of steak to use for stir fry, a rump would be a great option. It is fairly tender with a good hit of grass fed flavour. Great value for money, and awesome with an accompanying sauce.
Flat Iron
Flat Iron comes from the same area of the cow as oyster blade, which is traditionally used for casseroling. Oyster blade has a tough sinew running through the middle, however with flat iron this is removed to split the muscle, resulting in a tender quick cooking steak. This cut is great value for money and quite similar to porterhouse, without the fat cap. At Cannings, we usually marinate this cut in a tangy Argentinian BBQ rub.
Skirt Flank
Skirt flank is a long, thin cut that’s all about flavour rather than thickness. You’ll notice it has a slightly shiny texture from the natural muscle grain - because of that, it doesn’t usually form a heavy crust like a rib eye, but it stays juicy and tender. The key is to slice it thin across the grain, either before or after cooking. It’s made for quick, hot cooking and is perfect for stir-fries, tacos, or fast pan-frying. When it’s cut the right way, it eats beautifully and is nice and tender. P.S. if you're making jerky, this is a good cut for it!
