Meat products are essential to many people’s diets as they are rich in proteins. Primarily, red meats like beef, pork, mutton, and lamb enrich our diet by providing crucial vitamins like Vitamin B12 and minerals like iron, zinc, etc.
Chicken, pork steaks, and lamb are rich in body-building materials. Most meat-lovers are fond of steaks, and meat companies profit from the same.
However, when one gets a plate full of steak, not many people wonder- where does steak come from and how? Knowing your steak’s origin may help distinguish a high-quality product from others.
Let us discuss how the steak was invented and how it is different from
Where Did The Word Steak Come From?
The word steak originates from Italy, while many believe it has a Scandinavian origin. In the mid-15th century, it described a thick slice of animal rear meat. However, Florence gets the credit for cooking steaks as we know them today.
The industrial revolution and many other factors, like transportation facilities and ease of communication, made steak a popular food product. It now has a cultural aspect and is popular in many American steakhouses.
When Was the Invention Of Steak?
America saw the emergence of steakhouses in the late 19th century, while London was way ahead with their chophouses during the 1600s.
Both meat houses were the initial phase of what we eat today as steaks. They offer several varieties of steak with some complimentary food or drink items.
Does Steak Come From Cows or Bulls?
Bulls rarely come in handy for steaks as they are usually older and muscular. Therefore, their meat is more suitable for other meat products.
Steak usually comes from a castrated male or female beef cattle yet to give birth.
Does Steak Come From Other Animals?
Since butchers cut steaks from animal muscles, it could be from any animal that can provide a flavorful cut of meat. Fish steaks, pork steak, and even sheep steak are common.
However, most people prefer beef steak, which comes from cows. Chicken steak or fish steaks are also some commonly eaten steak products.
Besides these items, pork steak is also an edible choice for many people. Some prefer pork shoulder steaks and some pork chops. The pork chops have a thick-cut chop and sometimes have been sliced parallel.
Which Part of the Cow Is Steak?
There is no one specific part of the cow that comes in handy for steak. Instead, different cuts come from different parts of the animal. For example, the cow’s back rear is widely used for prime steak cuts.
The skirt steaks and flank steaks come from the underside of the cow.
Here are some of the popular cuts of steak and their area of origin:
Chuck – It is the cow’s lower neck and upper shoulder and is used for roasts and steak.
Round – A cow’s butt, ham, and thigh, i.e., its entire hind leg, is known as beef round. They are ideal for steaks and sirloin tip center steak.
Sirloin and Bottom Sirloin – For sirloin steak, the meat from the backbone to midway down the stomach, otherwise known as sirloin, is used.
Short Loin – Bone-in strip steak, porterhouse, and T-bone steaks come from the meat in the center of the back called short loin.
Flank – The famous flank steak comes from the flank, the short loin, and the sirloin area.
Ribs – The area between the chuck and the loin is used for ribeye steak.
Plate – The section between the brisket and flank area is called the plate. It is ideal for skirt steaks.
Shank – The most common cut of steak comes from the upper portion of the front leg, known as the shank.
What Are The Different Types Of Steak?
These primal cuts of steak originate from more meat types, such as the following-
Filet Mignon– The tip of the tenderloin portion of the beef steaks is filet mignon. It is the most tender region.
Tomahawk Steak– Taken from the loin and contains five inches in length. It is a rib bone.
Chuck Eye Steaks– This cut of meat is a part of the shoulder area and requires slow cooking methods.
Flank Steaks– These come from the abdominal muscles and are not tender.
Ribeye Steak– Beef steaks from the Rib region fall under this category.
Flat Iron Steaks-It is a chuck steak cut from the shoulder region.
T-bone Steak– Steak with a T-shape and a bone attached with two different meat cuts.
Skirt steak– Skirt steak also falls under abdominal muscles. It is tough, requires extra marination, and is cut from the plate. This region is the same as where the hanger steak is cut.
Strip Steak– It is a part of the short loin and the longissimus muscle. This muscle has lower usage.
Porterhouse Steak is a part of the short loin strip and tenderloin.
Sirloin steak– It is a part of the sirloin section of the beef loin primal cut.
Rump steak– It is a form of round steak cut from the leg area of the cow.
There are numerous other varieties apart from the ones mentioned here. Let us discuss some of these types in further detail.
Where Does the Tomahawk Steak Come From?
It is a ribeye steak. However, the difference lies with five inches of rib bone still present in this cut of meat.
It has a unique shape due to the presence of the bone.
Where Does a Chuck Eye Steak Come From?
Chuck Eye steak is most famous for the chuck roast. These are the most tender meat cut from the shoulder region.
Sometimes the cuts are also from the fifth rib. In this case, they are famous as chuck prime ribs.
It is one of the most tender, juicy, soft steaks with appropriate fat ratios.
Where Does Flank Steak Come From?
Although it is known as steak, flank steak is not cut across the grain and cannot qualify technically as steak. It is a part of the abdominal muscles of cows.
The flank steak is highly-demanded because it is not as expensive as traditional cuts, and neither does it require expert skills to cook.
As the flank steak is a part of abdominal muscle fibers, they are more stringent than other meat areas. The toughness is because these muscles are overworked and become coarse with constant usage.
Where Does Flat Iron Steak Come From?
Though Flat Iron steaks are not as famous as other variants, it is a fatty, well-balanced cut of meat with great taste.
This meat is a part of the shoulder region and falls under the lean meat category.
Where Does a T-Bone Steak Come From?
The T-bone steak comes from the T-shaped bone, thus the name. It consists of two different types of steak cuts, one in the short loin, followed by one in the tenderloin. The two cuts keep the meat connected to the bone.
The filet mignon portion has a tender texture and is smaller in size. The strip side of the steak contains bold flavors. Cooking thin strips can be a little tricky and require skills on the chef’s part.
However, T-Bones are a little expensive, though not as much as the tenderloin steaks.
Where Does Porterhouse Steak Come From?
This cut of steaks is from the point of meeting the tenderloin and the top sirloin. As the meat cut is from the rear end, it consists of more tenderloin and a large part of strip loin.
Where Does Ribeye Steak Come From?
Ribeye steaks are the most popular among the most loved cuts of steaks. Most restaurants and home cooks prefer this cut of meat as it has tons of flavor.
As the name suggests, the meat here comes from the rib section of cows and may also contain the bones. Leaving the bone adds to the flavor of the food.
However, this cut may contain some intramuscular fat from the ribs. This fat increases the flavor of the meat and helps make it tender.
Where Does Wagyu Steak Come From?
This particular type of steak is an expensive variant with high-quality and rich colors. It has a buttery smooth taste with high tenderness.
Wagyu beef has an intensely beefy flavor with a delicious taste. Consequently, the cattle require careful regulations in their management and follow specific breeding and slaughtering rules.
Is There Chicken Or Fish Steak?
Yes, chicken steaks are usually boneless and cooked slower than the usual beef steak. However, they are great for grilling and are cut from the bird’s chest.
Fish steak needs a part of large fish, and the steak cuts are present in a crosswise manner through the bone. It is usually thicker and is great for grilling, pan-frying, and baking. Fish like tuna, salmon, card, etc., are chosen for this type of cut.
Can There Be a Vegetarian Steak?
Vegetarian steak is for vegans or people who follow a plant-based lifestyle. It is usually plant-based steak as it does not contain any meat. Therefore, it is perfect for people who avoid meat consumption but wants to enjoy eating steak.
The taste and texture of vegetarian steak are similar to the non-vegetarian kinds.
Many companies invest in these products due to their high demand in the vegan community. Even companies with meat products are slowly entering the vegetarian or vegan steaks market.
What Is The Most Expensive Steak?
The Japanese Kobe steak, which comes from Wagyu beef, is available only in specific parts of Japan and is expensive. In addition, this beef follows strict regulations under the Kobe Beef Marketing And Distribution Promotion Association.
There are specific restrictive criteria that control the raising and slaughtering of beef cattle.
As a result, Kobe beef is rare and expensive. Therefore, the association does high-quality checks for the animals, and the entire process is conducted in the actual city of Kobe.
Read Also: Why Is Beef Jerky So Expensive?
Final Words – Where Does Steak Come From?
Throughout the ages, many food items excited the tastebuds of food enthusiasts. Beef steaks remained a classic food item through all the changes and are still one of the most popular choices of dish among restaurant visitors.
The reason for this favoritism is steaks are easy-to-enjoy meals with several flavors and different serving ways. It does not take a genius to cook steak. Therefore, even with other competitive food items like ground meat or chicken, steak has become a classic item with several different cuts and delectable flavors.
