What makes a better steak?

by Celine Chan

Couldn’t figure out how steak should be served? Not sure which sauce suit best? Confused about the beef cuts?

Starting off will a small introduction, steak is actually cuts from cow the animal. And steak is basically the best and the most tender meat anyone could ever ask for. But questions like 'Cow only have grass for meals isn't it?' or 'Steak are cows?' usually confused many people. Yes, cows only have grass for meal but I am sure grass are healthy that's why steak are so tender compared to pork or chicken. And yes, steak are from cut beefs and it is from a COW.

It is pretty obvious that cow is a huge animal. And from the size itself, there are nine different types of cuts of beefs. Chuck, brisket, rib, plate, short loin, flank, sirloin, round and shank. But the well known parts are rib, sirloin, t-bone or porterhouse from short loin and skirt from plate.

Beef cuts 

Rib eye is mainly from rib primal of the beef animal which is attached to the rib bone. In United States, bones are usually removed; despite in certain areas or outside of the US, terms are often interchangeable. Rib eye implies on the center best beef portion of the rib steak, boneless.

On the other hand, sirloin steak is part of the sirloin area which is near to the cow’s rear. Sirloin is spilt into two parts which is the upper sirloin and the lower sirloin. The upper sirloin is normally much more expensive than then lower sirloin as the tenderness of it is comparable.

Furthermore skirt steak, placed at the cow’s abdomen. Commonly the steak is long, thick and tender. But skirt steak has a slight differences than other steak because skirt steak are priced by flavour instead of its tenderness.

T-bone or porterhouse, from the short loin part which is the cow lower back area. But it is usually slice where the tenderloin is still attached. T-bones have smaller tenderloin section compared to porterhouse steak.

Different types of steaks best serve in different method of cooking. For example, upper sirloin is best in rare while rib eye and T-bone or porterhouse is perfect in medium rare. Skirt steak will taste delicious in medium well. Never cook steak until it is well done, because steak are not meant to be served that way. Why go for steak when you can have raw meat?

Trying to differentiate is your steak cooked based on what you asked for is not as complicated as it is. Rare, medium rare, medium well and well done. It can be differentiate based on the inner meat colour. In a simpler way, steak will have to be slice a little to check it out.

Differences between rare, medium rare, medium well and well done.

The more pink is it, the more tender it usually is. The cut of the steak also determines how tender could it be.

Even though steaks are best served in medium, but we have to add sauces to have a better meal. For steak, black pepper sauce will be the commonly asked sauce. Following with creamy peppercorn sauce or red wine sauce. Least recommended sauce would be tomato sauce. It will be a major turn off for steak lovers.

Black Pepper Sauce

Creamy Peppercorn Sauce

Red Wine Sauce

 Highly recommended steakhouse in Kuala Lumpur is definitely Cedar on 15, Impiana Hotel. Big portion accompanied by delicious black pepper sauce with beautiful night view. Impiana Hotel is located opposite of Grand Hyatt. 

Impiana Hotel, Kuala Lumpur entrance

Cedar on 15 outdoor environment 

Cedar on 15 indoor environment