What is Steak? What are the Original Steak Types?
Because I've noticed a growing number of misunderstood terms used in the gastronomy industry, I felt compelled to write about steak and its varieties. Steak is a word of English origin, often used internationally. When I consider its Turkish meaning, I can easily interpret it as "a piece of meat." Considering its similar names in Anatolia, it has also been used in the sense of "dawn breeze" in our culinary history.
Steak, "loin steak," is a type of steak that, in line with new gastronomic trends, weighs 200 grams or more—ideally 350 grams—but I can also weight it at 400 or 450 grams. As I should point out at the beginning of this article, "loin steak" isn't just made of red meat, as the name suggests.
What is Steak?
One of the words we hear most often in the food and beverage industry during Grand Openings and Small Openings these days is "Steak" and Steak varieties...
What does Steak mean? In what sense is the word Steak used? What is the meaning of Steak?
Steak is the name given to thick slices of meat, usually cut from specific parts of a large animal, especially beef. This word, of English origin, is used to mean "grilled or pan-fried steak." Steak can be prepared with various cuts, such as tenderloin, entrecôte, T-bone, or ribeye, and is often served according to specific degrees of doneness: rare, medium-rare, medium, or well-done. In the world of gastronomy, steak is not just a dish; it's an important culinary term representing a fine dining culture through its cooking technique, meat quality, and presentation.
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The Most Unlimited Pieces of Meat,
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The Softest Pieces of Meat,
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Boneless Piece of Meat,
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Like Turkish Delight,
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Turkish delight,
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Meat Loaf,
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Morning breeze,
Restaurant menus where Menu Engineering is most successfully implemented can be described as described above. We could also say that the most delicious or tender meats available from a single head of cattle or sheep are selected. One of the most important points to emphasize is that the steak varieties in the best Show Kitchen products are not limited to red meat. In popular restaurant promotions , steaks can be cooked in the oven, on the grill, on the barbecue, and using various cooking techniques in professional kitchens.
Steak isn't just made from beef. Some varieties of steak can also be made from the animals listed below, whose meat is considered edible by the World Health Organization.
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Bison,
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Calf
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Camel,
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Ostrich,
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Pig,
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Deer,
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Turkey
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Kangaroo,
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Goat,
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Swordfish,
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Shark,
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Marlin Fish,
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Salmon,
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Chicken,
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Zebu,
Steaks can also be made from various larger fish species, such as salmon, salmon, and salmon. These types of steaks have become popular in today's restaurant and food trends, and have elevated the popularity of steakhouse restaurants to even higher levels than before.
While extensive research has been conducted on how to open a steakhouse in new culinary trends, particularly in Arab countries, it remains a fact that fish steaks and steaks from other animals will be served. It also seems inevitable that the menus of some of the most successful "Dry Aged & Steakhouse" restaurants will be updated.
How many types of steak (loaf meat, Turkish delight) can be obtained from a head of cattle? This is one of the answers to the question " How can a newly opened restaurant be successful ?"
While the types of meat used as steak in both large and small ruminants are the same, the smaller loins of meat from small ruminants are not as popular. They are not known by the same names. For example, beef tenderloin is called "küşleme" in lamb, while lamb tenderloin is called "küşleme." Not all steaks are suitable for dry-aging . There are seven main types of steak that meet international standards. All other steaks are made from these seven types.
What are the Original Steak Types According to International Standards?
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Entrecôte ( Dry Aged )
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Steak (can be aged - Dry Aged)
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Tenderloin
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Brisket (Dry Aged)
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Veal chops (can be aged - Dry Aged)
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Flank steak
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T-bone steak (can be aged - Dry Aged)
I will explain the characteristics of the steak varieties I mentioned above in a separate article . These are the most original and fundamental steak varieties. All true and authentic steak varieties found worldwide are derived from these meats. The hundreds of steaks found on restaurant menus, often referred to as "steaks," are nothing more than " special dishes" or "made-up" dishes.
What are the most important features to consider when cooking, serving and consuming steak varieties?
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Not falling below 200 - 250 grams,
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Do not consume more than 450 grams,
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For Alcohol Drinkers, Alcohol Consumed at Room Temperature with Steak Should Be Preferred...
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Never consume steak fully cooked (the more it is cooked, the more it will lose its tenderness and flavor).
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Cold Alcohols Can Also Be Preferred Along With Fish Steaks If The Fish Does Not Contain Too Much Animal Fat...
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Consuming with steamed vegetables,
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Consumed between the ages of 10 and 38. (Each day that is expected to meet appropriate standards is one year of age.)
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Serving with garnishes and sauces,
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Cooking with its own fat,
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Consumed by cooking below medium, medium, or above medium,
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Pre-Baking
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Unless specifically requested, the meat should not be marinated with different spices in a way that would change its true taste.
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Do not put any other product on it after cooking,
I can say that this is one of the most important considerations. Steaks prepared by the most accomplished chefs in professional kitchens can employ different cooking techniques. I believe that by following the chefs' recommendations for the best cooking techniques, you will be able to enjoy the most delicious steaks in the healthiest way possible.
There are seven distinct types of steak found worldwide. The Wagyu, Kobe, and Argentinian steaks mentioned above are all related to the raising techniques of the animal. Although it's considered a steak, it's important to remember that these are raised using specialized techniques.
How Should Steak Be Cooked? What Are the Steak Cooking Measurements?
While steaks are essentially cooked in six different ways according to international standards, I'd like to define them under four different cooking techniques I use. I don't recommend the "rare" and "well-done" options, which are the two options, nor do I use them in my menus . In the examples below, the steaks require pre-frying as a whole . This is a common cooking technique in professional restaurants. Then, they are grilled.
Rare & Medium Rare
The internal temperature of the meat is 49 degrees Celsius. It's a 350-gram entrecôte, untrimmed, 3 cm thick. Grill over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, separated by a skewer. The degree of doneness can be adjusted with special sauces for those who want to experience different tastes . Our bodies absorb the iron in raw meat better. However, raw protein is difficult to digest. (I don't recommend it for those over 60.) The meat on the plate is 70% red in the center.
Medium & Medium
The internal temperature of the meat is 59 degrees. It's a 350-gram entrecôte, untrimmed, 3 cm thick. It's grilled for approximately 4 minutes on each side, over medium heat. The juices of the medium-rare meat, combined with local spices and special sauces containing bone marrow and grill sauces, are a delicacy to be savored. However, protein is easier to digest in medium-rare meat than in rare. The center of the meat, as it appears on the plate, is 50% red. "Chef's Recommendation"
Above Medium Done & Medium Well
The internal temperature of the meat is 66 degrees. It's a 350-gram entrecôte, uncut and 3 cm thick. It's grilled for approximately 6 minutes on each side, over medium heat. With a special grill sauce made from bone marrow in a smoky oven, along with mustard sauce, honey-peppercorn sauce, and other special sauces, it's hard to forget the unique flavor of the meat. The center of the meat, as it appears on the plate, is 25% red. "Chef's Recommendation"
Fully Cooked & Well Done
The internal temperature of the meat is 72 degrees Celsius. It's a 350-gram entrecôte, uncut and 3 cm thick. It's grilled for approximately 8 minutes on each side, over medium heat. I recommend consuming it with special sauces. Compared to medium and medium-rare meats, the meat will have lost some of its vitamins, flavor, tenderness, and size. It's firmer than medium and medium-rare options. On the plate, the meat is a brownish hue, as seen in the picture.
I specifically photographed meat in à la carte kitchens to check its tenderness and determine its doneness. When the thumb and fingers of the left hand are joined together, different tenderness levels are created at the base of the thumb. This firmness is then checked with the index finger of the right hand. This is called "hand calibration" in steak cooking techniques . This is because grilling steak is never tested by cutting into it. Experienced and successful chefs test it by joining the fingers of different hands.
How can you tell if rare or medium rare meat is cooked by checking with your finger?
When the thumb and index finger meet, it is the same as the softness of the space at the beginning of the thumb in the palm.
How can you tell if meat is cooked medium or medium by checking with your finger?
When the thumb and middle finger meet, it is the same as the softness of the space at the beginning of the thumb in the palm.
How can you tell if meat is cooked above medium or medium well by checking with your finger?
When the thumb and ring finger meet, it is the same as the softness of the space at the beginning of the thumb in the palm.
How can you tell if meat is fully cooked and well done by checking with your finger?
When the thumb and little finger meet, it is the same as the softness of the space at the beginning of the thumb in the palm.
Wagyu cattle, which don't move very fast, have a high proportion of fatty tissue integrated into the meat in every part of their body, and a lack of muscle and nerve tissue contribute to the tenderness of their meat. Wagyu cattle are raised using special techniques in quiet areas, away from roadsides and in stables.
As mentioned above, Wagyu and Tajima cattle, originally bred in the Wagyu region of Japan, are specially bred using specialized techniques. These cattle, with their tender meat, are not allowed to walk.
Kobe beef, or its varieties, is one of the three most tender and high-quality meats in Japan, along with Matsusaka, Omi, and Yonezawa. Wagyu and Tajima cattle, fed fresh herbs, barley, wheat, and special feed, are fed 15-20 liters of beer daily.
While virtually no stress is allowed, special raising techniques are employed on specialized farms located in quieter areas, and they are not allowed to grow excessively and live for a maximum of 2.5 years. Wagyu meat, with its high fat content, is one of the most suitable meats for aging.
This is an animal husbandry technique practiced in Argentina. It is used on both large and small cattle. In previous years, the animal's legs were broken immediately after birth, and it was placed on its left side and fed using special methods (oral feeding). This method was banned due to strong opposition from animal lovers, but this time, the animal was placed in a cage where it could not even stand up and fed using the same method.
The animal, which has virtually zero nerves and zero muscle, is unable to walk at all. It is massaged at certain times of the day and encouraged to drink plenty of beer. It is also constantly played classical music on a sound system in the barn to prevent stress.
Every part of an animal raised using Argentinian techniques can be consumed as steak. Interestingly, the 42% muscle in the shank of a normal animal varies between 3% and 5% in an animal raised using Argentinian techniques. Argentinian meat, with its high fat content, is one of the most suitable meats for aging.
Chef Ahmet Ozdemir
International Restaurant and Culinary Consultant
Ottoman and Turkish Cuisine World Volunteer Ambassador
Notes:
Important Note:
You can check out my latest project, Elysium LAGOS,in Lagos, which I coordinated from construction to the grand opening. You might also be interested in seeing the fine dining menus, garden restaurant menus, bistro restaurant menus, andtasting menus within the Lagos Elysium group.
Important note:
What is steak? What are the original steak varieties? What is ribeye steak made from? What is a T-bone steak? What is the difference between a porterhouse steak and a T-bone steak? What are the cooking temperatures for steak? How is a medium-rare steak made? Which is the most delicious steak? Which is the best cut of meat for steak? What is a dry-aged steak? What does a steakhouse restaurant mean? How is a steak marinated? Why is resting meat important? When is salt added when cooking steak? What are the steak sauces used in restaurants? How to make a professional steak at home? What is the best steak knife? What should be considered when serving a steak? What is needed to open a steak restaurant? What is the original American steak culture?
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