Grilledportobello mushroom may be called mushroom steak, and similarly for other vegetarian dishes.[3] Imitation steak is a food product that is formed into a steak shape from various pieces of meat. Grilled fruits such as watermelon have been used as vegetarian steak alternatives.
Etymology
The word steak was writtensteke inMiddle English, and comes from the mid-15th century Scandinavian wordsteik, related to theOld Norsesteikja 'to roast on a stake', and so is related to the word stick or stake.[4] The primary definition is "a thick slice of meat cut for roasting or grilling or frying, sometimes used in a pie or pudding; especially a piece cut from the hind-quarters of the animal". Fish suitable for cutting steaks from might be called "steak fish".[5] An early written usage of the word "stekys" comes from a 15th-century cookbook, and makes reference to both beef orvenison steaks.[6]
Production
Marketing and sales
Ribeye steak at a steak house
Countries with enough suitable land for grazing animals, in particular cattle, have a history of production and culinary use of steak. Such countries include Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.[7]
Argentina
Argentina has one of the largest consumptions of beefper capita worldwide,[8] and much of it is grilled steak. Beef steak consumption is described as part of the "Argentine national identity".[9] Portion sizes of steak dishes in Argentine restaurants tend to be large, with steaks weighing over 454 grams (1 lb) being commonplace.[10]Asado, considered anational dish, often includes steak.[11]
Australasia
The "Steak of Origin" competition has been run for a decade on behalf of the Beef+Lamb Corporation of New Zealand. It "aims to find the most tender and tasty sirloin steak" in the country. Criteria for judging claims to include tenderness,pH, marbling and percentage cooking loss", but while these data are collected for each entrant steak, only the shear force (correlated to perceived tenderness) determines qualification to a tasting panel, at which objective taste from a panel determines the winner. The pH is used solely to disqualify entrants and neither the marbling or the cooking loss have any effect on the outcome of the competition at any stage.[12]
Beef steaks are commonlygrilled orfried.[13] Grilled beef steaks can be cooked at differenttemperatures, or for different lengths of time; the resulting cooked steak ranges from blue (very rare) to overdone.[14] The outside is usuallyseared forflavor, while the inside is cooked to suit the diner's preference. Steaks cooked well done are usually cooked throughout the entire cut of meat. For example, a beefsteak cooked well done will not have any pinkness in the middle when sliced. Uncooked beef steak can be served raw, such as insteak tartare.
Fish steaks are generally cooked for a short time, as the flesh cooks quickly, especially when grilled. Fish steaks, such as tuna, can also be cooked to various temperatures, such as rare and medium rare.[15] Different cuts of steak includerib eye,sirloin,tenderloin,rump, porterhouse, andt-bone.[16]
Cuts of steak differ between countries owing to differences in farming the animal and butchering the carcass. The result is that a steak found in one country is not the same as in another, although the recipes may be the same, differing "only in their sauces, butters, orgarnitures".[17]
Most important is trying to achieveMaillard reaction on meat to ensure that restaurant-quality steak results each time.[18]
Dining
French steak cuts as found on menus
Entrecôte: rib steak, cut from the fore and wing end parts of therib roast sections, ribs 9–11
Romsteck orrumsteck:rump steak cut from the part of the rump which faces the large end of the filet. This cut needs to be best quality, well-aged.
Faux filet orcontre filet: the boneless uppercut of the loin, corresponding to the larger, less tender part of a porterhouse orT-bone steak
Bifteck: cut from the larger, less tender end of thefilet, or any lean, boneless steak from a reasonably tender part of the animal
Châteaubriand: corresponds to the undercut or filet portion of a porterhouse steak.[17]
Down on the place d'Armes near Racouchot's, there was a restaurant ...the Pré Aux Clercs ... [that] made very good grilled rare steaks with watercress, which at that time were beginning to be in great vogue in the big cities among the younger generation ...les sportifs... but were dismissed with impatient disgust by older gourmands raised in the intricate traditions of fine sauces and culinary disguise. It was like the Chateaubriant at the other end of the town, also known mostly for its steak and watercress and french fries.M. F. K. Fisher, writing about dining inDijon in 1929.[19]
Steak has become a popular dish in many places around the world, cooked in domestic and professional kitchens, and is often a primary ingredient in a menu. It is used in small amounts in anhors d'oeuvre,[page needed] in anentrée dish[dubious –discuss] or, more usually, in a larger amount as the main course. Steak is sometimes served as a breakfast dish, especially for heavy manual laborers, such as farmers.[20] In restaurants, thedoneness is usually specified by the diner: "rare", "medium rare", "medium", "medium well", or "well done". Print appearances of this use of "rare" are found as early as around 1615.[21] Asteak knife is a specialized piece ofcutlery to make cutting the steak easier; it is sharper than other knives and may have a serrated edge.[citation needed]
Beefsteak Clubs were once part of London's club life. They were described as "a club of ancient institution in every theatre; when the principal performers dined one day in the week together (generally Saturday), and authors and other geniuses were admitted members."[22]Dr Johnson'sclub in Ivy lane was originally a Beef-Steak Club and the "Rump-Steak or Liberty Club" was in existence from 1733–34.[22] The present-day Beefsteak Club, established in 1876, is at 9 Irving Street, London. Among its members are many notable people.
Steakhouses
Asteakhouse is a restaurant that specializes in beefsteaks and other individual portions of meat. Chophouses started in London in the 1690s, and served individual portions of meat, known aschops.[23] The houses were normally only open for men; for example, women were only admitted to Stone's Chop House in 1921.[24][25] Accounts of travellers in 19th-century London refer to their "dining off mutton chop, rump steak and a 'weal' cutlet", as well as hams and sirloins.[26]
Delmonico's restaurant in New York City, which opened in 1827 and stayed open for almost 100 years, has been described as "the most famous steak restaurant in American history".[27]Delmonico steak is a method of preparation from one of several cuts of beef (typically the rib cut) prepared Delmonico style,[dubious –discuss] originally from the mid-19th century.[28] Hundreds of restaurants specialize in serving steak, describing themselves as "steakhouses".[dubious –discuss]
Commercially produced bottled sauces for steak and pre-mixed spices are also popular. In 2012 in the U.S.,A1 Steak Sauce had slightly over 50% of the market share for all meat sauce products, and was the category leader.[30]Montreal steak seasoning is aspice mix used to flavor steak and grilled meats that was based on the picklingdry-rub mix used in preparingMontreal smoked meat.[31]
In contemporary Argentina, where steak consumption is very high,[8] steak is a significant part of the national cuisine and theasado has the status of a national dish.
Variouscuts of beef are used for steak. The more tender cuts, from theloin andrib, are generally cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from thechuck orround are generally cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized (e.g.,cube steak).
Beefsteak isgraded for quality, with higher prices for higher quality. For example, beef tenderloin is the most tender,[37] whilewagyu, such asKobe beef from Japan, is also known for its high quality.[38]
The quality and safety of beefsteak as a food product is regulated by law. Australia has National Meat Accreditation standards;[39] Canada has the Canadian Beef Grading Agency;[40] in the United Kingdom, theFood Standards Agency is responsible;[41] in the United States, young beef isgraded by theUnited States Department of Agriculture as Select, Choice or Prime,[42] where "Prime" refers to beef of the highest quality, typically that which has significantmarbling.[42] In 1996 in the U.S., only 2.4% of cattle were graded as prime,[43] and most Prime beef is sold in restaurants and hotels.[42]
Beefsteak can be cooked to a level of very rare (bleu, a cold raw center), rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. More tender cuts can be cooked relatively quickly at very high temperatures, such as by broiling or grilling.Pittsburgh rare is charred on the outside. Beef, unlike some other meats, does not need to be cooked through. Food-borne human illnesses are not normally found within a beefsteak, though surfaces can potentially be contaminated from handling, thus very rare steak (seared on the outside and raw within) is generally accepted as safe.
The wide range of quickly-prepared and well-known beefsteak dishes includesminute steak,steak sandwiches, andsteak and eggs. Steak meat is also often minced, shredded, chopped finely or formed to create a range of dishes that retain the name "steak":
Fish steaks are cut perpendicular to the spine and may include bones. Although their delicate flesh requires quicker cooking than beef, steaks fromswordfish,halibut,tuna,salmon, andmahi-mahi can be grilled. They are frequently cooked whole or asfillets. Fish steaks may also bepoached orbaked using acourt bouillon, wine or sauce or cookeden papillote.[44]
Lamb steaks come from a range of cuts, mostly from the leg of the lamb, and are a versatile ingredient that can be used in a range of dishes.[45] It is commonly found sliced into salads.[46]
Pork steaks are generally cut from theshoulder of the pig but can also be cut from theloin orleg of the pig. Shoulder steaks are cut from the same primal cut of meat most commonly used forpulled pork and can be quite tough without long cooking times due to the high amount ofcollagen in the meat; therefore, pork shoulder steaks are often cooked slower than a typicalbeef steak and may be stewed or simmered inbarbecue sauce during cooking.
Cooked gammon steaks are a component of afull breakfast, whereas steaks from a rolled pork loin are more likely to be served at lunch.
ABoston butt is a pork steak originating from colonial New England, where butchers would pack fewer valuable cuts of pork in barrels, called butts.[47]
Thick sliced or chopped and formed chicken is used to create mainly traditional southern dishes such aschicken fried chicken.[48] This may also refer to beef cuts such as a hip steak or a shoulder blade steak,[49] or a small portion ofchuck steak with a visible line of whiteconnective tissue.[50]
Vegetarian alternatives
Sliced vegetables can be used as vegetarian nonmeat "steak" alternatives, such as cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, and eggplant.[51]Beans andlegumes (such assoybeans) have also been used to form steak-like foods.[52][53][54]Watermelon steaks are sliced and cooked pieces of watermelon.
In 2019, theEuropean Union included steak as one of the protected designations under a revised regulation that passed with 80% approval. The decision will be put to member states and the European commission. The change was "designed to protect meat-related terms and names exclusively for edible parts of the animals". It was felt that "steak should be kept for real steak with meat" and that a new name was needed for new non-meat products so that people know what they are eating.[55]
^Ayto, John (1990).The Diner's Dictionary: Word Origins of Food and Drink. Oxford University Press. pp. 351–352.ISBN978-0-19-964024-9.
^"Chinese peasants had already mastered the richly varied environment and knew every edible part of it, which helped them to withstand famine. The stir-fry technique conserved precious firewood and enabled cooks to be exceedingly adaptable."Symons, Michael (2007).One Continuous Picnic: A gastronomic history of Australia (2nd ed.). Carlton, Victoria: Melbourne University Press. pp. 86–87.ISBN9780522853230.
^"El asado" [The asado].Vía Restó.com (in Spanish). Buenos Aires: Grupo Clarín. 28 April 2010. Archived fromthe original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved29 December 2012.Nacido en el centro de las costumbres gauchas, el asado se impuso como el plato nacional por excelencia.
^O'Conner, Elizabeth (1958).Steak for breakfast. Sydney, NSW: Angus & Robertson.
^"["implied in: G. Markham Eng. Hus-wife in Countrey Contentments ii. 54 To know when meate is rosted enough, for as too much rareness is vnwholsome, so too much drinesse is not nourishing. [at rareness n.2] 1776 G. Colman Spleen ii. 26 For which reason they leave the food without any juices at all. Without them, Sir, instead of beef or mutton, you might as well eat mahogany?. Eat your meat as rare as possible, Sir..."Olver, Lynne (18 August 2014)."The Food Timeline". Retrieved8 October 2014.
^5195924 A US patent US 5195924 A, Eugene D. Gagliardi, Jr., "Method of butchering an animal carcass to produce a generally flat, boneless meat product and meat product produced", issued 23 March 1993