Two of my favorite bodybuilders eat fair amounts of “New York” Steak and “Flank” Steak. (As they’ve indicated in books and on tapes). Some questions:
1)Does “New York” steak come under some different name? (Can’t seem to find it in the grocery). What is the “generic” name, if any?
2)“Flank” appears to be a “tougher” and more “everyday” steak; good for quick grilling (like on the “George Foreman”), less expensive, etc. Is that a correct assessment?
3)In general, how would you compare “Flank” and “Round” or “Top Round”? (As we’ve discussed before, I know that round has the lowest fat content of all the cuts). (See below).
4)Regarding fat. As I’ve looked at comparable sizes of the different cuts of steaks, there really isn’t a huge difference in total calories or fat content. Are we making too big of a deal over fat content?
5)How would you use the three (“New York”, “Flank” and “Round”) in an overall musclehead diet? Or would you use other cuts? (What I’m thinking of is perhaps one for grilling, one more “everyday”, one for slow-cooking/stews/chilis/ etc.)
(Note: I know a lot of this will have to do a lot with personal taste, so this is all asked in general terms).
Mufasa: Hi! Ko’s working right now, he’ll have to post later - or tomorrow. But I’ll say right now that the best thing to do for flank steak is to marinate it - maybe let it soak in a marinade overnight. THEN consider grilling it. But it is better to cook it slowly - it’s a tough meat.
As I've said before, Ko's the expert, I just eat the stuff he cooks.
Regarding tough meat. I used to work in a restaurant and got turned on to a tenderizor called “Adolph’s”, it’s all natural (uses papain), you can use a tiny bit and it makes shoe leather tender and palatable. It is best to poke alot of fork holes in the meat then sprinkle a light dusting on both sides, If you are going to marinate wait about 20 minutes after you sprinkle. Generally if you add it directly to the marinade the meat gets way, to soft.
As a sidebar, papain is an ingredient in some facial products, I use a scrub by Origin’s that has it and it makes your skin look absolutely amazing.
Of course, there may be a whole host of research I am unaware of as to why you shouldn’t use papain containing products, in which case I am sure to receive a T-smackdown.
1. New York steak, my favorite. also is called a strip loin, top loin, and Kansas City strip. If you take a T-bone or a porterhouse steak and remove the bone, you are left with two pieces. The bigger piece(long rectangular) is the New York. The smaller piece is the tenderloin.
2. I do not know what you pay for flank, but here in portand, it is vey expensive. It used to be cheap, but it became trendy and the price shot up. Flank has about 8 grams a fat per 3 oz, compared to the eye which has 4 g per 3 oz. A New York has 8 g per 3 oz. A flank steak needs to be marinaded if you want to grill it, as they tend to be very tough.
3. Bang for the buck, I would go for the round. Less fat, and can sometimes be more tender. It is also more versatile.
4. I think that the fat content between the round and other cuts is enough to make a difference when somone is having a hard time losing those last few pounds of fat (not so much that the fat calories are bad, but people need to pay more attention to the calories). I think that it is more of a financial decision.
5.For me, a New York is a treat, and the round is for every day. I rarely buy flank, because of the expense and limited uses. For the price of flank, you can get a top sirloin steak that is much more grill friendly, and less fat, around 5-7 g per 3 oz.
I would have to agree with Ko on all his points. Just wanted to add that tenderloin is the leanest (and most tender, obviously) if you can afford it - typically it’s the most expensive. If you have a Costco with a meat dept, you can get 'em pretty cheap… good quality too.
A suggestion for grilling top round: marinate in light soy, worsteschire, garlic, other spices etc. Grill to med-rare, then let it rest for about 15 minutes. Cut into paper thin (or as thin as you can with a very sharp knife) strips and it essentially is just like deli roast beef. I love to use it for Au Jus sandwiches.
Regarding the flank steak, ask the butcher to tenderize it for you… they’ll run it through a machine that cuts little slices into it. Marinate it in lime juice, garlic and cumin. Grill on high very high heat so it’s seared on the outside but rare to med-rare inside. Then cut again into thin strips across the grain, throw in to a pan with a tiny bit of olive oil, onions, peppers, etc. and sear again on med-high heat but this time sprinkle a coating of fajita seasoning (like the Lawry’s packets in the grocery store). I usually use skirt steak to do this (also a very tough cut of meat), but I’m sure flank would work just as well.
Remember, with the tough steaks, a lot matters on how you CUT them, thinner strips across the grain make it much easier chew and the right seasoning can make it much more palatable.
How about london broil? My local grocery store was having a good deal on it. I did a mustard/balsamic/etc marinade on it and threw it on the foreman grill. Really tasty. Is it’s fat profile acceptable? The meat looks lean.
London Broil is a flank steak. Its kind of a misnomer as London Broil is a recipe/cooking technique, not a cut of meat. If you can get a good deal, stock up. Tenderloins are nice, but have 8-10 g per 3 oz, and are not exactly the cheapest cut. I get to eat them at work for free, so I’m kinda spoiled.
Round is the best hands down. It may be a little tough, but you always know you are getting a very lean protein source. Drench it in Tabasco and you’ll have a tender, flavorful, red meat experience:) As for flank steak, tenderness is very dependent on how you cut it. Plus, I don’t like any red meat that seems to have more white than red when you take it out of the package.
Ko, what would you recommend for a breakfast steak? Looking for something I can eat 5-7x/week at breakfast, something that’s tasty but not too expensive due to volume consumed.
One that I always forget to mention is cube steak. They take cheap, tough cuts (usually chuck), and mechanically tenderize them. They usually sell for cheap, but the fat content is dependent on the cut used so you need to watch it. Top sirloin is another good choice, a little more money but sometimes you can get good deals.
Most tropical fruits have enzymes that are good for tenderizing, kiwi, papaya,mango to name a few. Savannah mentioned a tenderizer which is probably made from papaya, I am not really familiar with it though. Anything with high acid will also help tenderize the meat, but you have to be careful because that same acid can cook the meat if left in the marinade too long. The three components to a marinade are: acid, fat, and seasoning. Heres a quick one, I’m guessing on the amounts:
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup extra virginolive oil
2 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic minced
1 TB fresh thyme (1 tspn dried will work)
1 chipotle pepper minced(or a TB of chipotle sauce)
Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Pour over meat and allow it to marinade in the frdge for at least 30 minutes. season with salt and pepper, then grill.