Steak can be tricky business. The word itself has become an ambiguous term for a myriad of beef cuts, which are often meant to be treated differently in preparation. We also think it is important to know and respect how many steaks you can expect from one animal. In the modern culinary culture it can start to feel as though steaks grow on trees!
We have created a little cheat sheet for all you Maine Meat goers. You are always welcome to ask about how to prepare the steaks (and everything else) we sell, but we hope with this little guide you can gain further steak confidence.
Hanger Steak:
Perhaps the original “Butcher’s Cut,” the Hanger Steak was often held back by butchers for their own meals. It is referred to as the, “Hanging Tender” as connects the diaphragm to the backbone and extremely deep in flavor, color and super tender. There are 2 pieces per cow.
Spider Steak:
Considered “Butcher’s Cut” more modernly than the Hanger, this steak is also referred to as the Oyster Steak. It’s a crazy, little, muscle that looks almost like a spider web due to the striations of fat within the roundish muscle. It sits on the hip and it’s main purpose is to anchor the other leg muscles to the hipbone itself. And, because cows only have 2 hips, there are only 2 Spider Steaks.
Bavette:
You know when you order “Steak Tips” at a restaurant? You are actually ordering a sliced up Bavette cut. Being a whole animal butcher shop, we only get roughly 8 – 10 of these which translates into about 5 – 6 pounds. These steaks are so amazingly flavorful and tender that we opt to keep their full integrity and spread the love amongst as many customers as we can!
David Earl:
You might not want to order this cut at another butcher shop, it has a special name and a special meaning at Maine Meat. This steak is an homage to Rook’s (aka, Jarrod, owner of Maine Meat) Dad, David Earl. David would always request this cut from his butcher as he didn’t like grilling more than 1 steak for the entire family of 4. It comes from the leg (the trimmed out top round to be specific.) As with all working muscles, the David Earl is deep in flavor and prefers to be sliced at a 45 degree angle for the utmost tenderness. It’s a great steak for marinades and loves to be grilled. Typically, a cow can yield 10 – 12 David Earls.
Bistro Filet:
You will find this cut tucked into what is referred to as the “Shoulder Clod”. The Should Clod includes the Blade (Flat Iron) as well as the Ranch Steak. The entire cluster of these muscles are flavorful and tender and can be pan fried or grilled. Again, a cow only has 2 shoulders, thus there are only 2 Bistro Filets per animal.
Denver Steak:
The Denver is a muscle that is in between the Chuck and Shoulder Blade. It a rectangle flap that we isolate and trim out to obtain roughly 4 steaks per side. The Denver is one of our more popular cuts as it is incredibly flavorful, easy to grill, and extremely tender after a few hours marinating (it doesn’t need the help of a marinade, but some folks prefer the added flavors.) The Denver Steak can be a bit “toothy” as it has a wide grain, but does not lack in tenderness.
Cap Steak:
You know the ticklish part of the inside of your upper thigh? That is the part of the cow the the Cap Steak is found. It is very similar to the Flank Steak and is a really flavorful alternative for those who don’t need as large of a piece of meat.
So there you have it! Hopefully this helps you navigate the meat case with ease. But you may want to plan your trip early or call ahead— steaks never stay long!