Ribeye, NY Strip, Top Sirloin - these are all steaks that we have had before and are among the most popular. But I want to introduce you to some steaks you may not have had or even heard of. Pick one of these to try out at your next cookout.
Each & Every Steak
My motivation for becoming a food blogger stems from a personal desire for knowledge—first to learn for myself, and then to share what I’ve discovered with others.
There were two things I was especially curious about whenever I went to the grocery store: what the different types of apples tasted like and how the various cuts of steak compared.
Back in my college days, I’d grab whatever steak was on sale at my local Meijer store in Michigan and toss it onto my George Foreman grill. I’ll be honest—I had mixed results. Looking back, I’m not sure how I managed to chew through some of those tough steaks.
But my curiosity about steak never faded. To this day, if I spot a cut I haven’t tried before, you can bet I’m going to give it a shot - with a lot more success nowadays!
Today, I want to share some of my favorite steaks from recent years. These aren’t all household names, but they’re absolutely worth trying. For each one, I’ll give you a reason—or two—why it deserves a spot on your grill this cookout season, from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
For each steak, I am going to share with you a link to buy them at my favorite online butcher Porter Road. I was lucky to visit their shop in person in Nashville a couple years ago. I have always been incredibly pleased with the quality of their meat.
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Merlot
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? Upper leg; only 2 of these steaks per cow.
The very first thing you are going to notice about the Merlot steak is that it's a lean steak. You don't see much fat on the picture of that steak above. You can easily overcook this steak if you cook it past medium rare, so don't do it! The texture of the steak makes it a prime candidate to be marinated before cooking.
Get your own the Merlot steak from Porter Road. They ship fresh and weigh on average 0.34-0.41 LBS
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you are looking for a lean steak that has flavor and is on the small side.
Chuck Eye Steak
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? The front of the cow from the chuck primal.
The Chuck eye steak has become one of my favorite steaks because of the flavor. It comes from the same part of the cow we get the finger licking good pot roast. That also means it can be tough if not treated right. This is the first type of steak that I ever gave the sous vide treatment too and that is where it shines. By cooking the steak for a longer time at a medium rare temperature you get a steak that is tender.
Get a Chuck Eye Steak from Porter Road. They ship fresh and average around 0.69-0.81 Lbs.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: Flavor. Flavor. Flavor. This is one of the most flavorful steaks out there. They come out rich and buttery tasting.
Newport
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? From underneath the Top Sirloin steak, so the middle of the cow.
If you have spend much time on the west coast you certainly have heard of the Tri-Tip steak or roast. The Newport steak is actually cut from the Tri-Tip. The steak is known for it's fat cap on one side, that either comes intact or has become trimmed off.
Porter Road keeps the fat cap on their Newport steaks. They weight around 0.44-0.56 LBS each.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you are looking for a steak that is tender and juicy, and not too big.
Denver
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? The front shoulder of the cow.
In case you are wondering, this steak was NOT named after the city in Colorado. The Denver steak got it's name because someone like the name Denver for it! It comes from an area of the cow that tougher cuts come from but the butcher works their magic to cut out a steak from that area that is more tender than meat in that same area.
I once had both the Newport and Denver steaks at the same time, so I did an comparison. What I found that while the Newport steak was more tender and juicy, the Denver steak had a stronger beefy flavor.
Porter Road carries this steak in two different sizes, the standard Denver and the Petite Denver.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you are looking for a flavorful steak
Teres Major
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? The front of the animal, near the head.
This is problem the most unique name on the list. Teres Major is also called shoulder tender steak, petite tender steak, bristo filet, or mock tender steak. That's a lot of different names! It's surprisingly tender for the area on the cow it's from. You need a good butcher to remove the Teres Major steak, which is why it's not super popular. It's a lot easier to cut use for ground beef - so it's a treat when you can find someone that will do it.
The Teres Major steaks from Porter Road weight around 0.50-0.75 Lbs each.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: An alternative to Filet Mignon or beef tenderloin. And when you want a thin flavorful steak.
Bavette
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? The stomach area of the cow.
Bavette may have the most fancy sounding name on today's list. It's also called flap steak which doesn't sound fancy at all! I find it in Mexican grocery stores with the flap name. You also may be able to find in Brazilian markets as it's a popular cut there used for a dish called Churrasco.
Porter Road offers two different options for Bavette - Whole Bavette & Bavette Steak.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you want a steak that is similar to a flank steak or skirt steak.
Sierra
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? On top of the boneless short ribs in the chuck primal.
Sierra is a lean steak that has a lot in common with flank steak even thought it comes from a completely different part of the cow. It's a thin cut that cooks quickly and has a good amount of flavor.
The only Sierra steak I have gotten before was from Porter Road but as of now they are no longer carrying this cut.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you love flank steak or you want a steak that takes a marinade really well.
Flat Iron
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? Cut from the top blade roast with the gristly part removed.
You might not have heard of any of the other steaks on this list so far but I am pretty sure most people have not heard of the flat iron steak. It has become quite popular even making it's way onto many restaurant menus. With increase popularity has lead to increased prices but often I find it cheaper than a Ribeye steak and I prefer the flat iron steak!
Flat iron steaks from Porter Road come in at around 0.44-0.56 LBS.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: Big bold flavor! When cooked right, especially via sous vide can be very tender.
Ranch
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? From the chuck primal
The Ranch steak is a flavorful steak that I have had on a few occasions. The challenge of this steak is often a tough membrane that runs through the steak. It's easy enough to cut around, which I do when I am eating the steak.
This is not a cut that Porter Road has carried. I have found it some a few grocery stores over the year, but it's not super common.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: When you can find it tends to be a really good price for a flavorful steak.
Top Sirloin Filet
🐄 What part of the cow does it come from? Sous vide, Air fryer, Cast iron pan, Grill
The final steak on our list is the Top Sirloin Filet steak. It is actually a Top Sirloin steak that has been trimmed down to only contain the most tender part of the Top Sirloin. It comes in the size of a Filet Mignon but without the huge price tag.
I have gotten these from the grocery store before and then I tried the Porter Road Top Sirloin Filet steak and it was my favorite.
🥩 Why you would want to try this steak?: If you want a steak that tastes like Top Sirloin but is smaller in size.
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