Steak glossary
A to Z.

A–C

Ageing. Controlled storage of beef during which the animal's own enzymes break down muscle proteins. Without ageing, meat stays tough. Two methods: dry ageing (dry, on the bone) and wet ageing (vacuum-packed).

Asado. Argentinian grilling tradition: meat is cooked slowly on angled grates over wood embers, often for hours.

Basting. Spooning foaming butter over the steak at the end of cooking. It brings roasted aromas from the butter and evens out the heat distribution.

Bavette. French term for cuts from the flank — bavette d'aloyau (flap meat) and bavette de flanchet (flank steak). Coarse-grained, aromatic, to be sliced against the grain.

Blue. The lowest doneness level, core temperature 45 to 47 °C. Sealed outside, practically raw inside.

BMS. Beef Marbling Standard, a scale from 1 to 12 for assessing marbling. Top Japanese wagyu reaches 8 to 12, US Prime around 4 to 5.

Brisket. The breast of the animal. Boiling beef in Europe, the prestige cut of Texan barbecue — 10 to 14 hours at 110 °C.

Carry-over. Continued cooking after the meat comes off the heat. Between 1 and 5 °C depending on method.

Chateaubriand. The thick head of the tenderloin, classically prepared for two.

Chimichurri. Argentinian cold herb sauce of parsley, oregano, garlic, chilli, vinegar and oil.

Chuletón. Spanish bone-in rib steak, usually from older cattle, often Rubia Gallega.

Côte de bœuf. Ribeye on the rib bone, 700 to 1200 grams, for two people.

D–H

Denver cut. A steak from where the neck meets the rib. Heavily marbled, inexpensive, very tender up to medium rare.

Dry aged. Dry-aged beef, hanging freely at 1 to 2 °C and 75 to 85 % humidity. It loses 20 to 35 % of its weight and gains nutty and cheesy aromas.

Entraña. Spanish name for the skirt steak, a fixture of the Argentinian asado.

Entrecôte. Steak from the rib, with its characteristic eye of fat. American equivalent: ribeye.

EUROP. The EU carcass grading grid, measuring conformation (E to P) and fat cover (1 to 5). It says little about eating quality and a lot about yield.

Eye of fat. The core of fat between the muscles of the rib, which gave the ribeye its name.

Flat iron. Steak from the top blade of the shoulder. Once the central sinew is removed, one of the tenderest muscles on the animal.

Hanger steak. See onglet. Also butcher's steak, because butchers traditionally kept it for themselves.

K–P

Kobe. Protected designation of origin for Tajima cattle from the Japanese prefecture of Hyōgo that meet strict criteria. Not a breed, and extremely rare in Europe.

Core temperature. The temperature in the middle of the thickest part of the meat. The only reliable indicator of doneness. See doneness.

Maillard reaction. A chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars from around 140 °C that creates crust, colour and roasted aromas. Not to be confused with caramelisation.

Marbling. Intramuscular fat in the form of fine veins. It provides juiciness, aroma and tolerance for mistakes during cooking.

Onglet. The hanging tender, suspended between the kidneys. Only one per animal, with a thick central sinew. Very aromatic, tender only up to medium rare.

Picanha. The rump cap with its fat layer, Brazil's signature cut. Grilled whole or bent into a C on a skewer.

Pierrade. A hot stone at the table on which guests cook their own meat.

Porterhouse. Bone-in steak with a T-bone and a large tenderloin section (over about 5 cm). Below that threshold it is called a T-bone.

Prime rib. American bone-in roast from the rib, cooked whole and served in thick slices.

R–Z

Reverse sear. A two-stage method: first bring the meat slowly to just below the target temperature at 100 to 120 °C, then sear it very hot. Ideal from 4 cm thickness.

Rib cap. The cap muscle of the rib (spinalis dorsi), French calotte. Many consider it the best muscle on the whole animal.

Rodizio. Brazilian style of service in which meat is carried through the room on skewers and carved at the table until the guest waves it off.

Rubia Gallega. Galician cattle breed. Famous for the meat of eight- to fourteen-year-old cows with deep yellow, nutty fat.

Sear. Hard, fast frying to form a crust. The often-quoted "sealing of the pores" is a myth — meat has no pores, and searing does not prevent juice loss.

Skirt steak. The diaphragm muscle, French hampe. Very intense, the classic basis for fajitas.

Sous vide. Cooking in a vacuum bag at a precisely controlled water temperature. Searing afterwards is mandatory.

Spinalis dorsi. The Latin name for the rib cap. See there.

Striploin. Steak from the short loin with a fat edge. French contre-filet, American striploin or New York strip.

Tartare. Raw, finely chopped beef, usually from the tenderloin or the lean round, dressed with egg, onion, capers and seasoning.

Teres major. A small shoulder muscle, also called the butcher's tenderloin or petite tender. Texture close to fillet, more flavour of its own.

Tomahawk. Ribeye with a 15 to 30 cm rib bone frenched clean.

Tri-tip. A triangular muscle from the lower rump, a Californian classic. It has two grain directions and must be sliced accordingly.

USDA Prime. The highest grade of the US Department of Agriculture, reached by roughly three to six per cent of US production.

Wagyu. Collective term for four Japanese cattle breeds; for steak above all the Japanese Black. Characterised by extremely fine intramuscular fat that melts at around 25 °C.

Wet aged. Ageing in a vacuum bag, two to four weeks. The retail standard. Tender, but neutral in flavour.