Resources > Term > S > Steaks

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The word Steak comes from the Old Norse word “Steikja” which means “to roast on a spit.” 

 Unscientific counts put the number of possible flavor compounds (from amino acids, water, sugars, fat etc.) in Steak at 340, which is only 46 fewer flavor compounds than are found in wine. Unlike the wine industry, science and the beef industry does not have a better handle on the flavor compounds because beef producers, unlike vintners paid for complexity and flavor, are instead paid for Marbling and by the pound.

Therefore, getting the most from your steak falls more squarely on the shoulders of the chef. The process to bring out all those flavor compounds is long and complex, beginning with the breed and ending with your handling of the Steak. Knowledge, handling and purchasing go a long way towards maximizing your dining experience. Smart Kitchen’s Lesson 7: Basic ProteinsTopic 3: Beef goes into all the detail to make sure that you make the most of the steaks served at your table.


Some familiar Steaks are:

Porter House Steak

T-Bone Steak

Hanger Steak

Skirt Steak

Flank Steak

Many more beef Steaks are covered in Lesson 7: Basic ProteinsTopic 3: Beef.

Culinary Uses

Typically, today’s Steaks do well with a Dry Cooking Method like RoastingBroilingPan FryingGrilling etc., where other tougher cuts may need a longer slower Moist Cooking Method.

When a cut is 2 inches (5.08 cm) or less in thickness it is usually called a Steak. The term Steak is used most often for beef cuts but it can also be found applied (or misapplied, but who needs to argue?) to meat from other animals, which are more frequently called Chops in swine or sheep.  Most Steaks are usually 1 inch (2.54 cm) or so in thickness. If the cut is thicker than 2 inches (5.08 cm) it is more commonly called a Roast. From a Swine or a Sheep the steak cut goes by the name Chop.

Low Fat


Low Calorie