What is the difference between sirloin and fillet steak

Are you cut up on steak cuts? It can be confusing. There are a number of steak cuts and they vary in taste, texture and even name the British Sirloin is an American strip steak, while the American sirloin is British rump steak.

This article tidies things up. You can click on the different parts of the cow below or scroll through this article to get an explanation of each cut of steak as well as variations in the name. The following steaks cuts are the most popular cuts. The ace of steaks; the fillet is the most premium and tender of all cuts and a properly prepared and cooked fillet steak will melt in your mouth.

Fillets steak will usually be more expensive and smaller than other cuts and what they gain in tenderness over cuts like Sirloin, they lose in taste. A large, tasty and tender steak from the rib section of the cow. Usually has a high degree of marbling a desirable dispersion of fat throughout the steak resulting in a more juicy and flavorful steak.

Depending on how the steak is cut and where it comes from anatomically, you can get very different flavors and textures. There are more than a dozen types of steaks, but a handful of them are the most common and popular. Among those, two are arguably the most recognized names in the world of steak: top sirloin and filet mignon. But which one should you order?

Keep reading for information that will help you decide. Top sirloin is one of the most well-known cuts of meat in the world. It is taken from the sirloin part of the cow hence the name , which is near the round section.

Because of this, top sirloin gets a fair amount of exercise and is one of the leaner cuts of steak. Top sirloin has very little marbling, and that affects the flavor. It has one of the stronger beefy flavors of the common cuts of steak, and it holds seasonings and marinades pretty well.

Calling it gamey would be too much, but for a standard steak, top sirloin is closer to a gamey flavor than most cuts of beef. Being lean, top sirloin rarely has enough fat content to change the texture. The 70s Saturday-night-out steaks. From the lower middle of the animal, these cuts are part sirloin and part fillet. Both cook at different rates, so you will have a problem cooking the perfect T-bone.

And then there's the bone, which needs even more cooking, unless you like that fresh-out-of-the-fridge appearance. With this cut, you have to accept the compromise and enjoy it. The European traveller's steak. This is a large, sausage-shaped strip from the centre of the animal, running next to the diaphragm. Almost fillet-like in shape, it has dark red meat, rope-like texture don't let that deter you and great depth of flavour.

It is often butterflied to make it flatter. It's tasty, not melt-in-the-mouth, but very good if thinly sliced. The thrifty but knowledgeable cook's steak. From the other end of the inner flank, just above the liver and kidney, this is a flat sheet of meat, well marbled, with a rope-like texture and a delicate flavour.

Try marinating in it soy sauce for two days, then cooking for one or two minutes, resting and serving sliced across the grain. The knowledgeable, mature, clever shopper's steak. It is from the pointed, thin end of the rump where it joins the sirloin.

With a funny triangular shape, it has all the flavour of rump with the tenderness of sirloin and is great value. Many butchers won't know where this is, and around the country there are regional names for cuts, so it's good to know yourself where it is in the animal so you can point your butcher in the right direction.

Like other steaks of the chuck primal, this steak has loads of flavor, but tends to be tough. This is an excellent steak for braising, but is equally great on the grill if it has been marinated and isn't cooked much beyond medium.

The center cut of this steak is known as a ranch steak. Boneless Top Loin Steak: Definition: This might just be the most famous steak, if it weren't called by so many different names, more commonly called a New York Strip Steak. As the name implies the Top Loin Steak comes from the top of the short loin primal. This is a tender, flavorful is certainly a favorite and is one of the most versatile steaks. Because of the balance of tenderness and flavor, this steak can be cooking virtually any way you want as long as it is hot and fast.

Great grilled, this steak is also perfect for the pan, as in a very hot cast iron pan. This means that this steak is a similar cousin to a Rib-Eye Steak, but isn't as tender or flavorful. This steak is a good low cost alternative but will dry out quicker than a rib eye. The Chuck Eye Steak is best braised to keep it moist, but is also good grilled or broiled, provided care is taken not to over cook it. This steak is best served Medium Rare. Anything above medium will need a sauce or steak topper.

The flank is the belly muscle of the cow and is typically cut into small pieces. The flank is very flavorful but contains almost no fat and will be tough pretty much no matter how you cook it.

The flank steak became very popular with mainstream introduction of fajitas. Traditionally, however, this is actually the steak known for the dish London Broil. It hangs hence the name between the rib and the loin. It is part of the diaphragm and, like a skirt steak is full of flavor but can be tough if not prepared correctly. The hanger steak has a grainy texture which is great for many dishes like fajitas or bulgogi.

While you can use most any method to prepare the hanger steak it does have a tendency to dry out and get tough when exposed to dry heat.