Steak

Asteakis a thick cut ofmeatsliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone. It is normallygrilledorfried. Steak can be diced, or cooked insauce, as insteak and kidney pie.
Steaks are most commonly cut fromcattle(beefsteak), but can also be cut frombison,buffalo,camel,goat,horse,kangaroo,sheep,ostrich,pigs,turkey, anddeer, as well as various types offish, especiallysalmonand large fish such asswordfish,shark, andmarlin. Some cured meat, such asgammon, is commonly served as steak. Some cuts are categorized as steaks not because they are cut across the muscle fibers, but because they are relatively thin and cooked over a grill, such asskirt steakandflank steak.
Grilledportobello mushroommay be called mushroom steak, and similarly for other vegetarian dishes.Imitation steak is a food product that is formed into a steak shape from various pieces of meat. Grilled fruits such as watermelon have been used as vegetarian steak alternatives.
The word steak was writtenstekeinMiddle English, and comes from the mid-15th century Scandinavian wordsteik, related to theOld Norsesteikja'to roast on a stake', and so is related to the word stick or stake.The primary definition is "a thick slice of meat cut for roasting or grilling or frying, sometimes used in a pie or pudding; especially a piece cut from the hind-quarters of the animal". Fish suitable for cutting steaks from might be called "steak fish".An early written usage of the word "stekys" comes from a 15th-century cookbook, and makes reference to both beef orvenisonsteaks.
Countries with enough suitable land for grazing animals, in particular cattle, have a history of production and culinary use of steak. Such countries include Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.
Argentina has one of the largest consumptions of beefper capitaworldwide,and much of it is grilled steak. Beef steak consumption is described as part of the "Argentine national identity".Portion sizes of steak dishes in Argentine restaurants tend to be large, with steaks weighing over 454 grams (1 lb) being commonplace.Asado, considered anational dish, often includes steak.
The "Steak of Origin" competition has been run for a decade on behalf of the Beef+Lamb Corporation of New Zealand. It "aims to find the most tender and tasty sirloin steak" in the country. Criteria for judging claims to include tenderness,pH, marbling and percentage cooking loss", but while these data are collected for each entrant steak, only the shear force (correlated to perceived tenderness) determines qualification to a tasting panel, at which objective taste from a panel determines the winner. The pH is used solely to disqualify entrants and neither the marbling or the cooking loss have any effect on the outcome of the competition at any stage.
The most popular dinner order in British restaurants in the 1980s included steak:prawn cocktail, steak and Black Forest gateau.
In the U.S.circa1956, about 24% of retail beef cuts were steaks.
Beef steaks are commonlygrilledorfried. Grilled beef steaks can be cooked at differenttemperatures, or for different lengths of time; the resulting cooked steak ranges from blue (very rare) to overdone. The most common characteristics of a rare steak is a soft, cold, red center. The outside issearedforflavor, while the inside is cooked to suit the diner's preference. Steaks cooked well done are usually cooked throughout the entire cut of meat. For example, a beefsteak cooked well done will not have any pinkness in the middle when sliced. Uncooked beef steak can be served raw, such as insteak tartare.
Fish steaks are generally cooked for a short time, as the flesh cooks quickly, especially when grilled. Fish steaks, such as tuna, can also be cooked to various temperatures, such as rare and medium rare.Different cuts of steak includerib eye,sirloin,tenderloin,rump, porterhouse, andt-bone.
Cuts of steak differ between countries owing to differences in farming the animal and butchering the carcass. The result is that a steak found in one country is not the same as in another, although the recipes may be the same, differing "only in their sauces, butters, orgarnitures".
Most important is trying to achieveMaillard reactionon meat to ensure that restaurant-quality steak results each time.
Steak has become a popular dish in many places around the world, cooked in domestic and professional kitchens, and is often a primary ingredient in a menu. It is used in small amounts in anhors d'oeuvre,in anentréedishor, more usually, in a larger amount as the main course. Steak is sometimes served at breakfast dish, especially for heavy manual laborers, such as farmers.In restaurants, thedonenessis usually specified by the diner: "rare", "medium rare", "medium", "medium well", or "well done".  Print appearances of this use of "rare" are found as early as around 1615.Asteak knifeis a specialized piece ofcutleryto make cutting the steak easier; it is sharper than other knives and may have a serrated edge.
Beefsteak Clubswere once part of London's club life. They were described as "a club of ancient institution in every theatre; when the principal performers dined one day in the week together (generally Saturday), and authors and other geniuses were admitted members."Dr Johnson'sclub in Ivy lanewas originally a Beef-Steak Club and the "Rump-Steak or Liberty Club" was in existence from 1733–34.The present-day Beefsteak Club, established in 1876, is at 9 Irving Street, London. Among its members are many notable people.
Asteakhouseis a restaurant that specializes in beefsteaks and other individual portions of meat. Chophouses started in London in the 1690s, and served individual portions of meat, known aschops.The houses were normally only open for men; for example, women were only admitted to Stone's Chop House in 1921.Accounts of travellers in 19th-century London refer to their "dining off mutton chop, rump steak and a 'weal' cutlet", as well as hams and sirloins.
Delmonico'srestaurant in New York City, which opened in 1827 and stayed open for almost 100 years, has been described as "the most famous steak restaurant in American history".Delmonico steakis a method of preparation from one of several cuts of beef (typically the rib cut) prepared Delmonico style,originally from the mid-19th century.Hundreds of restaurants specialize in serving steak, describing themselves as "steakhouses".
Classic sauces and seasonings to accompany steak include:
Commercially produced bottled sauces for steak and pre-mixed spices are also popular. In 2012 in the U.S.,A1 Steak Saucehad slightly over 50% of the market share for all meat sauce products, and was the category leader.Montreal steak seasoningis aspice mixused to flavor steak and grilled meats that was based on the picklingdry-rubmix used in preparingMontreal smoked meat.
Hunter-gathering peoplescut steaks from local indigenous animals.For example,Sami cuisinerelies partly on the meat of the reindeer; theInuit dietuses locally caught sea-mammal meat from whales;Indigenous Australiansate kangaroo; andindigenous North Americanfoodincluded bison steak.
In contemporary Argentina, where steak consumption is very high,steak is a significant part of the national cuisine and theasadohas the status of a national dish.
Somevegetarians,vegans, andanimal rightsactivists opposed to the consumption of meat have mounted protests against steakhouses.
Variouscuts of beefare used for steak. The more tender cuts, from theloinandrib, are generally cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole.  Less tender cuts from thechuckorroundare generally cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized (e.g.,cube steak).
Beefsteak isgradedfor quality, with higher prices for higher quality. For example, beef tenderloin is the most tender,whilewagyu, such asKobe beeffrom Japan, is also known for its high quality.
The quality and safety of beefsteak as a food product is regulated by law. Australia has National Meat Accreditation standards;Canada has the Canadian Beef Grading Agency;in the United Kingdom, theFood Standards Agencyis responsible;in the United States, young beef isgradedby theUnited States Department of Agricultureas Select, Choice or Prime,where "Prime" refers to beef of the highest quality, typically that which has significantmarbling.In 1996 in the U.S., only 2.4% of cattle were graded as prime,and most Prime beef is sold in restaurants and hotels.
Beefsteak can be cooked to a level of very rare (bleu, a cold raw center), rare, medium rare, medium, medium well, or well done. More tender cuts can be cooked relatively quickly at very high temperatures, such as by broiling or grilling.Pittsburgh rareis charred on the outside. Beef, unlike some other meats, does not need to be cooked through. Food-borne human illnesses are not normally found within a beefsteak, though surfaces can potentially be contaminated from handling, thus very rare steak (seared on the outside and raw within) is generally accepted as safe.
The wide range of quickly-prepared and well-known beefsteak dishes includesminute steak,steak sandwiches, andsteak and eggs. Steak meat is also often minced, shredded, chopped finely or formed to create a range of dishes that retain the name "steak":
Fish steaks are cut perpendicular to the spine and may include bones. Although their delicate flesh requires quicker cooking than beef, steaks fromswordfish,halibut,tuna,salmon, andmahi-mahican be grilled. They are frequently cooked whole or asfillets. Fish steaks may also bepoachedorbakedusing acourt bouillon, wine or sauce or cookeden papillote.
Lamb steaks come from a range of cuts and are a versatile ingredient that can be used in a range of dishes. It is commonly found sliced into salads.
Porksteaks are generally cut from theshoulderof the pig but can also be cut from theloinorlegof the pig. Shoulder steaks are cut from the same primal cut of meat most commonly used forpulled porkand can be quite tough without long cooking times due to the high amount ofcollagenin the meat; therefore, pork shoulder steaks are often cooked slower than a typicalbeef steakand may be stewed or simmered inbarbecue sauceduring cooking.
Cooked gammon steaks are a component of afull breakfast, whereas steaks from a rolled pork loin are more likely to be served at lunch.
ABoston buttis a pork steak originating from colonial New England, where butchers would pack fewer valuable cuts of pork in barrels, called butts.
Thick sliced or chopped and formed chicken is used to create mainly traditional southern dishes such aschicken fried chicken.This may also refer to beef cuts such as a hip steak or a shoulder blade steak,or a small portion ofchuck steakwith a visible line of whiteconnective tissue.
Sliced vegetables can be used as vegetarian nonmeat "steak" alternatives, such as cauliflower, portobello mushrooms, and eggplant.Beansandlegumes(such assoybeans) have also been used to form steak-like foods.Watermelon steaksare sliced and cooked pieces of watermelon.
In 2019, theEuropean Unionincluded steak as one of the protected designations under a revised regulation that passed with 80% approval. The decision will be put to member states and the European commission. The change was "designed to protect meat-related terms and names exclusively for edible parts of the animals". It was felt that "steak should be kept for real steak with meat" and that a new name was needed for new non-meat products so that people know what they are eating.