Beefsteak

Abeefsteak, often called juststeak, is a flatcut of beefwith parallel faces, usually cut perpendicular to the muscle fibers. In common restaurant service a single serving has a raw mass ranging from 120 to 600 grams (4 to 21 oz). Beef steaks are usuallygrilled,pan-fried, orbroiled. The more tender cuts from theloinandribare cooked quickly, using dry heat, and served whole. Less tender cuts from thechuckorroundare cooked with moist heat or are mechanically tenderized (cf.cube steak).
In Australia, beef steak is referred to as just "steak" and can be purchased uncooked in supermarkets, butchers, and some smallgood shops. It is sold cooked as a meal in almost everypub,bistro, or restaurant specialising in modern Australian food, and is ranked based on the quality and the cut. Most venues usually have three to seven different cuts of steak on their menu and serve it fromblue to well-doneaccording to preference.A steak is normally accompanied by a choice of sauces and a choice of eitherfrench friesormashed potato. A complementary choice of side salad or steamed vegetables is also commonly offered.
InFrance, steak, locally calledbifteck, is usually served with fried potatoes (pommes fritesin French). The combination is known assteak frites. Vegetables are not normally served with steak in this manner, but a green salad may follow or (more commonly) be served at the same time. Steaks are often served with classic French sauces.
In Indonesia, bistik jawa is a beefsteak dish that is influenced by Dutch cuisine. Another Indonesian beefsteak isselat solowith Dutch-influence, a specialty ofSurakarta,Central Java.
InItaly, steak was not widely eaten until afterWorld War IIbecause the relatively rugged countryside does not readily accommodate the space and resource demands of large herds of cattle. Some areas ofPiedmont,Lombardy, andTuscany, however, were renowned for the quality of their beef.Bistecca alla fiorentinais a well-known specialty ofFlorence; it is typically served with just a salad. From the 1960s onward, economic gains allowed more Italians to afford a red-meat diet.
InMexico, as well as in Spain and other former Spanish colonies,bistec(a Spanish loanword from English "beefsteak") refers to dishes of salted and peppered beef sirloin strips. One form of Mexicanbistecis usually flattened with a meat tenderizing tool. The dish is often served intortillasas ataco.
Spainand itsformer colonieshave variations ofbistec encebollado(beefsteak with onions). It can be found acrossLatin America.
In the United Kingdom, In steak restaurants the beef is aged for several weeks, seasoned with sea salt and pepper and seared on a grill.  It is then served with chips or potatoes, vegetables and a wedge salad with dressings. Sauces are usually served on the side such as peppercorn, Diane, bordelaise, mushroom  or a Béarnaise sauce.  In more casual restaurants and pubs steak is often served withmedium-thick fried potatoes (chips), fried onions, mushrooms, onion rings and tomatoes
In the United States, a restaurant that specializes in beef steaks is asteakhouse. The more expensive steakhouses serve the highest grades of beef and oftendry-ageit for many weeks. The well-aged beef cooked on high-heat grills and broilers produces a steak difficult to emulate in a home kitchen.A typical steak dinner consists of a steak, optionally topped withsautéed onionsor mushrooms, with astarchyside dish; usually baked or mashed potatoes, or thick-cut fried potatoes known assteak fries.Chili, rice, pasta, orbeansare also common sides. A side salad or a small serving of cooked vegetables often accompanies the meat and side, withcorn on the cob,green beans,creamedspinach,asparagus, tomatoes,mushrooms,peas, andonion ringsbeing popular. Bread is generally served, usually adinner roll.
Steak is sometimes served withshrimporlobstertail, giving "surf and turf" or "reef and beef".
Preparedcondimentsknown assteak saucesare generally on the table in steakhouses. Tenderized round orsirloinsteaks, breaded, and pan-fried or deep-fried, are called "chicken fried" or "country fried" steaks, respectively. An iconic specialty of Philadelphia is thePhilly cheesesteak, composed of thinly slicedribeyeor other tender cuts, cooked on a hotgriddleand shredded slightly, and served on Italian-style rolls with one of a few types of cheese (American, mild Provolone or "Cheez Whiz" sauce).
The amount of time a steak is cooked is based upon personal preference; shorter cooking times retain more juice, whereas longer steak cooking times result in drier, tougher meat, but reduce concerns about disease. A vocabulary has evolved to describe the degree to which a steak is cooked. The following terms are in order from least cooked to most cooked:
A style exists in some parts of North America called "Chicago". A Chicago-style steak is cooked to the desired level and then quickly charred. The diner orders it by asking for the style followed by the doneness (e.g. "Chicago-style rare"). A steak ordered "Pittsburgh rare" is rare or very rare on the inside and charred on the outside. InPittsburgh, this style is referred to as "black and blue" (black or "sooty" on the outside, and blue rare on the inside).
Several other foods are called "steak" without actually being steaks: