Which Steaks Are Best Served Rare?

rare steak
Jess Kapadia•

Hey, it's grilling season! Just thought I'd say it again. I've been chowing down on black-and-blue rare steaks since I scraped the remains of last summer's char off the grill, but after reading this Gilt Taste piece on the best way to cook different cuts of meat, straight from the butcher's mouth, I'm reconsidering. Okay that's a stretch, I'm considering reconsidering.

Author Tom Mylan, executive butcher at The Meat Hook in Brooklyn (yes, executive butcher is a thing) makes a pretty indisputable point: the fat distribution of some cuts, like ribeye, simply require more cooking in order to get that fat crispy, not rubbery or gristly. That extra time on the grill will push a cut from rare to medium-rare, and it will be worth it to not have to trim off all that goodness just because it's not cooked through.

Here's what I learned:

Raw

  • Top round
  • Sirloin tip

Rare

Medium-Rare

  • Ribeye
  • NY strip shell
  • Porterhouse/T-bone
  • Tri-tip
  • Flank
  • Sirloin flap
  • Filet mignon
  • Top round (if not raw)
  • Hanger steak
  • Chuck eye/chuck steak

Medium

  • Skirt steak
  • Chuck short ribs
  • Chuck flap

Well-Done

  • Nothing, ever. Come on.

Weigh in — is there a steak you like better rare or medium-rare? Do you ever venture into medium territory or even (gasp) medium-well? Remember, this advice is from an executive butcher. Let us know: @FoodRepublic

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