Ordering a steak in uptown mirdif restaurants seems like a simple task… until the waiters ask you what type of meat you want, what size you want and how you want it cooked. The best steakhouses don’t ask you these questions to confuse you, but to make sure your steak is exactly how you wanted it to be. Anyone in the steak business knows that steaks are serious business.
Before you head out for a steak at your favorite restaurant, check out this guide we’ve put together to help you order based on the common factors most steakhouses use when creating memorable steak dinners.
Sort by cut
The first thing to consider is the cut. Steakhouses typically offer at least three or four different cuts of meat on their menu, but usually don’t elaborate on their characteristics and how they vary. You might see bone-in and bone-in offerings, plus cuts like ribeye, filet mignon, or strips.
In the case of bone-in steaks vs. bone-in steaks, you have to consider the flavor. Steaks on the bone generally have more flavor than steaks without the bone because they get a lot of flavor from the bone marrow, which also tenderizes the meat and gives it a juicier texture. Boneless might be better for someone who doesn’t want the hassle of cutting around a bone.
Now consider the type of cut itself. For the best steak experience, you want the meat to be full of flavor and have a nice texture. To meet both requirements, we recommend looking for a ribeye, steak, or tenderloin. Filet mignon is great if you’re willing to pay top dollar for something more sophisticated, but if you’re looking for that really meaty, manly flavor, the other cuts are your best bet.
Does size matter?
You will also likely have a few sizing options to consider when ordering. Most restaurants offer steaks between 3 and 14 ounces or larger. If you want to stick to a healthy diet, it’s a good idea to opt for a small 3- to 4-ounce serving, which will still give you plenty of meat while staying within the serving size guidelines.
If you’re going for a larger cut, don’t forget to factor in the price. The bigger the steak, the more you pay!
Age over beauty
Do you see on the menu in the steak description that it is dry or wet? What does that mean?
Aging refers to the process of hanging meat to dry before cooking to soften it and preserve flavor. With wet curing, the meat is vacuum packed, which locks in the moisture while keeping the weight intact. In dry aging, the meat is hung in an open-air facility, which partially dries it but retains its natural moisture, making it tender and full of flavor. However, some of the jerky usually needs to be cut from the outside so that it can lose some of its weight.
You’ll usually see dry-aged beef on the menu because it has the best and most natural flavor, while wet-aged beef can sometimes pick up the flavor of the packaging. Either way, aged meat is superior to unaged meat.
The perfect cook
Any good server should always ask you how you want your steak cooked. But what is the correct answer?
Unfortunately, every chef at every restaurant cooks a medium steak slightly differently from another chef, so it’s hard to always get the exact cook you’re looking for unless you specify a specific temperature range to target.
In general, a cook medium rare is the safest way to order. This is because it can prevent the chef from overcooking the steak, but if it turns too red, you can always ask to return it to the pan for another minute. Ordering medium in a restaurant usually makes the cook a bit over the top.
Skip the guesswork entirely
Let Chicago Steak Company choose the perfect steaks for you every time you order! Ordering steak online from Chicago Steak Company is a surefire way to ensure eligible beef is delivered to your door with every order. Sure, it’s great to have a freshly cooked steak delivered to your table, but nothing beats some of the best quality steaks in the world delivered right to your door for you to cook to your heart’s content.
