How To Order the Best Steak at a Restaurant, According to Chefs
Nothing beats a delicious, juicy steak that’s cooked to perfection and just how you envisioned it. But if you’ve been saving up to treat yourself to well-seasoned beef at a steakhouse, feel prepared to get the best bang for your buck.
Unfortunately, this process can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to start or what goes into ordering the best steak at a steakhouse. To help you, we spoke to some professional chefs about what you might want to know about your next dining experience.
Read on and for more dining tips check out 8 Outback Steakhouse Secrets You Don’t Want to Know.
The first thing to consider is where your steak is coming from, especially if you’re spending a pretty penny. You can either try to find it on the restaurant’s website before you go or you can ask when you arrive.
“As a chef and business owner, I take pride in our work with local farmers and butchers. When I eat out, I usually want to know where my food is coming from and whether it’s fresh, local or ever frozen,” she says Chef Charley Sigler from Fort 88.
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It’s also important to consider how your steak will actually be cooked to ensure you enjoy it.
“If you’re spending the money on a steak, guests should also know how their steak is prepared. This can be pan-seared, broiled, grilled, or cooked over an open fire, to name a few,” he says to Sigler. “No choice is a bad choice, but if you don’t like the taste of char I would avoid grilled or open fire steaks.”
Sometimes menus use terms you may not be familiar with, which can make the ordering process confusing.
“The best way to choose a steak when eating out is to know the new cuts of beef and what all the buzzwords mean, because there are so many new cuts of beef that cooks are doing incredible things with,” he says Isaac ToupsChef and owner of Toups Meatery and Bravo TV’s top chef Season 13 “Fan Favorite”. “For example, dry-aged is a keyword I look for because dry-aged steaks have a more concentrated flavor and more tender beef. Grass-fed is another favorite, meaning the beef is leaner and has a delicious earthy flavor profile.”
One of the most important things to know when ordering a steak is what cut you are looking for.
“The most common steaks you see at a restaurant are filet mignon, NY strip, sirloin, and the ribeye, all of which are good cuts of beef,” says Sigler.
Choosing the best one depends only on your personal preferences. “The ribeye is the best tasting cut of beef because it has the best marbling of fat, but some people prefer the leaner flavor of the tenderloin.”
And if you’re feeling adventurous, Toups suggests trying something new. “Be open to different cuts of beef and ask lots of questions,” he says. “Ranch steaks are good everyday cuts, while short ribs and brisket are fantastic cooked up. I also always recommend going for the bone-in steak so you get that extra flavor package!”
And last but not least, you probably want to know what temperature you prefer and what cooking temperature best suits which type of steak. There are usually five standard temperatures: Rare, Medium-Rare, Medium, Medium-well, and Well-done.
When we asked Sigler about the temperature, he said, “There’s no right or wrong answer, but if you ask us at our restaurant, we recommend eating Urschnitte half done for that is when the steak is most tender and tastiest.” Original cuts include a flank, rib, breast, loin and lining.
It’s also important to note that “the higher the temperature you cook it, usually, the tougher it gets,” says Sigler. “Some cuts of beef, due to their muscular structure, require a longer cooking process, a la braising, but if you grew up eating well-done steaks, you might want to step out of your comfort zone and try the recommended temperature.”