Every Loin Beef Cut Explained And The Best Ways To Prepare/Cook Them

Here we will cover every beef cut for the loin section of the cow by going over what it is, the best cooking methods for them, the expected textures for each cut, and various other information. By the end of this article you will have a better understanding of what these cuts are when you see them in the grocery, or if you are attempting to buy them from a meat dealer for home or a restaraunt.

This information also applies to other cows, like the wagyu for example, except the wagyu is going to be more tender, because of its extra intramuscular fat.

Loin/Short Loin

The loin section of the cow lies in between the rib section and the sirloin section. It sits in the middle of the cow, right above the flank section of the cow. It is considered to be a more expensive section of the cow, because the muscles aren’t worked as much as other tougher muscles of the cow.

Though some people skip this section or simply just group it altogether with the sirloin, it is not the same as the sirloin section. It is often called the short loin, and it is the smallest top section of the cow, taking up only 8% of the beef that is eaten from the cow. From this section comes some of the most lean cuts of beef compared to other sections of the cow.

Short loin uses:

The short loin is used to make some very popular steaks that you may recognize from cartoon drawings, or just recognize from seeing their distinct bone designs. It is also used to make highly prized smaller portions of meat known as filets (strips) and filet mignon.

Texture:

The most tender, somewhat juicy, and somewhat flavorful. This is the least chewy cut of all the sections of the cow.

Best cooking methods:

If the entire short loin is going to be cooked as a whole, it needs to be placed in an oven or smoker and slow cooked at low temperature for hours. However, the best way to cook and enjoy a short loin is to cut it in individual pieces to make steaks, filets, filet mignons, and roast (which we will cover next).

Recommendations:

Ensure that the meat dealer or butcher has trimmed/sliced off the outer bones of the short loin well. Also, excessive fats and tough tissue should also be trimmed from the outside before it is cut into other pieces.

Porterhouse steak:

Porterhouse steaks are some of the largest beef steaks in the terms of width and length. These are made straight from cutting a trimmed short loin, so they do contain the t-bone. It contains all of the sections of meat in the short loin section of the cow, since it is sliced off of the short loin just how it is.

Many porterhouse steaks can be made from a short loin of what ever thickness the butcher cuts it, however only a certain amount can be taken from the short loin before the tenderloin section becomes too thin to make porterhouse steaks. This means the porterhouse steaks are made by slicing them from the wider end of the short loin roll. These steaks comprise of the tender New York strip steak and the filet mignon cut, which is a part of the prized tenderloin.

Porterhouse steak uses:

The porterhouse steak is of course used to make steaks.

Texture:

Very tender, somewhat juicy with decent flavor.

Best cooking methods:

Porterhouse steaks are best cooked on a grill or in a skillet at high temperatures for the best results. On a stove, it is best to use a cast iron pan, cooking the porterhouse steak on the high setting for around 4 minutes on each side, then finishing the cooking with low temperatures. This does however depend on the thickness of the steak.

Recommendations:

As mentioned, the fats and connective tissues should be well trimmed off of the short loin before cutting it into porterhouse steaks.

T-bone steak

The t-bone steak cut is a cut that is taken from the short loin of the cow in the same way that the porterhouse steak cut is cut. The only difference is that it is cut from the smaller side of the short loin roll. One end of the short loin is wider than the other end. From the opposite end is where the t-bone steak is sliced off. Both the porterhouse and the t-bone steak contain the t-bone that separates the tenderloin from the New York strip, however the tenderloin section is smaller on the t-bone steak. This means that the t-bone is usually smaller and cheaper than the porterhouse steak.

T-bone steak uses:

The t-bone steak is of course used to make steaks.

Texture:

Very tender, somewhat juicy with flavor, but less overall tenderness than the porterhouse steak.

Best cooking methods:

The t-bone steak is best cooked like the porterhouse steak, in a skillet or on a grill at high temperatures.

Recommendations:

Make sure that the fats and connective tissues are well trimmed off of the short loin before the smaller end of the short loin is used to cut and make t-bone steaks.

Strip loin steak

A strip steak (New York strip) is a steak cut that is taken from the short loin, but has little to no remaining tenderloin meat. It is smaller than the t-bone steak, which is usually smaller than the porterhouse steak. This steak is also boneless, as the tenderloin section of the short loin is removed first before the short loin roll is sliced into steak strips. The t-bone section that separates the tenderloin from the New York strip is also removed, leaving the strip steaks boneless when they are cut from the short loin. However, some steak strips do have bone.

Strip loin steak uses:

Strip steaks are best enjoyed as a steak.

Texture:

Very tender, somewhat juicy and flavorful, but with less overall tenderness than the t-bone steak.

Best cooking methods:

Grilling the strip loin steak is best at high temperatures or cooking them in a skillet.

Recommendations:

Make sure the meat dealer has removed the bone after the tenderloin section is removed. Also, excessive outer fat should be trimmed off along with connective tissues before the short loin is cut into New York strips.

Strip loin

The strip loin is a cut taken from the cow’s loin section that has had the tenderloin and the bone removed. It is the same strip that strip steaks can be made from.

Strip loin uses:

Strip loins are used to make roast beef mainly, or it can be cut into New York strip steaks.

Texture:

Very tender and juicy. The strip loin is still tender, despite it having less intramuscular fat than other cuts from other sections in the cow. This is the cut to use if you want tender and more lean roast beef.

Best cooking methods:

The strip loin is best cooked roasted in a smoker or in a grill or oven. Roasting the strip loin at temperatures less than 270 degrees Fahrenheit can yield great results. Internal temperatures of the strip loin should be checked with a thermometer.

Steak strip filet:

The steak strip filet is a filet mignon cut that is taken from the cow’s loin section. It is not the traditional popular filet mignon, as it is made from trimming the outer fat off of the New York strip steak. The fat lining the New York strip contains tough connective tissues, which are trimmed all off of the outer layer of the steak to create the steak strip filet.

Steak strip filet uses:

It is cooked and eaten as a steak filet mignon.

Texture:

The texture of the steak strip filet is better (more tender) than the steak strip, because the fat lining on its edges is cut off.

Best cooking methods:

Grilling the steak strip filet on a grill at high temperatures for a short period of time or in a skillet are the best ways to cook steak strip filets.

Tenderloin

The tenderloin is a piece of the tenderloin located in the cow’s loin and sirloin section. When the cow is divided into the short loin section and the sirloin section, the tenderloin is also cut too. The tenderloin as a whole, looks like a long leech made of beef. This is the most tender section of the entire cow, and the most prized and expensive.

Tenderloin uses:

Tenderloin is commonly cut into pieces of filet mignon. It can also be cooked whole.

Texture:

This is the most tender section of the entire cow, despite it being a lean meat.

Best cooking methods:

Roasting or smoking a tenderloin in the oven, grill, or smoker for around 325 degrees Fahrenheit is the best way to cook an entire tenderloin. Using kitchen twine to tie the tenderloin helps it to cooked evenly.

Recommendations:

Ensure that all fat, connective tissues, and silver skin are well trimmed off of the entire surface of the tenderloin before cooking. Any meats with fats that are connected to the tenderloin whole should be separated, which can be used as ground beef.

Tenderloin filet mignon

The tenderloin filet mignon is the popular filet mignon that comes from the short loin and sirloin section of the cow. The tenderloin is usually separated from the section and then cut into small steaks to be eaten and enjoyed. The filet mignon is simply cut as small steaks from the tenderloin to make them. Despite their small size, these tenderloin filets are expensive. They are usually eaten as a luxury.

Filet mignon uses:

The filet mignon is enjoyed commonly as a delicacy and eaten as such. The smallest portions of the cuts from the smaller end of the tenderloin are enjoyed as morsels or prepared in other dishes.

Texture:

The most tender, despite it being very lean with little visible fat.

Best cooking methods:

Grilling or cooking the filet mignon in a skillet at medium-high to high temperatures is the best way to cook a filet mignon.

Recommendations:

Ensure that all fat, silver skin, and connective tissues are completely trimmed off of the tenderloin before the tenderloin is cut into pieces of filet mignon.