This Is #1 Cut of Steak in America, Reveals New Survey
When it's time to celebrate a big milestone in life, sometimes only a steak will do. According to a new survey conducted by The Linz Shop—one of America's top-leading independent meat suppliers for steakhouses around the world—70% of the consumers surveyed claimed that their favorite food is steak. The 2022–23 Consumer Steak Report evaluated consumers' favorite cuts of steak, cooking methods, patterns when eating steak, and more.
While some American consumers could eat a steak cooked to their liking without a second thought, many of the participants in this survey said there are other factors to consider when eating what's considered a "good" steak. More than half of the said they prefer to eat their steak with a sauce—about 39% agreed that A1 sauce is the best. The temperature the meat is cooked to is also very important—most reported that medium rare is the only way it should be done. But what most people think about when choosing a steak to eat is the cut.
Steakhouses usually offer many different cuts of steaks, all of different grades and quality, but there is only one cut that 60% of American crown the king of steak. Plus, if you're confused about steak grades, which 53% of respondents said they were, check out The Surprising Secrets Behind Steak Grades, According to a Butcher.
Bavette
Otherwise known as flap steak or the "butcher's cut", bavette is one of the more loose-textured cuts that stays satisfying in terms of taste. However, the survey reported that only 5% of participants voted it their favorite.
Flat Iron
If you enjoy your steak on the more meaty side, the flat iron hits it right on the nail. But for most Americans, it's not a top contender. In fact, just about 12% consider the lean slice of meat to be their absolute favorite, possibly due to the fact that it's one of the least tender steaks on the list, according to Spruce Eats.
Tomahawk
A tomahawk is a ribeye with at least five inches of bone attached at the end, and while impressive, it's not practical in many instances. Just 13% claimed the tomahawk was the best cut of steak.
Skirt
What is easily one of the juiciest pieces of steak on the list (when it's cooked correctly), wasn't found to be one that Americans commonly reach for. Skirt steak brought in 16% of the votes for the best cut.
Porterhouse
The porterhouse pulled in a good 27% of participants as a favorite, but it's still a little far from top-tier status. This cut serves up one big slab of meat, as it usually weighs about two pounds! A porterhouse is similar to a T-bone but it must have a filet that is at least 1.25 inches thick from the bone to the widest point on the filet, to qualify as this more premium cut.
Strip
It's not uncommon for many people to see a NY Strip on the menu and get a tingling feeling of excitement. Per the steak report, about 38% of Americans feel this way and find this cut of steak to be their go-to order.
T-Bone
This cut of steak is named after the "T"-shaped bone through the middle of the meat separating the strip side and the filet side. The T-bone cut is in the top three—with 43% of participants' votes. The T-bone is likely more popular than the porterhouse because it's more manageable in size and it isn't outrageously expensive. At Ruth's Chris steakhouse, for instance, the T-bone is about $65 while the 40-ounce porterhouse is a whopping $115!
Filet
Extremely tender and wildly popular, the filet mignon comes in second. This cut of steak comes from the tip of the tenderloin where the muscle doesn't have to work as hard, which makes it a very tender meat that some say can be cut with just a fork. And according to the survey, 47% of Americans love to eat filet steak. Some serious steak eaters claim, however, that this is the least flavorful of the cuts.
Ribeye
Just over 60% of the participants claim that ribeye is one of their favorite cuts of steak to eat, order, and enjoy. Whether on or off the bone, the ribeye is beloved for its intramuscular fat that helps keep moisture and flavor inside the steak.
