This article is about different types of steak. For fish steaks, see fish steak. A steak cube steak with mushroom gravy a thick cut of meat generally sliced across the muscle fibers, sometimes including a bone.

It is normally grilled or fried. Grilled portobello mushroom may be called mushroom steak, and similarly for other vegetarian dishes. Imitation steak is a food product that is formed into a steak shape from various pieces of meat. Grilled fruits such as watermelon have been used as vegetarian steak alternatives. Exceptions, in which the meat is sliced parallel to the fibers, include the skirt steak cut from the plate, the flank steak cut from the abdominal muscles, and the silverfinger steak cut from the loin and including three rib bones. In the United States, steak cut from cattle is also called “beefsteak”.

The word steak originates from the mid-15th century Scandinavian word steik, or stickna’ in the Middle English dialect, along with the Old Norse word steikja. Livestock for meat to be used as steak cuts may be raised on a farm or ranch. The meat from various wild game may also be used for steak cuts. Countries with enough suitable land for grazing animals, in particular cattle, have a history of production and culinary use of steak. Such countries include Argentina, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

In Asian countries, such as China and South Korea, steak is traditionally sliced and stir-fried and served in smaller amounts as part of a mixed dish. In Argentina, beef represents a large portion of the country’s export market. 8 million animals was harvested in 2010. The country has one of the largest consumptions of beef per capita worldwide, and much of it is grilled steak. Beef steak consumption is described as part of the “Argentine national identity”. Livestock Australia, a corporation which runs programs related to quality assurance, sustainable production, and environmental considerations, through organizations such as Meat Standards Australia.

The Irish agricultural beef market is a contributor to the economy of Ireland. It “aims to find the most tender and tasty sirloin steak” in the country. According to a survey by trade magazine Caterer and Hotelkeeper, the most popular dinner menu in British restaurants in the 1980s included steak: prawn cocktail, steak and Black Forest gateau. Cattle breeds such as Hereford or Aberdeen Angus date back to the 1700s, and farmers continue to raise cattle sired by registered pedigree bulls. Bullocks, which live outdoors year-round, grow slowly as they would in their natural habitat, ultimately producing a distinctly tender meat. In the United States, cuts of beef for retail sale include various beefsteaks, as well as stew meat and hamburger meat. Beef production is the largest single agricultural venture in the United States, with 687,540 farms raising cattle and over a million in the production process, as of the 2007 Agriculture Census.

62,286 per year as of 2007. Beef steaks are commonly grilled or fried. The most common characteristics of a rare steak is a soft, cold, red center. Fish steaks are generally cooked for a short time, as the flesh cooks quickly, especially when grilled. Fish steaks, such as tuna, can also be cooked to various temperatures, such as rare and medium rare.

Cuts of steak differ between countries owing to differences in farming the animal and butchering the carcass. The result is that a steak found in one country is not the same as in another, although the recipes may be the same, differing “only in their sauces, butters, or garnitures”. Most important is trying to achieve Maillard reaction on meat to ensure that restaurant-quality steak results each time. Romsteck or rumsteck: rump steak cut from the part of the rump which faces the large end of the filet. This cut needs to be best quality, well-aged. Châteaubriand: corresponds to the undercut or filet portion of a porterhouse steak. Steak has become a popular dish in many places around the world, cooked in domestic and professional kitchens, and is often a primary ingredient in a menu.

It is used in small amounts in an hors d’oeuvre, in an entrée dish or, more usually, in a larger amount as the main course. Beefsteak Clubs were once part of London’s club life. A steakhouse is a restaurant that specializes in beefsteaks and other individual portions of meat. Chophouses started in London in the 1690s, and served individual portions of meat, known as chops. Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City, which opened in 1827 and stayed open for almost 100 years, has been described as “the most famous steak restaurant in American history”.

Hundreds of restaurants continue to specialize in serving steak, describing themselves as “steakhouses”. Commercially produced bottled sauces for steak and pre-mixed spices are also popular. Steak and other meat products can be frozen and exported, but before the invention of commercial refrigeration, transporting meat over long distances was impossible. Communities had to rely on what was locally available, which determined the forms and tradition of meat consumption. Hunter-gathering peoples cut steaks from local indigenous animals. In contemporary Argentina, where steak consumption is very high, steak is a significant part of the national cuisine and the asado has the status of a national dish.