Steak facts for kids

A swordfish steak on a plate

Beef steaks cooking on a grill

Pork steaks ready to be cooked

A steak is a tasty slice of meat, often beef. People in North America usually cook steaks on a grill. They can also be pan-fried or cooked under a broiler. Steaks come from the softest parts of an animal. This is why they can be more expensive. Steaks are cut across the muscle fibers. This helps make them even more tender and easy to chew.

A restaurant that mostly serves steaks is called a steakhouse. A popular side dish with steak is prawns or a cooked lobster tail. This mix is often called surf and turf or reef and beef. "Surf" and "reef" mean the seafood. "Turf" and "beef" mean the steak. Special knives are used to cut steak. A steak knife is sharper than most table knives. It usually has a serrated, or jagged, edge.

Other common side dishes with steak include baked potatoes, dinner rolls, salad, and corn on the cob. In France, steaks are often served with french fries. This meal is known as steak fries or steak-frites. It usually does not come with other vegetables. Sometimes a salad is served with it.

Steaks are often served with a special sauce called "steak sauce." Sometimes, a spicy sauce called horseradish is served with them instead.

Different Kinds of Steak Cuts

Steak comes in many different cuts. These cuts come from various parts of the cow. Each cut has its own special taste and texture.

Some different cuts of steak are:

• Filet Mignon
• New York Strip
• Rib Eye
• Flank
• Sirloin
• Chuck

How Steaks Are Cooked

The less a steak is cooked, the softer it will feel. People cook steaks to different levels. This changes how juicy and tender the meat is.

Here are the usual ways steaks are cooked:

• Raw/Uncooked - This means the meat is not cooked at all. An example is tartare.
• Rare - Cooked very quickly. The inside is mostly red and cool.
• Medium Rare - Cooked quickly. The inside is mostly pink with some red in the center.
• Medium - Cooked moderately. The inside is mostly pink, but there is no red.
• Medium-Well - Mostly cooked through. Only a little pink remains inside.
• Well-done - Cooked all the way through. There is no pink inside. The outside might be a bit dark.

Images for kids

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  A beef steak dinner, served with mushrooms

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  A steak topped with sautéed mushrooms

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  Ribeye steak at a steak house

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  London broil is a North American beef dish. It is made by broiling or grilling marinated flank steak. Then it is cut into thin strips.

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  Badge of the Sublime Society of Beef Steaks. It shows a grill and the words "Beef and Liberty."

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  Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce advertisement from 1900.

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  Steak au poivre made with filet mignon and peppercorn sauce.

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  A reindeer steak, cooked rare.

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  Seasoned and chargrilled lamb fillet steak.

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  A sheep ranch (Estancia) in Argentina.

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  Cattle grazing in England.

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  High grade sliced Matsusaka wagyu beef (rib section meat).

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  Matsusaka sirloin steak.

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  Swordfish steaks for sale at a market.

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  Salmon steaks on display.

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  Tuna steak served in a French bistro.

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  Frozen ham steak for sale in Hong Kong.

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  Ham steaks.

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  Pork steaks being flattened.

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  Bean patties, served with a sauce.

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  An eggplant burger topped with Feta cheese.

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  Watermelon slices on a grill.

See also

In Spanish: Filete (carne roja) para niños