By Dylan Clay
Last Updated:
December 21, 2023
I find the best fatty cuts of beef steak to be: Contrary to popular belief, the most popular cuts of steak are actually quite fatty. Contents Show There are several types of fat found on a cow: The type of fat that we’re concerned with is intramusclular – which people call “marbling.” When shopping for fatty cuts of steak, you want to look for USDA shields for grading. The USDA will assign one of three grades to beef:What Type of “Fat” Are We Talking About?
Understanding Beef Grades
- Select – Lowest Tier – Lacks marbling and therefore lacks juiciness and flavor.
- Choice – Middle Tier – Less marbling than prime, but significantly better than select.
- Prime – Highest Tier – Abundant marbling.
Different parts of the cow are also more prone to developing greater amounts of intramuscular fat.
If you want a fatty cut of steak, ensure the steak is at least Choice Grade.
Fattiest Cuts of Steak
Cuts of steak that are “fatty” and tender typically come from the back of the cow.
1. Chuck Eye Steak (Poor Man’s Ribeye)
The chuck eye steak comes from the beef chuck roll and is an extension of the beef rib/ribeye roll.
On a beef carcass, the chuck is separated from the beef rib at the 5th and 6th rib.
Meaning, the chuck eye steak shares similar qualities to that of the ribeye steak as they are right next to each other.
However, as you get closer to the front of the cow (ribs 2-3), these shared qualities start to diminish.
From a whole cow you can only get roughly 2-6 chuck eye steaks (depending on thickness).
Chuck eye steaks contain wonderful marbling that’s common in rib steaks, but also contain larger complexus muscles, which are surrounded by fat.
The complexus muscle is also one of the most tender on the entire animal – it’s similar to the ribeye cap or spinalis dorsi that many people often rave about (pictured below).
A huge benefit of this cut of steak is that it’s rather cheap, especially in comparison to typical ribeye steaks – this is why it’s earned the name “the Poor Man’s Ribeye.”
The taste is similar to rib steaks, but with a more beefy flavor mixed in – similar to that of a chuck roast.
2. Ribeye Steak
To start, a true rib “eye” steak is just the longissimus dorsi muscle – this trimmed version is often called a ribeye filet.
Today though, rib steaks are collectively called “ribeye” steaks regardless of the muscle composition.
Here’s a beef rib steak:
The meat highlighted in dotted yellow line below is the “Eye” and would be called a Ribeye Filet:
Ribeye steaks are likely the most popular cut on the entire cow.
Ribeye steaks can be cut to be:
- Bone-in – like a cowboy steak
- Boneless
- Frenched – like a Tomahawk steak
- Thick or Thin
Steaks taken from this section have varying degrees of different muscles – namely the rib eye, the cap, and complexus.
The main muscles that people pay attention to are the “cap” or spinalis dorsi muscle and the “eye” or longissimus dorsi muscle.
For example, here’s a rib steak that’s roughly rib number 9 on a cow.
Notice how the complexus is non-existent.
Steaks from ribs 6, 7, and 8 will have large caps and steaks 9, 10, 11, and 12 with have larger eyes; Similarly, the complexus muscle will diminish as you move towards the back of the cow.
Regardless, the cap and the eye will have significant marbling that aids in adding tenderness and succulence to the steak.
Be sure to check out my recipe for a reverse seared ribeye steak.
3. Skirt Steak
Skirt steak used to be considered offal (refuse/waste) or organ meat.
Today, this cut of beef is considered one of the best on the entire animal.
From a single steer, there are two inside skirt steaks and two outside skirt steaks – both are long (20-24 inches) and thin (2-4 inches across) and fatty.
You can read about the other differences in this article.
The inside and outside skirt steaks are boneless, trimmed cuts from the diaphragm muscle and are attached to ribs 6-12 on the underside of the short plate.
Unlike the other beef steaks discussed in this article, skirt steak isn’t naturally tender – it’s a tough cut with large muscle fiber bundles.
To help combat this, the meat is typically marinated with a fruit that can tenderize meat. For example, pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that can degrade the connective tissue that makes skirt steak tough.
Due to the loose grain structure, the meat will also readily absorb the marinade and be further tenderized via the ingredients.
Unlike flank steak, which is rather lean, skirt steak is quite fatty.
Skirt steak is also rather thin and must be cooked by searing over high heat and served to rare/medium rare; Doing so will develop flavor on the outside, while keeping the inside moist; Cooking above medium-rare will cause the cut to become tough and dry.
Slicing the meat into smaller strips and against the grain results in a tender cut of meat.
4. New York Strip Steak
NY Strip Steak comes from the short loin.
Technically the ribeye and the NY strip steak are the same exact muscle, only they come from different parts of the cow.
While the New York Strip features the same muscles as a rib eye steak, there are differences based how the cow uses these muscles.
For instance, while the NY Strip features some marbling and external fat, it’s still not as marbled as a ribeye steak. This is simply because one is used more than the other for movement.
Due to this fact, the NY Strip is less tender or more chewy than the ribeye. This also means that NY Strip will be more “beefy” as apposed to “rich” tasting due to fat.
The New York Strip will also have that intramuscular fat on it – it’s the band of fat that runs along one edge. This back fat isn’t meant to be eaten, rather it aids in adding flavor during the cooking process.
5. T-Bone Steak
T-bone steak is probably the most recognizable cut of steak – it quite literally features a T-shaped bone within the lean meat.
The t-bone steak is actually comprised of two muscles that can be further broken down into two steaks – the New York Strip and the tenderloin.
Meaning on a t-bone steak, you’re getting tenderloin meat – which is fairly lean – as well as strip steak – which is somewhat fatty.
If the whole tenderloin is removed from the cow, you can’t get any t-bone steaks. The above separation is common in French butchery where-as in American butchery we create T-bone and Porterhouse steaks.
On a t-bone, the tenderloin side is less beefy but supremely tender. Where-as the strip side is more beefy, but less tender.
Be sure to check out my pan seared t-bone steak recipe.
