If you ask someone about their favorite steak you will probably get answers like ribeye, filet mignon, NY strip, or porterhouse. Those are all excellent cuts and are readily available at any steakhouse or in your grocery store meat case. But are you ready to explore some cuts beyond those standard cuts?
Let’s cut the suspense right now and I will list the cuts. Later in this post I will explain more about these cuts and give you some links where you can buy them:
- Hanger Steak
- Picanha
- Denver Steak
- Sirloin Flap
- Teres Major
Butcher’s cuts are “secret” cuts of beef that butchers used to save for themselves because they are uniquely delicious with some awesome textures. Everyone knows about ribeyes and t-bones but these other cuts but have you ever seen a hanger steak at your local grocery store?
Back when butchers would break down whole animals they would cut out these butchers cuts and cook them for themselves. Most of them require quite a bit of skill to properly butcher and compared to other cuts they are relatively small. For example, you can probably get 25-30 lbs or ribeyes from one steer but only 2 pounds of teres major. A couple strip loins will weigh in at 25 pounds but each animal only has about 2.2 lbs of hanger steak.
As a result most butchers don’t bother with these cuts. But when you can get your hands on them you will find some exceptional steaks with flavors and textures you won’t find elsewhere. Are you ready to dig in?
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Hanger Steak
The hanger steak is so called because it hangs from the diaphragm. Since it just kind of hangs there it doesn’t do a lot of work which results in an excellent tender texture. You can see in the pic above the hanger has a fairly open grain similar to a skirt steak but the hanger is much more tender than skirt. I would probably compare it to the ribeye cap as far as texture goes.
Hanger steak has an awesome steak flavor. It is probably one of the best tasting pieces of meat I have eaten lately and has a great, strong, mineraly, beefy flavor. You really don’t need anything other than salt as far as seasonings go but if you really want to the hanger steak will take well to most any marinade.
You can see in that pic above that there is a big piece of connective tissue running down the middle of this steak. Just slice it lengthwise on each side of that membrane and cut the steak across the grain and it will be one of the most tender steaks you will eat.
To cook a hanger steak just go hot and fast. No need to reverse sear or anything like that. I cooked mine directly above the coals for a couple minutes per side. You want to keep hanger steak on the rare side of things. Anything past medium rare and the steak gets tough really quick.
Where to buy hanger steak
Unless you have an awesome butcher close by your best bet for a hanger steak (like most of these butchers cuts) is ordering online.
Porter Road carries the hanger steak for $32 which may seem expensive but remember, there is only about 1-2 pounds of this meat per animal. Their hangers run in the 1-1.5 lb range and orders over $100 ship for free. Order your hanger steak from Porter Road.
Picanha
The picanha goes by many different names. Sirloin cap, rump cap, rump cover, culotte, top sirloin cap, and so on. Call it what you will but I call it delicious.
If you have ever been to a Brazilian rodizio barbecue restaurant where they serve meat on giant skewers you have probably eaten this cut. It is usually cut into 2 or 3 inch strips and skewered to form some delicious “U” shaped pieces of meat.
I liken this cut to tri-tip in a lot of ways. It is about the same size, cooks about the same, and has a similar taste and texture. The fat cap on these steaks is somewhat thick but can be very beneficial depending on how you cook it. You can remove the fat cap and reverse sear it if you want but I think the fat adds a lot to this cut. You probably don’t have giant skewers but if you do go ahead and cook these Brazilian style over some charcoal or an open flame.
Where to buy picanha
Snake River Farms sells some American Wagyu picanha with some insane marbling and texture. They cost $75 for about a 2.5 lb piece of meat. Order your picanha from Snake River Farms.
Porter Road carries this cut as well but since there are only 2 per animal they tend to sell out somewhat quickly. But Porter Road butchers and restocks their supply most days so if you miss out check again the next day. Their picanha runs $36 and it is in the 3.8-4.2 lb range. Order your picanha from Porter Road.
Denver Steak
The Denver Steak is a great little steak that is buried in the chuck portion of the steer. Most of the chuck is fairly tough and great for pot roasts and the like but there are a few small muscles tucked away that are very tender and flavorful. Denver steaks come from under the shoulder blade and are part of the serratus ventralis muscle. It is a tough cut to get to but a skilled butcher will be able to extract it.
Since it is right under the shoulder blade it doesn’t do much work like the rest of the chuck which results in a very tender piece of meat. Denver steaks are very well marbled also.
Denver steaks tend to be fairly small and are a great size for most people. As far as cooking they are a fairly thick steak and do great with a reverse sear. Cook them indirect at a fairly low temperature (225-250) until the internal temperature reaches about 115 and then sear them over high heat to give them a nice outer crust. Keep them medium rare and they will be delicious.
Denver steaks are very tender. Not quite as tender as a filet mignon but the texture is somewhat similar. The flavor isn’t overpowering either. It tastes somewhat sweet and mild compared to bolder cuts like the hanger or picanha.
Where to buy Denver Steaks
Again, Porter Road comes through here. Since they do all their own butchering they are an awesome source for most of these butchers cuts. Their Denver steaks are only $9 for a 10-12 oz steak. Order your Denver Steaks from Porter Road.
Sirloin Flap or Bavette
This wonderful cut comes from the bottom of the sirloin near where the flank steak comes from. It has a fairly open texture similar to skirt steak or hanger steak as you can see from the picture below.
You will see this cut called sirloin flap or bavette. If you are from New England you might also see it called sirloin tip. Up there it is usually cut into cubes, skewered, and roasted over an open coal fire. Sirloin flap is much more versatile than just that though. Whip up a carne asada marinade and you will have some of the best tacos you will ever eat. A Korean bulgogi marinade would do very well on a cut like this and it would also make some great shawarma.
I would cook this cut hot and fast directly over some hot coals but if you are a bit more daring lose the grate and place the meat directly on some blazing lump charcoal for a “caveman style” steak.
Sirloin flap or bavette is usually a 2.5-3 lb piece of meat so there would be plenty to feed a family, especially if you are making some tacos or serving with rice or something along those lines.
Where to buy sirloin flap
Porter Road sells some nice looking 2.5-3 lb sirloin flaps for $42 each. And don’t forget their free shipping on orders over $100. Order your sirloin flap from Porter Road.
Snake River Farms sells an American Wagyu version of this cut also. It will be more heavily marbled than other flaps you will see and at $55 it isn’t cheap but it will be delicious. Order your American Wagyu bavette steak from Snake River Farms.
Teres Major
The teres major is a great little roast that comes from the chuck region. If you are a fan of tenderloins you need to give these little guys a try. They are much smaller than a tenderloin (around 3/4 pound each) but they are nearly as tender with a much bolder beef flavor.
The grain on the teres major is a bit coarser than the silky tenderloin as you can see in the picture below but that doesn’t really affect the tenderness.
I like reverse searing this cut. Cook it to medium rare and you will have a great beefy and tender piece of meat. This is one of those cuts that whenever I have it I think “Why don’t I eat this cut more often?”. Give it a try and it will be one of your favorites as well. If you want some more info I wrote more in-depth about the teres major last year.
Where to buy teres major
Snake River Farms carries the American Wagyu teres major. You will get two roasts weighing about 1.8 pounds for $48. Order your Teres Major from Snake River Farms.
Porter Road also carries this cut and they will run $18 individually. Again, since there are only a couple of these per animal they are regularly out of stock but they update their inventory every day at around 10 ET. Order your Teres Major from Porter Road today. .
If you are looking for something different to try give one of these cuts a try. They can be a bit more expensive than other more popular cuts but they all have distinct textures and flavors you won’t normally have in your butcher case.
