THE HAWKSMOOR EIGHT
Not sure what to order on your next visit? Talking beef can be tough so we wanted to introduce you to the magnificent eight. We use the other parts of the animal in other menu items like our Hawksmoor Cheeseburger and Potted Beef but these are our favorite cuts for steak.
Sirloin on the Bone
This cut sits just above the filet. A good balance of flavor and tenderness. This is a cut that produces such flavorful yet tender beef that legend has it Henry VIII (or James I depending on who tells the story) is said to have knighted it with his sword – “Arise Sir Loin of Beef”. A more likely explanation of the name is that ‘Sir’ is derived from the French ‘Sur” meaning ‘on’ (sur loin – above the loin). We serve ours on the bone because the meat absorbs and retains flavor from the bone and it prevents the meat from shrinking while cooking.
Best Served:
Medium-Rare
Rib-Eye & Bone-in Rib Chop
The inner ‘eye’ of the flavorsome rib muscles. Containing a seam of fat that bastes the meat as it cooks – this keeps it moist, juicy and adds lots of flavor. A Bone-in Rib Chop is simply a Rib-Eye with the rib bone attached – recommended for two people (or one very hungry person).
Best Served:
Rib Eye – Medium-Rare to Medium | Bone-in Rib Chop – Medium
Rump
A very hardworking muscle with lots of beefy flavor. This cut is taken from the backside of the cow, or as our Executive Grill Chef Paddy affectionately refers to as “the bum,” and is comprised of five separate muscles. All these muscles have a denser texture and can be a little bit chewier than a Filet, Sirloin on the bone, or Rib-eye.
Best Served:
Medium-Rare
T-Bone & Porterhouse
The T-Bone is two steaks in one: filet and sirloin separated by T-Bone. The Porterhouse is the same T-Bone-shaped steak however it has more of the filet muscle. This makes for a great sharing steak.
Best Served:
Medium-Rare
Chateaubriand
The thick end of the wedge-shaped filet. The fibers are open and the steak is super soft. This is large cut and usually served for 2 or more people. Taken from the head (thick) end of the Filet. It is the most tender cut of the whole animal. As there are only two on each cow, it commands the highest price.
Best Served:
Medium-Rare (Strongly recommended)
Filet
Also known as Tenderloin, Filet Mignon and Undercut. The laziest muscle on the cow = the most tender steak. This is a small muscle that is attached to the underside of the Sirloin. The filet consists of two muscles and is very thin at one end (which has the most flavor) and very thick at the other end (the most prized cut on the animal, the Chateaubriand).
Best Served:
Medium-Rare