Five Unique Cuts of Beef

This week’s cowboy cooking episode is a little different! As part of our Wyoming Series, filmed at the Lazy T Ranch, we’re taking the time to look at some of the less common cuts of beef. Where they come from, how to ask the butcher for them, and how to cook them for optimum flavor. Here’s a quick summary of what you should know:

1. The Oyster Steak

The Oyster Steak is somewhat rare because there are only two on each animal. The cut sits on the hip pocket, and as such it has a ton of marbling and delicious flavor.

Location of the Oyster Steak Cut

Oyster Steak (Uncooked)

I like to season these with Original Seasoning and smoke at about 250 with some cherry wood for 25 minutes or so. Then, sear both sides in a pre-heated cast iron skillet with olive oil, garlic, and butter.

It’s important to cook the oyster steak no further than medium rare. Anything more than that will get you a tough piece of beef. At medium rare, the beef will be tender and so full of flavor.

I serve the Oyster steak with what I call “Wonder Sauce.” (Printable recipe below!) This sauce will make any cut of any meat taste delicious, but is particularly good with beef.  

2. Hanger Steak

Hanger steak is an incredibly tender piece of beef. The muscle that hangs below the diaphragm doesn’t get a whole lot of toughening up as the animal doesn’t use it much. There is only one hanger steak per head, so make sure to request this from your butcher a couple of days in advance.

Sometimes, you’ll hear this cut of beef referred to as Butcher’s steak – because it’s incredibly tender and there is only one per animal, the butcher would take it home for himself. Do you blame them?

The hanger steak is so tender that all you need to do is rub in a little lime juice to help break down the connective tissue, and a simple seasoning. Our Original Seasoning was originally created as a steak seasoning and it is still what I prefer to use on the best cuts of beef. A good cut like this is just as good with salt and pepper if that’s more your style.

Grill to an internal temperature of 120, let it rest for a minute, and dig in!

We previously used the hanger steak to make Steak Frites – this’ll fix you up right!

3. Chuck Tail Flap

The Chuck tail flap needs to be marinated for 6-12 hours. Our marinade is a combination of lime juice, Worchestershire sauce, rosemary, garlic, and some balsamic vinegar (see below). After marinating, season all sides well with Original Seasoning or salt and pepper.

Get your grill hot. Sear the beef on all sides – that sear is going to keep moisture in and add so much flavor. Cherry and oak are perfect for this cut of beef. The flavor is similar to tri-tip.

4. Sierra Steak

Sierra Steak is a naturally tender cut of beef. Sierra steak just takes a short marinade – maybe 30 minutes, and is great for searing. Braising is another technique that brings out delicious flavor.

 5. Ranch Steak

Because the ranch steak is cut from the shoulder – an active muscle – the meat is a little tougher than other cuts. However, the location of the beef gives it a great flavor if treated properly before cooking.

After marinating, season the steak and give the steak a smoke bath for 10 minutes with some cherry wood for some extra flavor. Next, sear in a hot cast iron skillet.

A big thanks to everyone at the Lazy T Ranch in Wyoming! You can check out their 21-day aged beef at their website: www.lazyt.com

As always, Shannon and I thank you for visiting our website! Please take a moment to subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow us on social media so you can enjoy our weekly recipes and cowboy content! We’ll see you down the trail.