There’s several different cuts of steak out there. You need to know what cuts are to avoid and which ones are the best because it can be difficult sometimes when you’re at a restaurant ordering a steak, only later finding out that there was 50g of fat and only 20g of protein.
If you have trouble gaining weight, and fat isn’t too much of a factor for you, but protein is – then any steak
is good steak. Just remember that you can’t let the fat levels get too much higher than the protein when you’re trying to gain weight, because you’re trying to gain muscle. Not fat.
The Worst (least lean):
These cuts should be typically avoided, unless you’re a hard gainer or if it’s a special occasion.
Rib Eye – 592 calories, and 48g of fat to 40g of protein (per 8oz) makes the rib eye one of the worst. The rib eye is a cut directly from where a cow stores it’s fat; it’s rump. This muscle barely gets moved around or used, and you know what happens when you don’t use your muscles.
T-Bone – 495 calories, 35g of fat to 40g protein (8oz). Again, one to avoid. However if you’re a hardgainer the T-bone is a better choice than the rib eye, because it has a positive protein-fat ratio. It’s a loin cut, and is the only cut served with the bone-in. Also, the fat isn’t very visible, but don’t be fooled. It’s definitely still there.
The Best (leanest)
Top Sirloin – Top Sirloin is the BEST choice for steak. 400 calories, 11g fat, and 69g protein per 8 oz. Clearly great for gaining muscle and keeping a low fat intake. Compared to the rib eye, which has four times the fat and only a little over half the protein, well… nuff’ said.
Flank – 352 calories, 24g protein, and 16g fat (8oz). The flank is a pretty lean cut, (not as lean as the top sirloin) and is cut from outside the cow’s ribs. The flank is the next best choice if you can’t get a top sirloin (besides chicken breast or fish)
So, in conclussion, if you go out for steak, or need to gain some extra mass, go for the top sirloin. If the only options are T-bone or rib eye, try to find some salmon or chicken breast.
Thanks very much for the 411!
What about top round?
I work in a meat/seafood market for a living and there are quite a few inaccuracies here:
1. A RIBeye is not located anywhere near the rump, it’s from the ribs, which are the front of the cow (just like your ribs). In fact, your “best” steak, the sirloin, is from directly in front of the rump. In fact, a sirloin is commonly known as “Top Butt” in the meat cutting world.
2. A T-bone is one of the leanest cuts; if it’s too fatty still, get a NY Strip steak, which is a boneless t-bone with no filet mignon portion. The strip will be more trimmed than a T-bone so the fat content should be lower.
3. A flank steak is NOT a steak. Flank is good or fajitas, beef and noodles, or beef rollups, but it is horrible for grilling and any restaurant trying to sell it as a steak to you is ripping you off. It’s extremely chewy. If cooked improperly.
4. What grade of meat did you base these numbers off of? Because a USDA Prime cut is more tender/fatty than a Choice cut, and a choice cut is fattier than a Select cut. If a consumer is worried about fat, go for the lower grade (USDA select) beef. Lower grade does not mean lower quality (not with the three rankings listed above) but it is a determiner of tenderness/fattiness. All good restaurants should know what grade beef they serve, and supermarkets typically stock USDA choice but they can probably order you USDA Select.
5. Salmon is a better alternative? Salmon is extremely fatty, especially farm raised. When selecting salmon, look for less white lines in the flesh, those are Omega-3s, and have the skin removed (the brown line inbetween the flesh and the skin is actually all Omega-6 fat).