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Where Did Steak Originate From – Where did steak originate from? If you are a steak lover but don’t know where steak originates from, then this should be the best time for you to get to know your favorite food and its origin.

The word steak may sound like an American culinary dish, but it actually originated and became popular in Florence, Italy way back mid 15th century Scandinavian. So basically, the country where steak comes from is Italy.

Aside from Italy, there are also countries that have a culinary use of steak and a history of production. Ireland, Argentina, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, and New Zew Zealand are among these countries. These countries usually have suitable land grazing animals, specifically cattle.

A lot of people also assumed that steak is an American dish and the US has the highest beef steak consumption. However, the spot actually belongs to Argentina. As per record, the residents of the said country consumed an average of around 130 lbs of beef individually, per annum.

Check out the information below to learn more.

Where Did Steak Originate From

Real Definition Of Steak

Steak originally refers to thick slices (sliced parallel) of any high quality meat. But this statement has been contradicted by the most technical definition of steak. It states that the meat is not sliced parallel to the muscle fibers similar to a beef roast. Instead, it is defined as a part of meat that is sliced across the muscle fiber and may contain bone.

Aside from cattle, you can also use meat from bison, camels, horse, kangaroo, sheep, pigs, bison, deer, zebu, and some types of large fish.

Steaks are often grilled and pan-fried.

You can also cook steak in sauce, patties, or minced.

The word steak originates from the mid-15th century Scandinavian word steik, also known as “stickna” in Middle English dialect, together with the Old Norse word steikja.

In Asian countries like South Korea and China, steaks are traditionally cut and stir-fried. They are also served in smaller quantities included in a mixed dish.

Steak History: Where and When Was Steak Invented

Steak became part of everyone’s diet and remained a global popular dish because of its culinary versatility, delicious flavor, and high nutritional value.

This type of meat has been around for centuries. Steak was first invented in 1565 in Florence during a popular feast for St. Lawrence day on August 10. During this feast, meats were roasted in fires and bonfires and given to the people in front of San Lorenzo Basilica.

The Norse word steik was first utilized to detail a thick slice of meat from the animal’s hindquarter.

And the early written usage of the term “stekys” was from a cookbook in 15th-century. Stekys refer to both beef and venison steaks.

Different Types Of Steaks

Steaks do come in all sizes, cuts, and shapes. These varieties of steaks can be cooked in different ways according to your preference. If you want to eat steak but you’re puzzled about which steaks to prepare, let’s introduce you to the different types of nutritious and delicious steaks.

SIRLOIN STEAK

Sirloin steaks, also known as top sirloin, are boneless steaks from the sirloin part of a cow. These popular pieces of meat, when cooked and prepared properly, have a recognizably beefy flavor.

Unlike most of the steaks, sirloin steaks have less fat content. Hence, overcooking the meat will make the steaks dry. To have a remarkable sirloin experience, add some dry rub at the side of the sirloin steak, salt, and pepper.

RIBEYE STEAK

One of the popular steaks is the ribeye steak. This best steak is also known as Delmonico steaks as this steak has been popularized in New York City by the Dolmenico’s restaurant.

Ribeye is also considered as the tastiest steak because it is loaded with marbling which made it more flavorful.

To cook the ribeye steak, simply season it with pepper and salt. Then cook over high heat in a cast-iron skillet or on a grill. You need not to worry of having this steak overcooked since it has a high-fat content, the steak will still remain juicy.

FILET MIGNON

Filet mignon, commonly known as Tenderloin Steak, is a slice of meat from the loin of a cow. This steak is more tender compared to other types of steaks because it has less connective tissue.

And unlike other steaks, tenderloins are overly lean, making them unsavory. This meat cut also lacks marbling. Since filet mignon has a low-fat content, the cut is not recommended to be dried out. If you don’t want your tenderloin steaks to be crispy, avoid overcooking. To prepare, quickly sear both sides of the steak on a cast-iron skillet over high heat.

STRIP STEAK

This kind of steak can either be boneless (New York Strip steak) or with bone (Kansas City Strip steaks). This type of steak comes from the short loin part of a cow.

Due to its decent amount of marbling and a strong beefy taste, it is known to be one of the best-selling steaks in various steakhouses.

This cut has lower fat content. Thus, it is very simple to cook. You can either grill or pan-fry this steak after applying pepper and salt. Cook over high heat, and avoid overcooking.

HANGER STEAK

As the name implies, this type of steak hangs from the diaphragm between the loin and the ribs of the cow (belly section). This cut is budget-friendly, but still a flavorful steak. Compared to flank steak (taken from the abdominal muscles) or skirt, hanger steaks are more tender.

To prepare this cut, marinate it before cooking to become more tender, and to boost its overall taste.

To make sure that the steak is not too chewy or tough to eat, grill the meat over high heat.

T BONE STEAK

T-bone steak, also known as porterhouse steak, is a fancy large cut of beef containing two types of steak, the strip and tenderloin cut. Hence, t-bone has 2 different fat contents.

With that being said, it is recommended to frequently check the meat when cooking over high, dry heat to make sure that the two steak types are being cooked appropriately.

The tenderloin type should be placed further from the heat source.

SKIRT STEAK

This type of steak is a long and thin beef cut that has high-fat content as this cut comes from the cow’s belly section.

Since skirt steak has plenty of connective tissue, it tends to be extremely tough.

It is recommended to marinate this steak before cooking since it has a loose texture. Then grill the steak over high heat and cut it against the grain to make sure it will be cooked properly.

Cooked skirt steaks are best served with fajitas.

OLIVE WAGYU OR WAGYU BEEF

Curious what is the rarest steak called? The answer is the olive wagyu, which comes from a wagyu beef. It was first developed in 2006 by Masaki Ishii, a Japanese cattle farmer. It is also the most expensive steak in the world.

This type of steak is extra tender and is juiciest especially when the fat melted all over the meat. Medium rare to medium cooking is highly recommended.

Other Options

If you are actively eating meat and want more options when it comes to steaks, there are still a lot of steak types you may want to consider. Included in the choices are the sirloin tip center steak, pork shoulder steaks, rump steak, flat iron steak, and the vegetarian steak.

Sirloin tip center steak has low-fat content and marbling. This type of cut is a relatively tender part of beef. It can be broiled, pan-fried or grilled. To improve its flavor, marinate sirloin in dry rubs or liquid a few hours before cooking.

Pork shoulder steak, also known as pork blade steaks, are thinly sliced meat from the shoulder of the pig. Hence, it is also known as pork steak. This kind of steak is extremely flavorful and marbling. Pork shoulder is ideal for braising and slow cooking to make it more tender and juicier.

Flat iron steak is among the types of steaks that are flavorful, well-marbled, and very tender. It is called the feather blade steak in the UK, butler’s steak, and oyster blade steak in Australia and New Zealand. This type of cut has connective tissue making it unusable for many years. But now, flat iron is already available in various grocery stores.

Rump steak is a slice of beef meat from the rump of the cow. It is also known as the Popeseye steak in Scotland. This steak is tender and tasty, and should be cooked medium rare.

Vegetarian steak is actually not beef steaks nor pork chops. This is a plant-based steak often made from charred tofu, cauliflower, or mushrooms. So if you are a vegan, but still want to eat meaty steaks, you can check out vegan steak recipes which are available online.

History of Steak – Ah, steak! That beautiful, juicy, flavorful cut of meat that brings so much joy!

Beef vs. Steak

It is worth noting though that a thick cut of meat sliced from the muscle of any animal is actually referred to as a steak. You’ve probably seen, heard of, or even eaten a salmon or tuna steak, a venison steak, or a reindeer steak, and there are even kangaroo steaks in that part of the world. Even vegetarian dishes have utilized the term, and there are portobello mushroom steaks.

What a lot of people associate steak with though is beef. Beef meaning from a cow.

While cows and other large livestock have been raised as a food source for millennia, the actual term “steak” seems to have originated from Scandinavia.

The Origin of Steak

Scandinavia is a broader term for the Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland in Northern Europe. There is historical documentation from the mid-15th century that shows the words “steik,” “stickna,” and “steikja” to refer to a thick slice of meat. This thick slice of meat was cut from the hindquarter muscles of an animal and was grilled, fried, or roasted as preferred.

There has been a 15th-century cookbook that uses the word “stekys” to describe the same cut of meat, specifically from a cow and from a deer or elk.

Around the same time frame, the Italians were also enjoying steaks. Many historians have hypothesized that Italy is actually where the modern notion of cooking steaks originated. The origin story allegedly begins in Florence, which is arguably the location that birthed the Renaissance. During the mid-15th century, Florence was a place of culture, art, trade, celebration, and a lot of money. There were festivals and celebrations that involved the entire city throughout the year, and large bonfires were created to cook huge quantities of meat. Sounds a little like our modern-day neighborhood block party or tailgate, huh?

In Italian, this cut of meat is referred to as “bistecca,” and scholars think the English who participated in these celebrations during their travels to and through Florence shortened it to “steik” or, now, “steak.”

Steak in the New World

Fast forward about four hundred years. Cows had made their way to the new world of America, and thus steak made its way as well. The land that soon became the United States of America was full of vast and rolling plains, and cattle ranches popped up across the country. Steak became a popular dish for cowboys, homesteaders, and settlers across the American West.

The Industrial Revolution was also happening during this time, and throughout the early, mid, and late-1800s factories and other technologies emerged at an astounding speed. One of the results of this industrialization was the mass processing capabilities of food. Meat processing plants expanded in huge cities like Chicago and New York, where populations were also increasing. Increasing populations in urban areas meant new and creative methods needed to be put in place to process food quickly. Steak was soon able to be made readily available to the masses.

Restaurants also took hold during this time as industrialization not only brought the world together but also brought in money, culture, and luxuries like French wine. The Le Cordon Bleu French culinary arts school was founded in 1895 in Paris, and restaurants across the industrialized world began specializing in certain dishes and cuisines.

One of these restaurants was the steakhouse, and the first one in the United States opened in New York City in 1887. The Carl Luger’s Cafe paired its steak with wines, beers, and cocktails and set the stage for a new (and highly sought-after) dining experience.

The rest is history!

The United States of America now has steakhouses in almost every major city across the country. The American beef industry is one of the largest and best in the world, with large areas of Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and even California devoted to cattle farms and free-range ranches. Much of the steak that makes its way to a diner’s plate is from a cow born, raised, and prepared in the United States.

The United States is not the only country producing high-quality beef though. Brazil, China, Japan, Australia, Argentina, and many European countries are extremely competitive in the beef game.

It seems the Scandinavian origin story might have some validity to it though because the most recent World Steak Challenge winner was, in fact, Finland.

Located in Historic Stockyards City!

Be a part of steak history by eating one of the best steaks in the United States at Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in the middle of Oklahoma City’s Historic Stockyards City!

Our steaks have been featured on television shows like Guy Fieri’s specials and Man v. Food and magazines like Bon Appetit and Southern Living.

We are open seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Give us a call or just stop on by and taste our steaks for yourself!