Vladimir Mironov/istockphoto
To cook a steak perfectly is an art, and one that people study for a long time to be able to do. Yet all over our country, the rules of steak are being reworked and rewritten constantly. As the saying goes, “there’s a lot of ways to cook a cow.” Is that the saying? Maybe not. It should be, though. Here are 10 regional steak styles any meat-eater needs to check off their bucket list.
Central California
Tri-tip, a triangular cut from the bottom of the sirloin, is a way of life around Santa Maria and Santa Barbara, and there are rules you must follow. First, it’s gonna be both grilled and smoked. Second, when it is smoked, the only wood involved will be red California oak. Third, the meat is the star of the show, so you’re seasoning this only with salt, pepper, and garlic. And fourth, you’ll be eating this with pinquito beans and some fresh salsa. That's just how it's done in California.
Chesapeake Bay
Born by the Chesapeake Bay where there is no shortage of crab, Filet Chesapeake is a classic surf and turf dish featuring crab dumped on top of a filet mignon. I personally find surf and turf to be a moronic concept; I’m not sure beef and seafood always go well together, and it really just feels like an excuse for rich bingbongs to brag to each other about how much money they have by ordering the two most expensive things on the menu and sticking them on one plate. But that’s just me.
South
Legend says chicken-fried steak landed in Texas (with eastern European schnitzel-ish influence), but today you’ll find it all over the South. Generally the “steak” you’ll find in here is closer to a burger patty, and often fully is one, but it’s a steak nonetheless. The batter itself is similar to fried chicken, and at any self-respecting restaurant, they’re covering it in white country gravy.
Pennsylvania
To prepare a steak “Pittsburgh” style, or sometimes “Black and blue,” you would sear a steak as hot as you could on the outside to create a black crust, and leave the inside as close to raw as possible. There are a lot of theories about where this nightmare comes from, but one of the most believable is that this dish comes from Pittsburgh steel mills, where workers would toss a steak into a 2,000 degree blast furnace for a little bit.
New England
Ask for steak tips in a Boston or New Hampshire restaurant, and you’re gonna get a bavette steak (the flap of the sirloin), cubed up and pan-fried. The marinade is often what sets this style apart, often using things like Coca-Cola and Italian dressing.
Iowa
Many restaurants in Des Moines claim to have invented Steak de Burgo, with the common census leaning between Johnny & Kay’s Restaurant and Vic’s Tally Ho. Neither exist anymore, but the dish — beef tenderloin topped with a buttery, garlicky, herby sauce — is still supremely popular in Iowa.
Pacific Northwest
Why not make tenders out of them? That’s what the PNW (especially Idaho) wants to know. Fry some long, finger-like top sirloin strips up in a golden batter and you’ve got finger steaks. Usually, these guys are served with cocktail sauce, chimichurri mayo, or Idaho fry sauce.
New York
Grab yourself a beautiful cut like a filet mignon or a tenderloin. Pan fry that sucker. Then cover it in luscious sauce Diane, a creamy steak sauce made of mustard, cognac, and worcestershire. And if you’re feeling extra traditional? Flambé the son of a gun.
Southern California
The classic Mexican style of flank or skirt steak is a staple of Southern California. Citrusy marinades and thin slices are crucial. In Los Angeles or San Diego, it’s not hard to walk into a Mexican grocery store and find some incredible marinated asada for you to take home and grill up yourself.
Midwest
Picture a cheesesteak. Now picture a gyro. Now picture an Italian beef sandwich. Now picture a chopped cheese. Now combine all four of those sandwiches in your head into one shaved steak sandwich, and you’ve got this popular (an incredibly confusing) sandwich from the Midwest. Popularized in Chicago, it still lives strong outside of the city, especially in Indianapolis; steak and lemonade spots are everywhere out there.
