Not only is the ribeye considered to have the highest fat content on average among the most popular steaks around, but it's also one of the most delicious and sought-after.
Generally, the fillet will cook faster than the sirloin because it has less fat, and the meat closest to the bone on either side will cook slower than the rest of the steak. It all adds up to making the T-bone a great choice next time you're at a steakhouse, but a challenge to cook at home for a novice chef.
Fattier steaks like ribeye, New York strip, and T-bone steaks are some of the most classic cuts that come to mind when people think of steak. These rich, flavorful, and decadent steaks are fortified with flavor from the fat contained within and around the beef you eat.
Ribeye Steak
It comes from the rib roast or prime rib. A ribeye's fat content gives the meat flavor and ensures it stays tender while cooking. Whether it's cooked on the grill or reverse-seared, you can't go wrong.
Sirloin tip side steak is known for being one of the leanest cuts, with about five grams of fat per serving. If you'd like a more tender version, try top sirloin. It does have a bit more fat content, but it stays more tender when pan-searing or grilling.
A sirloin steak, taken from the short loin area of the cow, is known for being a tender cut and succulent in flavour, especially when cooked on the bone. Rump steak, on the other hand, is also tasty and tender but comes from a different part of the cow and contains little fat, making it slightly leaner than sirloin.
Is ribeye fatty or lean? Ribeye steak is one of the fattier steak cuts, as compared to leaner cuts of steak, like top sirloin and bottom round roast. As such, it is a decent amount of saturated fat. However, it's also a good source of good-for-you fats, like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.
Meat tends to get tougher as you radiate out from the tenderloin, with the rib and loin containing the most tender cuts, and the shank, round, flank, plate, chuck, and brisket—areas that work hard to walk, graze, and support the cow's weight—generally housing the toughest cuts.
Tenderloin (or eye fillet) has very little intramuscular fat, and is the tenderest muscle in the animal, which makes it typically very sought-after. Recommended cooking method: Grill as a steak, and great as steak tartare.
In general, red meats (such as beef, pork and lamb) have more saturated fat than skinless chicken, fish and plant proteins. Saturated fats can raise your blood cholesterol and increase your risk of heart disease. If you eat poultry, pork, beef or other meats, choose lean meat, skinless poultry, and unprocessed forms.
Porterhouse steaks fall just below the filet mignon as a fatty steak. Each 8 ounce steak has just under 11g of fat and almost 5 grams of saturated fat. If you have ever wondered why a porterhouse is so popular or tastes so good, the answer is that it contains a bit of tenderloin meat that makes it nice and tender.
The rib eye steak is one of the most beloved, flavourful, and tender cuts of beef both here in Australia and around the world. It is also known as the rib fillet or the scotch fillet steak, depending on where you go.
Best cuts: Sirloin tip side steak, eye of round roast, top round steak and bottom round steak. Worst cuts: T-bone steak, rib-eye steak, filet mignon and porterhouse steak. Best cuts: Breast. Worst cuts: Thigh, wing, drumstick and leg.
Of the many different kinds of cuts, the ribeye is not only well known, but it also has the highest fat content of them all, per Steak Revolution. Taken from around the cow's ribs, this piece of meat is famous for its rich flavor and soft texture thanks to a very pronounced marbling and a very high fat content.
Ribeye has a higher fat content, more cholesterol and more calories per pound. Both of these beef cuts are excellent sources of protein, iron, and other vitamins and minerals.
Ribeye is also a tender cut, but it has more fat or marbling than filet mignon. Ribeye comes from a muscle that spans from a cow's shoulder to its hip (via Smoked BBQ Source).
While filet mignon has similar sodium levels to ribeye, filets have more cholesterol and less fat; filet mignon also has high levels of potassium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B-6 and B-12.
The scotch fillet and sirloin (aka porterhouse), coming from the region near the backbone, fit the bill here perfectly. Even more tender is the eye fillet (or tenderloin). The rump, from the inside of the leg, is more active, but while it might not be quite as tender, it is often well priced.
In the UK, Australia and New Zealand, it's called a Beef Rump. In the USA it's called a Top Sirloin.
Sirloin steak a.k.a. porterhouse steak or New York steak
The steak lovers' choice, this cut is lean, notably tender, rich in flavour and extremely juicy.
The Ribeye is generally considered to be the most flavourful steak. These steaks are cut from the ribs and contain a lot of marbling throughout. The muscle from where the Ribeye is cut, isn't used often so the meat is very tender.
Lean beef (defined by government guidelines as having less than 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams or less saturated fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3.5 ounces) can be healthier than chicken, fish - or tofu (bean curd) for that matter - depending on how much is eaten and how it's prepared.
You'll usually see ribeye, filet mignon, and T-bone or porterhouse steaks listed as the top three most popular in a steak cuts guide. These steaks are commonly on the menu in steakhouses because of their quality and texture.