Thread: Differentiating Sirloin Steak

Originally Posted by KentDog

I just bought a bunch of sirloin steak from my local grocery store, but when going to nutritiondata.com, I could not tell which kind of sirloin steak it was based on the information I have. Is there a way to tell by looking at the meat? The only information I have is the label says "Beef Loin, Sirloin Steak Boneless" and it is "Blue Ribbon Meat," nothing about fat. The only thing I really know is that it was for $2.99/lb and supposedly a really good deal, a better deal than chicken breast at $1.97/lb.. Should I load up at this price and freeze it?

Also, I bought some steak salt and garlic salt for the sole purpose of using for the steak. It seems the only thing in them is sodium, which according to one of the threads I read around here, can be beneficial for weight loss (I am on a cut, with sodium intake shy of 3g/day).

Google a diagram of a side of beef, it will show you where it comes from.

Try a couple of other sites with calorie databases:

http://www.calorieking.com/
http://www.fitday.com/
http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/

The last one is straight from the USDA, and is highly accurate.

hey, thanks for the quick responses guys; highly appreciate. CowPimp, the calorie databases was the first thing I checked, but I don't have enough information about the meat to differentiate them from one another (notice the search results when entering only "sirloin steak," lots). Awesome link though (the USDA site).

Legion, I've checked out a lot of the diagrams, and so far I could only tell you where on the cow the sirloin comes from, which is not specific enough for the calorie databases. Would anyone be able to ID the exact type of sirloin steak by eye? If so, here is a picture:

http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/5...nsteaks6fv.jpg

technically for the best taste you shouldn't freeze steak but it's hard not to when you catch a deal. but it sounds like maybe you got top sirloin ?

How about you just average like 3 cuts of steak together in terms of their calorie content and use that number? Being a few calories off won't kill ya.

thanks for the info LAM. Top sirloin was my first guess, but nutritiondata.com still gives plenty of options with that. Any guess on what the fat content is about on these (picture)? It seems the fat is what's really making the calories vary per option. Of course fat would vary by steak, but does 1/8" trim sound about right according to the picture I have linked above?

CowPimp, that is a good idea. I think I will do that if I cannot come to a more accurate conclusion. This steak is too good to not eat.

Do these steaks seem okay for a cut? I am down to about 2400 calories per day at the moment, but these steaks seem to be high cal in terms of fat and protein. After the 290g steak I just ate, I am considering maybe doing a couple days of low carb, high fat, high protein. Is this feasible, or does it sound like a terrible idea? The fat from the steaks probably isn't very good, and a large portion is saturated fat.

By the way, this is the one I am thinking: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-001-02s02xc.html

I wish I could find good steak at $2.99 a pound. Most of that around here is the chuck shit

Oh man, this stuff is incredible, which leads me to believe it may be high in fat content. Anyway, this is how I cook it:

ITEMS NEED:
- Seasoned/Steak salt (I like Lawry brand)
- Garlic salt (I like McCormick brand)
- Black peppers (McCormick brand again)
- Sirloin steak (I like at least 1" thick, 1.5" would be ideal)
- Skillet with lid

- First, cut the sirloin steak into desired amount (keep in mind it will shrink when cooked)
- Wash the meat thoroughly
- Soak the steak in water briefly and remove.. let it drip but don't squeeze it (if the meat is good, this'll ensure that it's nice and juicy when cooked).
- Place steak in skillet and cover with the lid.
- Now, at this point, cooking temperatures would vary depending on your stove, and whether it is gas or electric (mine is gas). Since I don't use a cooking thermometer, I would say set your range at around medium heat (or a higher medium / low high setting). Cook at 3-4 minutes with the lid on. Then open and flip.
- Add in the seasoned/steak salt. I like to go plenty on my steaks.
- Close lid and check after a minute or so. Make sure the seasoning salt is mostly dissolved, then add in the garlic salt. I like to go plenty with the garlic salt, too.
- After a couple minutes, sprinkle in some black peppers. Cook with lid on for about 3 or more minutes, then remove lid.
- Raise the cooking temp to a higher level, just shy of "HIGH," and cook without lid until desired outcome (there should still be a good deal of moisture/water in the skillet at this point if your steak is fresh/good).
- DONE!

I like this better than my slow-cooked spicy chicken breast w/ black peppers combo and I thought that was amazing!

I don't know if those were good enough cooking instructions, but I definately think you guys should try it. Also, bump on this thread, since I'm still lost on the nutritional info per serving on these steaks and I'm planning on buying more later this week (cheap and delicious).