9 Steak Facts: Learn All About The Impact Of Your Food Choices

Traditionally steak is a slice of meat that is primarily a high-quality cut of beef, obtained from the back portion of an animal.

However, currently, steaks are procured not only from cattle but other animals including poultry and fish. Steak is a delicacy and it depends on the person how they like their steak cooked.

Steak is traditionally cooked over a grill but it can be fried as well. They can be of various consistencies such as rare, medium-rare, medium, medium well, and well done.

There are different sets of temperatures starting from 120° F (48.8 °C) for rare and going up to 160° F (71.1 °C) for well done. Nevertheless, fish steak takes less time to cook.

Steak tastes most delicious when it is cooked over a grill as it is intact with the authentic flavor of the tender meat. Regardless there are other ways of cooking steak too.

There is usually a particular steak sauce in which the steak is coated and served. The steak comes with various side dish pairings but the most popular option is prawns.

History Of Steaks

Like most food, steaks also have an intriguing origin. However, steak is a slice of meat that is cut from the back portion of an animal. This slice of meat is cooked either by frying or grilling. Thus steaks existed for a long time. More such facts are stated below.

Their origin of the word steak is from a Scandinavian word that combines Middle-English jargon ‘Stickna or steik’ and the Old Norse word 'steikja'.

There are various stories regarding the origin of steak, however, the most popular of them dates to 1565 in Florence during the popular feast of St. Lawrence Day. Meats were being roasted and served in front of the San Lorenzo’s Basilica.

The Britishers who were mesmerized by the smell started shouting ‘Beefsteak’ that was initially referred to as carbonate in Italy.

The oldest steakhouse in the United States was established in the mid-19th century.

The Old Homestead Steakhouse is the oldest operating Steakhouse or restaurant that was opened in 1868 in the United States.

Carbon Footprint and Sustainability

Carbon Footprint refers to the carbon dioxide emission into the environment. Currently, greenhouse gases have taken a toll on the environment and have become a huge issue. Moreover, foods also have a carbon footprint as carbon dioxide is emitted during farming, processing, growing, rearing, transporting, and disposing of.

It had been documented that livestock agriculture is responsible for half of all the emissions made by humans.

In the United States, the greenhouse gasses produced by each household on 52.9 T (48 ton), and the emission produced by food is 8.8 T (8 tons) from each household.

Lamb produces 86.4 lb (39.2 kg) CO2, beef produces 59.5 lb (27 kg) CO2, pork produces 26.6 lb (12.1 kg) CO2, turkey produces 24 lb (10.9) kg CO2, chicken produces 15.2 lb (6.9 kg) CO2, tuna produces 13.4 lb (6.1 kg) CO2.

There are various ways to produce beef and sustainability can enable some of the conservation benefits. According to the United States, beef is one of the food items which is least wasted with just 20% not eaten or spoiled.

Future of Steaks

Steaks are being eaten for centuries but the process may have improved over time. The global market of the meat industry is extensive but currently, people have discovered various alternatives for meat.

Veganism has an impact on the future of the steak as many people are shifting to a plant-based diet. But, experts believe that steaks are going to stay here for a long time.

Cultured meat is going to be a thing soon as the lab-grown meat utilizes tissue growth technology to create muscle tissues that can form processed meat.

The quality of the steak is gradually going to improve even more in the future as people are becoming more health-conscious.

Plant-based meat particularly for vegetarians and vegans will be prominent in the future.

Did You Know

Steaks are loved by many, so before you eat steak again did you know these intriguing facts about steaks?

Beef steaks must be cooked to 145 °F (62.7 °C) and after that, they must rest for almost 3 minutes before carving or serving.

Ordinary knives are not used to cut steak as a special set of knives that are primarily serrated are used.

Kobe steak is considered as one the most expensive steak in the world that can cost almost USD 430.

Both venison steaks and beef were referred to as ‘sticky’ in a cookbook from the 15th century.

The fat content in Wagyu steak is so high that the raw meat appears white.

FAQs

Q: Is steak a healthy food?

A: Steak is a major source of protein which is essential for our body. There are many health benefits of eating steak like it prevents iron deficiency, it is rich in micronutrients.

But steaks also have certain disadvantages particularly if some eat steaks daily. Red meat particularly can cause several health problems such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, heart diseases as the saturated fat is comparatively high.

Q: What do I need to know about steak?

A: Here are some basic facts about steaks:

Cook your meat properly, there are fixed temperatures for cooking steak.

This dish is extremely popular and is enjoyed for its tender texture and flavor.

This dish, particularly if it is a beef steak, has saturated fat that is high so it is not recommended for people with heart diseases.

The best way of cooking them is by grilling.

Better the quality of the meat, better the taste.

Q: Is steak a pig?

A: Steak is a portion of meat, that is traditionally beef, but it can be cut from other animals including a pig.

Q: How many types of steak are there?

A: There are 15-16 main types of steak such as Filet Mignon, Strip, Ribeye, London Broil, Sirloin, Tomahawk, T-bone, Skirt, Hanger, Flank, Denver cut, Rump steak, Cube steak, Flap steak, Tri-tip steak, and flat iron.

Q: What is the most popular steak?

A: Ribeye steak is one juicy and tender meat that is cooked to perfection and is considered the most popular steak.

Q: Why is eating steak bad?

A: Due to high cholesterol that can be found in red meat.

Q: What are some vegetarian alternatives to steak?

A: Mushroom steaks cooked in garlic cream, grilled tofu steak, butternut squash steak, cauliflower steak are some of the few vegetarian alternatives.