Found in country clubs and other high-end steakhouses, club steak is a kind of steak cut from the T-bone steak where you have the cow’s short loin. However, unlike T-bone, the club steak does not contain any tenderloin portion. The bone-in steak has an L-shaped bone (a part of the vertebrae) and has a lot of marbled fat. This makes the club steak a super tender cut that’s quite flavorful when cooked.
If you’re like me and you’ve been handling T-bone and porterhouse steak cuts, you should know what a club steak is. You just don’t recognize it by the name. I’ll tell you what this steak really looks and tastes like and what other names it’s called so the steakhouse can understand what cut you’re referring to. Above all, I’ll show you how this steak is cooked.
A club steak or clubhouse steak, like most other steak cuts, is cut from the back and hips of the bovine. Taken from the smallest part of the short loin, it’s like the little brother of the T-bone and porterhouse steaks.
However, the filet portion is missing in the club steak and the rib bone it hangs from is NOT T-shaped but L-shaped. You’ll also find some club or strip steaks that are also sold boneless.
Generally, a club steak is about 1.5 inches thick and weighs around 600 grams. When cooked, it is wonderfully tender, finely marbled, and mild in taste – perfect for pan roasting and grilling. I like how well the fat edges and bones add flavor to the meat, keeping it juicy.
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Alternative names for club steak include strip steak, New York steak, New York strip steak, Kansas City strip steak or Kansas City steak, and New York strip loin.
It’s also sometimes called sirloin club steak, hotel steak, boneless club steak, shell steak, strip loin steak (boneless steak), and Delmonico steak. However, club steaks are so-called because they are mostly found in country clubs and other high-end places.
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It has a mild taste of its own. I should add that the bones and fat rim add additional flavor. This beautiful marbling gives the club steak the distinctively beefy flavor, intense taste, and juicy consistency.
I think a club steak is perfect for grilling.
It can also be pan-fried. To achieve maximum meat enjoyment, it’s best cooked at a high smoke point.
More so, cooking is all about the right timing. However, if the meat sits on the grill or in the pan for just a little too long, it overcooks and can become tough.
Like most steaks, a cast-iron pan is best suited for preparing the club steaks. You will also need heat-resistant oil up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (sunflower oil, clarified butter, or rapeseed oil is fine). A spatula, grill thermometer, and aluminum foil will also come in handy.
Start by taking the meat out of the fridge about an hour beforehand so it can reach room temperature. This is a must for even cooking.
Preheat the oven (circulating air to around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, top/bottom heat to about 250 degrees).
Then place the pan on medium heat at about 350 degrees and add oil. You need about a teaspoon of oil. Not too much!
Pat dry the club steaks and place them in the hot pan. Sear each side for about two minutes. You should only turn it once. Otherwise, it can become leathery.
When both sides are nicely browned and have a crispy crust, wrap them in aluminum foil and put the club steaks in the preheated oven.
Let the meat cook well on all sides until the desired core temperature (check with a grill thermometer) is reached. Then leave the meat in the aluminum foil for a few minutes at room temperature so that the meat juices are evenly distributed.
Club steaks from the grill taste particularly delicious, provided you do everything right. It starts with the type of grill. I prefer cooking it on a charcoal grill because this can develop the required temperature (electric grills, for example, usually do not get hot enough). You need about 450 degrees Fahrenheit for this.
The right time to put it on is when the charcoal is completely covered with a white layer of ash. Only then should you place the club steaks on the lowest grid and grill for three minutes on each side. You can use barbecue tongs for turning the steak.
After searing, place the meat on the outer edge of the top tier for a further 10 minutes, where it can continue cooking if you have a grill with a lid.
The club steak is a classic cut taken from the cow’s short loin. You’re right if you call it half a T-bone. The reason for this is easy to explain: this steak lacks the fillet portion.
You can pan-fry it and then transfer it to the oven. Club steak can also be done on the grill. Club steak grilling works no differently than T-bones, Porterhouse, steak, and all other beef steaks.
First, it is grilled directly at high temperatures (at least 450 degrees Fahrenheit) to ensure a nice crust and roasted aromas. Then it goes to the indirect area to finish cooking there. This makes it wonderfully tender and juicy.
