Brief by Central Staff
Agriculture – August 2005 – Colorado Central Magazine
Ordering steak could get more complicated soon. With beef prices up, the industry has come up with new labels to make more cuts of “steak.”
Traditional expensive cuts like Porterhouse and T-Bone are still on the menu and at the butcher’s counter. But you might run into something unfamiliar, like a “shoulder center ranch steak or a “flat iron steak.”
These were formerly known as “chuck,” something of a staple in our household.
It may be a while before the new names arrive in Central Colorado, since meat labels vary by region – i.e., a New York Strip and a Kansas City Steak are the same thing. Also, a cut can be one thing in a restaurant (“ranch steak”) and another at the butcher shop (“shoulder center steak”).
There’s a bright side: The high beef prices that have inspired these new names may also inspire ranchers to hold onto their land rather than selling it to developers.
