The beef short loin cut is one of the most valuable cuts from a cow. Loin meats tend to be the most attractive because they are easily cooked on a grill and often produce tender, flavorful steaks. The short loin is a difficult cut to butcher, though, because of the bones involved. A strip of bones separates the New York strip steak from the beef tenderloin, both of which comprise the short loin. Butchering this loin effectively requires an industrial meat saw to easily cut through the bone.
Step 1
Adjust the meat saw to the steak thickness you prefer. You can do this by moving the guide that runs next to the saw blade. Turn a crank next to or below the cutting surface to move the guide closer to or farther from the blade.
Step 2
Place the short end of the short loin flat against the guide. Push the loin into the blade and all the way through the bone. The separated piece will be a full T-bone steak.
Step 3
Divide the short loin into its two smaller steaks, the tenderloin and the strip steak. You can often buy these separately, but if you end up with a whole short loin, they can be removed in one motion. Remove the guide from the meat saw's cutting surface. Flip the short loin over so that the bulk of the bone is against the cutting surface. Line up the middle bone separating the tenderloin and strip steak with the saw blade and push the short loin into the saw, separating the two steaks. Continue pushing all the way through. At the very end, you may want to move to the other side of the saw and pull out the short loin to keep your hands away from the blade.
Step 4
Cut large chunks of fat away from the individual steaks as desired. This is more easily done with individual steaks than with the whole short loin because it is difficult to work around the bone and determine the thickness of the fat. How much fat you cut off is a matter of personal preference --- fat adds flavor to the meat but can get in the way when you are trying to eat the steak. Fat can also add unfriendly calories to your meal.
Tips and Warnings
- Cut steaks to whatever thickness you desire; 3/4 to 1 inch are common thicknesses for steaks. You can reduce the risk of injury by wearing cut-resistant gloves while operating the saw.
Things You'll Need
- Meat saw
- Knife
