The loin area of a cow produces beef that is flavorful, tender and juicy. When entertaining or planning a backyard barbecue, good results can be assured when steaks from either the short loin or the loin are chosen. If calories also are a concern, several loin cuts are low in fat, helping to keep the calories at bay.
Primal Cuts
The first cuts made to a cow after slaughter are referred to as the eight primal cuts. The loin includes two of these cuts -- the short loin and the sirloin. Although the two are adjacent, the sirloin borders the rump while the short loin is next to the ribs. The short loin is known to produce some of the most tender steaks, as well as the priciest. The sirloin is a bit less tender than the short loin but generally produces steaks that are leaner and more flavorful.
Steaks and Roasts
The short loin is most known for the tenderloin, one of the most tender pieces of beef. When cut into steaks, the tenderloin produces filet mignon, which also is the cut used in Chateaubriand and tournedos. Porterhouse, T-bone and club steaks also come from the short loin, with the main difference between them being how much of the tenderloin they contain. Club steaks have no tenderloin, T-bone steaks contain some of it and Porterhouse steaks contain a larger portion of tenderloin. The boneless strip loin roast or boneless strip steaks also come from the short loin. Some of these cuts go by several names, such as the strip steak, also known as a New York strip or Kansas City steak; the club steak, also known as shell steak; and the Porterhouse, which is also called a Delmonico steak. The sirloin produces steaks and roasts known as top butt, top sirloin, center cut, tri-tip and couloutte. These are also known flat-bone, pin-bone, round-bone, beef loin, bottom sirloin butt, Santa Maria and flap steak.
Nutrition
Veins of fat running through the meat, known as marbling, are what makes a steak tender. Because the short loin produces the most tender beef, the steaks and roasts are not always the healthiest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 29 cuts of beef that contain less then 10 grams total fat, 4.5 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams cholesterol as lean. Five of these also meet the criteria for extra-lean, containing less than 5 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat and 95 milligrams cholesterol. While several short loin and sirloin cuts make the cut for lean, two cuts from the sirloin -- the sirloin tip side and top sirloin -- also meet the criteria for extra-lean.
Cooking Techniques
All of the steaks and roast that come from the short loin and the sirloin are suitable for dry-heat cooking, such as grilling, broiling or roasting, as well as pan-searing. The more tender cuts from the short loin can be cooked to medium-rare, medium or well-done without making them tough. Because the sirloin cuts aren't quite as tender, they should be cooked to no more than medium-rare to ensure they remains tender and juicy.
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