The most underrated cut of steak, according to Wolfgang Puck

It's tender and flavourful

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Eating steak can be controversial.

Once you’ve dealt with the judgement from vegans and vegetarians, and before you navigate the contentious topic of how you want your steak cooked, you need to choose a cut of meat.

Sirloin, T-bone, fillet - there are lots of options available to carnivores, but according to top chef Wolfgang Puck, one in particular is often overlooked.

Ribeye cap steak is the most underrated cut of meat, Puck explains to The Independent.

“Ribeye is pretty popular,” says Puck. “But my favourite - which is often overlooked - is the ribeye cap. If you can get that, you should get that. It’s really, really delicious. Really tasty.”

So what exactly is the ribeye cap?

Widely considered one of the best possible cuts of steak, the ribeye cap comes from the rib primal area of the cow which supports the backbone.

The ribeye cap is part of the ribeye but it’s the very top end - the muscle which sits under the bone.

The reason the ribeye cap is so tender is because the muscle isn’t used much - this is why it has the ‘melt in the mouth’ texture that so many meat lovers adore.

According to Puck, this is the reason many people like filet mignon (AKA tenderloin or fillet steak).

“People like filet mignon because it’s so tender but it has less flavour because it’s a muscle which doesn’t work,” he explains.

“The filet mignon does no exercise, it just sits there. So that’s why it’s so tender.”

The ribeye cap, however, is both flavourful and tender, and Puck’s favourite way to cook it is with the bone in.

If you’re cooking the steak yourself, Puck says the most important thing is to make sure the grill is hot enough.

“I really think the main thing people get wrong is they cook it on not enough heat,” he says. “They cook it slowly in the pan with lots of oil - you need to put it in a really hot, smoking hot pan, then you can get a nice crust on it and really sear it well.

“I love the flavour of the caramelised fat in meat so it really tastes delicious. You have to make your grill really hot.”