Here at Sciacca Grill Valletta, we vehemently believe that quality trumps quantity. We make sure to select the best cuts of meat from parts of the world that practise standards parallel to our restaurant’s ethos: to produce food that’s genuine. And because we like to inform you – our loyal clientele, about the way we cook our signature dishes, we thought it was only fair to provide you with a brief background of where our different cuts originate.
A concise overview about the Galician Blond Cow
Certified as the No. 1 beef in the world, this cow is a grass-fed, free-range type of meat, originating from Galicia which is in the North West of Spain. The cows are 2-3 years of age and have a high fat content. After being aged for a maximum of 120 days, the meat is then ready for consumption. The whole loin is on the bone, whether it’s sirloin, rib eye or any other cut. The off-the-bone variety is not dry aged, due to its very powerful flavour. Sense experience-wise, the taste and texture is like no other.
Rib-Eye Steak
This beef steak is taken from the rib section, spanning from ribs six through twelve. A rib steak is a beef steak sliced from the rib primal of a beef animal, with rib bone attached. The term ‘rib eye’ is often used interchangeably, whether it is on or off the bone. The rib eye was initially the centre best portion of the rib steak, without the bone.
In Australia, ‘rib eye’ is used when this cut is served with the bone in. With the bone removed, it is called ‘Scotch Fillet’. It is as flavourful as it is tender, coming from the lightly worked upper rib cage part. Its marbling of fat makes it excellent for fast and hot cooking. We boast of serving not one or two, but four different kinds of rib eye steaks originating from: New Zealand, Uruguay, Ireland and Argentina.
Sirloin Steak
The Sirloin is cut from the the rear back portion of the animal, continuing off the short loin from which T-bone, porterhouse, and club steaks are cut. The sirloin is actually divided into numerous kinds of steaks. The top sirloin is the most valued of these and is precisely marked for sale under that name.
Commonly, the word ‘sirloin‘denotes cuts of meat from the upper middle of the animal, similar to the American short loin, while the American sirloin is called the rump. Because of this difference in terminology, in these countries, the T-bone steak is regarded as a cut of the sirloin. We take pride in this exquisite cut that’s imported all the way from Argentina.
T-Bone Steak
The T-bone and porterhouse are steaks cut from the short loin (called the sirloin in Commonwealth countries). Both steaks include a T-shaped bone with meat on each side. The porterhouse steaks are cut from the rear end of the short loin (and thus include more tenderloin steak), along with (on the other side of the bone) a bulky strip steak.
On the other hand, T-bone steaks are cut closer to the front, and comprise of a smaller section of tenderloin.
Owing to their large proportions and the fact that they contain meat from two of the most high-quality cuts of beef (the short loin and the tenderloin), T-bone steaks are generally considered one of the top-quality steaks. We’re proud to offer both Irish and Galician Blond T-Bone.
Fillet Steak
Also known as Filet Mignon, this cut of beef is taken from the smaller end of the tenderloin – the major of the beef carcass, usually a steer or heifer. In French this cut can also be called filet de bœuf, which literally means beef fillet in English. The tenderloin runs along both sides of the spine, and is typically garnered as two long, snake-shaped cuts of beef. It is sometimes sold whole, and when sliced along the short dimension, creates unevenly round cuts, and tube cuts. The cuts (fillets) from the small forward end are considered to be filet mignon.
As the name probably implies, the tenderloin is the most tender cut of beef and is also perhaps the most sought-after. The average steer or heifer provides no more than 500 grams of fillet steak. Due to the fact that the muscle is not weight-bearing, it contains less connective tissue, which owes to its great tenderness. Our fillets are specially imported from Ireland, Argentina and Uruguay.
If you’re dying for a delicious piece of steak, we will surely be able to offer you a juicy, premium-quality cut that will not only satisfy your craving but will leave you wanting to order seconds, or even thirds! So to devour the best Steak in Malta, look no further, and pop by at Sciacca Grill.
For more information or to book a table for your next lunch or dinner, click here.