Steaks
How to Choose a Steak: Cut, Marbling and Thickness
Which steak to pick: ribeye, striploin or filet mignon. What to check on a vacuum pack, how thick to cut, how much per portion and how producers differ.
MYASYA team4 min readupdated
Pick the cut
The three classic steaks give three different results. Choose by what matters on the plate: juiciness, an even portion or tenderness.
| Cut | What it's like | Best for | Doneness |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribeye | Marbled, several muscles, the juiciest | Steakhouses, guests who love fat and flavour | Medium rare or medium |
| Striploin | One dense muscle, fat cap along the edge | Banquets, set menus, identical portions | Medium rare |
| Filet mignon | The most tender, almost no fat | A tender steak, tartare, medallions | Rare or medium rare |
How ribeye and striploin differ and how many portions each cut gives.Comparison →
Look at the marbling
Marbling is fine fat inside the muscle. It melts as the steak cooks and keeps it juicy. A fat cap along the edge adds flavour but isn't marbling. The finer and more evenly spread the streaks, the better the steak.
- Heavy marbling (ribeye, especially Frigon with Angus blood): juicy, forgives an extra minute on the grill.
- Moderate (Astra Foods ribeye and striploin, Nelore breed): clean beef flavour, firmer texture.
- Almost none (filet mignon): tenderness instead of fat, so don't take it past medium rare.
What marbling is, what drives it and which cut is the most marbled.Marbled beef →
Check quality in the vacuum pack
Frozen cuts arrive vacuum-packed. The pack already tells you a lot:
- The film hugs the meat with no air or bubbles. Air inside means the vacuum is damaged.
- No dry white patches on the surface: that's freezer burn from temperature swings.
- No ice crystals or pink liquid in the pack: signs the meat thawed and refroze.
- The plant label with SIF number, production date and net weight matches the delivery note.
The right thickness
The ideal steak is 3 cm thick. On a piece like that the crust and the centre arrive together: seared outside, pink inside. A 1.5-2 cm steak overcooks in the middle while the crust forms. From 4 cm, reverse sear works better: oven first, then the pan.
Cut portions by height, not just by weight. The same thickness means the same time and the same doneness for every steak in the kitchen.
Work out how much to order
| Cut | Cut weight | Portions of 250-300 g |
|---|---|---|
| Astra ribeye | 1.2-1.5 kg | 4-5 |
| Frigon ribeye | up to 3 kg | 9-10 |
| Frigon striploin | 3.5-4 kg | 10-13 |
| Astra striploin | 4.5-5.5 kg | 13-18 |
The figures allow for trimming: about 10 % for ribeye and 15 % for striploin with its fat cap. The minimum order for each cut is 5 kg; we ship by Nova Poshta from a single box.
Ribeye, striploin and filet mignon: today's price per kg, cut weight, orders from 5 kg.Steaks in the catalogue →
After you buy
Thaw the cut slowly in the fridge at 0…+4 °C without opening the vacuum: a 1.2-1.5 kg ribeye thaws in 24-36 hours. Cook by thermometer, not by the clock.
How long each cut takes to thaw and how to store it at −18 °C.Storage →
The pull temperature for every doneness level.Doneness levels →
