Sirloin steak

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Sirloin steak, served with garlic butter and french fries
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Sirloin steak, served with garlic butter and french fries

The sirloin steak is beef steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs, continuing off of the tenderloin from which filet mignon is cut. Of the steaks typically considered to be premium steaks, the sirloin is the cheapest, because the muscles still do quite a bit of work.

The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is typically what is offered when one just buys sirloin steaks instead of steaks specifically marked top sirloin. The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast, which is generally considered to be a good, if somewhat tough, roast.

[edit] Etymology

Legend has it that an English king, said to be Henry VIII, James I or Charles II, liked the steak so much, he knighted it, giving it the name "Sir Loin." The table where this event is said to have taken place can be seen at Hoghton Tower in Lancashire. But according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word comes from French and simply means "above the loin."

The story that James I knighted the loin steak is taken from a tale relating to James' generosity in giving friends (and those who would pay the sum of £50) a knighthood. It may also be connected with the large roast known as "Baron of Beef".


Cuts of beef
Upper: Chuck · Rib · Short Loin · Sirloin · Tenderloin · Top sirloin · Round

Lower: Brisket · Plate · Flank · Shank

Beef#Cuts_of_beef 
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