Porterhouse. Ribeye. Filet mignon. All of these cuts are hugely popular steak staples. But which goes best in the air fryer? And what other surprising cuts lend themselves to the countertop oven?
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00:00Porterhouse, ribeye, filet mignon — all of these cuts are hugely popular steak staples.
00:06But which goes best in the air fryer? And what other surprising cuts lend themselves
00:11to the countertop oven?
00:13This lean, cheap cut comes from the highly active, muscly rump region of the cow, meaning
00:18it's basically starved for fat. In fact, it's one of the top three leanest cuts of the 17
00:24standard American cuts of beef, averaging 130 calories, 1.2 grams of fat, and 25 grams
00:31of protein per three-ounce serving. This means that if you're going to coax out some tenderness
00:36from this hunk of beef, then the best path forward is with direct grilling, broiling,
00:41or a braise.
00:42The reason this cut fares so badly in the air fryer, in addition to it having zero marbling,
00:48is the machine's hot, dry convection. That kind of dry, oil-free environment isn't doing
00:53any favors for this already tough and sapless cut. Want to ignore us and try anyway? Then
00:59at least promise us you'll marinate.
01:02"'Promise me! Promise me!"
01:05This cut has a history of being treated as awful and handed off to field workers. It
01:10comes from the diaphragm of a cow and is known for being one of the thinnest cuts around.
01:15Not to mention, this budget cut of steak is chock-full of muscle fibers, meaning the odds
01:20of you getting a satisfying sear in the air fryer before it overcooks are slim to none.
01:25That's not to say skirt steak is all bad news. It has a reputation of being a wonderful grilled
01:31meat with a powerful, beefy flavor that also shines in fajitas. But with most air fryers
01:37maxing out at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the device is simply not hot enough to accommodate
01:42the needs of this tough, narrow cut.
01:45The nail in the coffin for air fryer skirt steak? The length of the cut. With a length
01:49of up to two feet, it's an unwieldy shape to negotiate into a small, square basket.
01:55If you really must cook this one indoors, try a pan sear or slicing it up in a stir
02:00fry.
02:02In terms of air fryability, it's a near toss-up between the flank and skirt. Fun fact, both
02:08were once so unpopular that they were used mostly as hamburger meat. We ranked the flank
02:13slightly higher than its chewy doppelganger, though, because it's a bit less tough and
02:18therefore has a marginally better shot at achieving tenderness with a quick blast in
02:23the air fryer.
02:24Like skirt, flank steaks require fast and intense heat to achieve a proper sear, something
02:29that you're much more likely to accomplish with a grill. Moreover, any flank cooked beyond
02:34a medium-rare temperature is approaching the overcooked zone, meaning the margin for error
02:39is nearly as thin as the cut itself.
02:42Still, there is one scenario where an air fried flank steak could make decent sense.
02:47Consider those seeking out a healthy trim serving of protein with minimal oil. Texture
02:52woes aside, flank steak does offer a nutritious protein-to-fat ratio in comparison with other
02:58cuts. And if you're looking to make quick, no-fuss fajitas, you'd do well to follow every
03:03little crumb's cooking advice and slice the flank steak into small strips, toss in a zesty
03:09marinade, and cook at 390 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
03:14Homer, I have to go out to pick up something for dinner."
03:16Steak?
03:17Money's too tight for steak."
03:19Steak?
03:20This steakhouse darling is prized for being a two-for-one steak cut, with the eponymous
03:26T-Bone serving as the dividing line between a New York strip and tenderloin filet. While
03:31technically the terms T-Bone and porterhouse are not interchangeable, the recommended cooking
03:36technique is essentially the same. The core difference between the two is that the porterhouse,
03:41also called the king of steaks, is generally more expensive due to it being thicker and
03:46containing a higher ratio of tenderloin than New York strip. For both cuts, though, it's
03:51the composite structure that makes air fry executions so tricky. Since the tenderloin
03:56side has less marbling than the strip side, it's recommended to cook them with two different
04:01levels of heat. For instance, if you were preparing this cut on a grill, you'd want
04:05to switch the steak between a high heat and low heat area. That's not a feed which can
04:10easily be accomplished when you're in a homogenous temperature situation like air frying.
04:15So if you're going to dig deep in your pockets for this magnanimous cut of meat,
04:19consider firing up the grill, or at least the broiler.
04:23The tri-tip, not to be confused with sirloin tip or top sirloin, is a meaty, versatile,
04:29and historically underappreciated cut of meat that was popularized in Santa Maria Valley,
04:34California in the 1950s. This small, triangular steak gets its name from the location of where
04:40it's cut, at the very tip of the sirloin. According to local legend, Cher's Santa Maria
04:46Valley Chamber of Commerce, a butcher named Bob Schutz encouraged Valley residents to consider
04:51using this bold cut for more than just hamburgers and stew meat. And over time,
04:56tri-tip has increased in popularity and spread through the rest of the country,
05:00and for good reason. The tri-tip boasts a generous amount of flavor, and comes out
05:05surprisingly tender when seared on a grill or cooked on the highest setting of an air fryer,
05:10especially considering it used to be strictly ground up and simmered.
05:14However, one thing that can cause trouble is tri-tip steak's trademark uneven shape.
05:19The issue with this is that it means the steak will sometimes cook unevenly.
05:23Also, it can be challenging to slice this cut against the grain, as it contains muscle fibers
05:29that run both vertically and horizontally.
05:32Top sirloin is an unfussy weeknight hero. It comes from the top of the cow's subprimal area,
05:38and is considered to be more tender and flavorful than its counterpart, bottom sirloin. With its
05:44robust flavor and versatile composition, it also makes for a solid bet in the air fryer.
05:50You can think of sirloin as the poor man's New York strip, as it's slightly less tender than
05:55a name-brand steak, but still retains a decent amount of fat and marbling.
05:59When cooking the top sirloin, this cut benefits from high dry heat, meaning your air fryer should
06:05be able to make decent work of it — so long as you take the proper steps to keep it from drying
06:10out. If you've got time to spare, Just Cook also recommends salting the steak the night before
06:15cooking and letting it chill uncovered in the fridge. This dries out the surface of
06:20the steak a bit more and helps make that Maillard reaction really sizzle.
06:25The hardest part of cooking hanger steak in an air fryer is getting your hands on one of these
06:30affordable yet elusive cuts. Until recently, hanger tended to fly under the radar, but now,
06:36the cat's out of the bag. This surprisingly tender cut gets its name from the way it literally hangs,
06:42largely undisturbed, between the kidneys. What makes it so special, beyond the fact that it's
06:48protected by the rib cage and therefore exceptionally soft, is that each cow makes
06:53just one 2-pound hanger steak apiece. As for the cooking process, stay closer to the rare side of
06:59things. If you've got time, marinate the meat for a few hours. If you're in a rush, another good
07:05option is to cook for a few minutes on each side in the air fryer, then whip up some chimichurri
07:10and drizzle that Argentine magic all over your finished product.
07:15Marbled and tender with intense flavor, the New York Strip checks a lot of boxes for steak
07:21lovers. Also referred to as a Kansas City Strip, the cut is taken from the fairly inactive short
07:27loin and is essentially half of a T-bone or porterhouse steak, sans tenderloin.
07:32While there is some debate about whether residents of Kansas City popularized this cut before the
07:37famous New York City restaurant Delmonico's put this steak on the menu back in the 1820s,
07:43one thing we do know is that American diners have loved this particular cut of meat for
07:48hundreds of years. The absolute best way to prepare this steak is the pan-fry method,
07:53but it works well enough in the air fryer, too. With an air fryer, it's true that you won't see
07:58the beautiful caramelized crust that us carnivores have come to expect from a heavy-duty cast-iron
08:04technique. But at least for us, the majority of the steak achieved a rosy, medium-rare interior
08:10without too much fuss. You'd do well to coat this steak with a simple coating of salt,
08:14pepper, and olive oil over the steak before popping it into the air fryer for cooking.
08:20Depending on the meat's thickness, five minutes on each side in a 400-degree Fahrenheit basket
08:25should do the trick.
08:2736 down, only 36 ounces to go, son.
08:30Tighten that slab of beef, Bobby!
08:32Did you know that filet mignon is French for cute filet? This petite, boneless filet,
08:41known for its mild, buttery flavor, is one of the most expensive and tender cuts of steak in the
08:46game. Taken from the tenderloin of the cow, an area which sees little exercise, this filet is
08:52one of the smallest portions of meat available from the cow. This cut also has minimal connective
08:57tissue, meaning it's exceptionally soft, so much so that when cooked correctly,
09:03you barely even need a knife to eat it. Now that's the kind of culinary magic we are here for.
09:08While a filet mignon's length is an ideal fit for the air fryer basket,
09:13and the end result can be one of divine succulence,
09:16you will want to be mindful of how thick of a cut you select.
09:19As food scientist Linda Larson shared with Insider,
09:23anything thicker than two inches may be challenging to cook beyond medium-rare.
09:27If you want to give it a go, it's recommended you cook it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 11
09:32to 13 minutes. And do yourself a favor, be sure to baste it with butter. Or,
09:38if you're feeling a little adventurous, wrap a strip of bacon around it before tucking it
09:42in the air fryer. Much like the hanger, the flat iron steak is one of those cuts that started out
09:48affordable and underappreciated, and has since seen a wave of popularity. The steak earned its
09:54unique name from a group of University of Nebraska and University of Florida professors,
10:00who were part of a project that sought out new approaches to steak that would help lower the
10:04waste of beef per cow. The researchers explored thousands of different possibilities and
10:09eventually decided that the flat iron, derived from the cow's shoulder, was the best cut of
10:15them all. Once the cut was officially recognized in 2002, they decided that the steak resembled
10:20an old-fashioned flat iron, and thus its name was born. As for how to prepare it,
10:25this steak may be at its best when on the grill, but its generous marbling ensures that it will
10:30remain tender, juicy, and full of flavor in the air fryer, too. Just be sure not to keep it in
10:36there for too long, as once it's cooked past medium, it gets pretty tough. For the same
10:41reasons ribeye is one of the most coveted cuts in other realms, it also takes the cake in the
10:46air fryer department. This steak gets its name from where it's cut, the eye or center of the rib
10:52cut, and most importantly, it's got the marbling, fat, flavor, and proper thickness to remain juicy
10:58while developing the best sear an air fryer can deliver.
11:02"...February 96, the steak, ribeye, the whiskey, Lagavulin 16."
11:08This cut of meat comes from the rib section of the front quarter and can be prepared bone-in
11:12or boneless, and lucky for air fryer users, it withstands hot, dry heat like a champ.
11:19Though this steak isn't cheap, if you can foot the bill, it'll certainly be worth the cost,
11:24and still much, much cheaper than if you ordered it at a restaurant. We recommend purchasing bone-in
11:29for extra flavor, but boneless will also be sufficiently delicious. When preparing it,
11:35we opted for a simple prep of salt and pepper at 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and the steak was
11:41nicely browned, with a succulent rare inside just how we like it, not a gray band in sight.