From the butchers at Toronto Kosher — everything we tell customers at the counter, written down.
Start with the right cut
The cut decides everything that follows. Match it to the night you're having.
- Rib steak, ribeye & tomahawk — the king cuts. Rich marbling, built for high heat. If it's a special occasion, this is your steak.
- Surprise steak — the cap that sits over the ribeye, and the most marbled piece on the animal. The one butchers quietly keep for themselves.
- Skirt & hanger — the butcher's secret. Deep, beefy flavour; cook hot and fast, slice against the grain.
- Denver steak — a tender cut off the shoulder that grills beautifully.
- Shoulder & pepper steak — leaner; best marinated or pan-fried quickly.
- Minute & fast fry — thin cuts for weeknights. Two minutes a side, done.
Take the chill off
Pull your steak from the fridge 30–40 minutes before cooking. A room-temperature steak cooks evenly; a cold one is grey outside before the centre is done.
Get the pan (or grill) properly hot
High, direct heat for thin cuts; sear-then-finish for thick ones. For anything over 1½ inches — a tomahawk, a thick rib steak — use the reverse sear: 275°F oven until the centre hits 110–115°F, then a ferocious sear in a hot pan or over open flame for the crust.
Temperature, not time
- Rare: 120–125°F
- Medium-rare: 130–135°F — where most steaks are at their best
- Medium: 140–145°F
A thermometer beats guessing, every time.
Rest before you slice
Five to ten minutes on a warm plate. Slicing early pours the juices onto the board instead of keeping them in the meat. For skirt, hanger and london broil, always slice thin and against the grain.
Cut for the job
Every steak on this page is cut and trimmed in-house the morning it goes out. Cooking for a crowd? The tomahawk and the rib steak carve beautifully at the table. Weeknight? Minute and fast fry steaks are on the plate in five minutes.