The Delmonico – A Steak of Aristocratic Proportions

The Delmonico – A Steak of Aristocratic Proportions

The Delmonico is a steak you sometimes see on the menu of a high-end steakhouse. As often occurs in the steak world, there’s no agreement on the precise definition of the Delmonico. Some say it’s a ribeye, some say it’s a New York strip.

There's general agreement the Delmonico is a large, well-marbled, thick-cut steak. A popular theory is it was served at Delmonico’s, known as the first fine dining restaurant in the U.S. Since the restaurant operated in the 1840s, there is not a record of the exact cut that was the Delmonico.

The Distinguished Delmonico

The Snake River Farms Delmonico is a very rare and exclusive steak with a history of its own. John Kosmidis, COO of Prime Food Distributor (our dry-aging and specialty cut partner), worked in his uncle’s butcher shop as a boy and gave us background into the history of the Delmonico steak as was told to him when he was 11 years old.

The head butcher at his uncle’s shop had worked at The Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Known for elegance and outstanding customer service, the Waldorf maintained its own butcher shop. One of the hotel’s most esteemed guests was the Prince of Monaco. At that time, as it is today, a visit to NYC was not complete without a lavish steak dinner. The Waldorf’s in-house butchers would prepare for the Prince’s visit by sourcing the finest beef subprimals they could find

Using the full striploin, the special steak was cut from the 13th rib. This is the only rib bone within the striploin complex. This very specific location yielded a steak that was highly marbled, possessed a distinctive texture, and weighed more than two pounds.

The loosely translated French name for this cut is de Monaco or del Monaco in Italian. Assuming these were starting points, we can postulate that over time the name evolved to simply Delmonico.

What is a Delmonico Steak 

The Delmonico steak is cut from the longissimus dorsi muscle where the rib primal and loin primal converge. Each beef animal has 13 ribs, numbered from 1 at the front to 13 at the rear. Ribs 6 through 12 (7 total ribs) are associated with the rib primal. The 13th rib is part of the loin and this is specifically where the Delmonico is sourced.
 
The loin primal is where New York strip steaks are cut so the Delmonico resembles a large strip steak. At this point, the spinalis dorsi (or cap of ribeye) and internal swath of fat ends, leaving a solid rectangular section of well-marbled beef.
 
Because the Delmonico is a cut from the loin, only two Delmonico steaks can be sourced from each cow, one from each side.

How Does the Delmonico Taste?

The Delmonico has a flavor that is rich and delicious. Since it is cut from the section between the ribeye and strip steak, it has a deep beefiness and is exceptionally juicy from its intense marbling. The texture is very similar to a great strip steak – firm and satisfying.

It does not contain the swath of fat that is found in a ribeye, so it is more uniform. This is a bone-in steak, so the meat on the bone side is insulated from the heat and stays very juicy and tender.

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What's the Best Way to Cook the Delmonico?

The Delmonico is a large, thick steak and an ideal candidate for the reverse sear. This can be accomplished using an oven and skillet indoors or a grill set up in 2-zone fashion outdoors. Sous vide, very similar in theory to the reverse sear, is also an excellent way to prepare the Delmonico. 

Good results can also be obtained using the steak house method.

The American Wagyu beef experts at Snake River Farms breakdown each method for how to cook a Delmonico steak:

Steak House Method 

1. Heat oven to 350°F Generously season the Delmonico on both sides with kosher salt or your favorite steak rub. Since this is a very thick steak, season the sides.
   
   
2. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add a light coat of neutral vegetable oil, like grapeseed or canola.
   
   
3. Place the steak in the hot skillet and sear for 4 minutes on each side. Also, sear the edge with the fat cap for about 2 minutes.
   
   
4. Place the Delmonico and skillet in the heated oven. After 5 minutes, flip the steak. Let bake another 4 minutes and check the temperature. A steak of this size may show a good deal of temperature variability so test the temperature in multiple spots.
   
   
5. When the steak reaches your desired temperature (rare - 110°F, medium-rare - 120°F, medium - 130°F) remove from the oven, pull from the skillet, set on a cutting board and let it rest. Loosely cover with foil to help retain heat. As noted many times, this is a very large steak and the resting period is more important than with smaller cuts. Let it rest at least 10 minutes. 15 minutes is better. This allows time for the ample juices to be reabsorbed and to let the temperature throughout the entire steak.
   
   
6. Slice and serve. To make slicing easier, cut the bone from the steak. The grain of the Delmonico changes direction from one end of the steak to the other. Find the section where the grain changes direction and cut the steak at that point so you have two pieces. Slice each section of the steak against the grain at a 90 degree angle. This shortens the muscle fibers and makes each bite provide a more tender slice.

Reverse Sear 

This is the preferred cooking method for steak fanatics and is an outstanding way to prepare a cut of this significant weight and thickness. The lower starting temperature cooks the meat slowly and evenly, so it is ready for a perfect final sear.

How to reverse sear the Delmonico steak:

1. Heat oven to 250°F to 275°F degrees. Lower temperatures will take longer but provide a more even cook.
   
   
2. Season steak with kosher salt, pepper and/or your favorite rub. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place a metal rack on top. Set the steak on the rack. The idea is to elevate the steak from the pan so heat can circulate freely.
   
   
3. Place the pan, grill and steak in the oven. Bake until the steak reaches the temperature that matches your preference (rare - 110°F, medium-rare - 120°F, medium - 130°F) using a meat thermometer. Check the temperature in the center of the thickest part of the steak. This will take anywhere from about an 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Since every oven is different, start checking the temperature after 45 minutes. Do not overcook!
   
   
4. Once your steak hits your desired target temperature, remove it from oven, loosely cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
   
   
5. Add a light coating of vegetable oil to a heavy skillet and heat over high heat until hot. Sear steak on each side for 60 to 90 seconds to form a beautiful crust. Also sear the fat cap. Remove from the pan, slice against the grain and serve.

Sous Vide 

This is a very precise way to cook your Delmonico but requires minimal effort for a perfect steak. This requires an immersion circulator and a water bath container.

How to sous vide the Delmonico Steak:

1. Set your immersion circulator to desired temperature (see chart below) and heat water bath. The temperatures for sous vide are higher than for other methods but are proven to work best for this method.
   
   
2. Season the Delmonico with salt and pepper and seal with a food sealer or place in a zip lock freezer bag and remove excess air by placing open bag in water bath and then sealing.
   
   

3. Place sealed bag into the sous vide tank. See above chart for cooking time range. It's fin to cook the steak for up to 3 hours.

4. Remove steak from the bag, place on a cutting board or rack and remove excess moisture with paper towels or clean kitchen towel. Season with salt.

5. Place a cast iron or other heavy skillet on burner. Add neutral vegetable oil and heat over medium high heat until the oil starts to smoke.

6. Add the steak to the pan and sear on all sides so that the entire cut has a nice brown crust. Since the steak is already cooked, the goal is to get a savory brown crust on all surfaces as quickly as possible.

7. Remove from the skillet, allow to rest for a few minutes.

8. Slice against the grain and serve. 

Grilling

If you prefer the flavor of grilled meat, here’s how to cook your Delmonico in the great outdoors. Any grill works, as long as it can be set up with a hot side and a cool side.

How to grill the Delmonico steak:

1. Season the Delmonico liberally with kosher salt. You can also add your favorite rub, like the Snake River Farms Steak Seasoning.
   
   
2. Set your grill up for two-zone cooking. For charcoal grills, arrange the hot coals to one half of the grill. For gas grills, turn the burner on one side to a medium low setting. The idea is to turn the covered grill into an oven. If your grill has air vents, close them to about half to keep the temperature lower.
   
   
3. Place the Delmonico on the cool side and close the lid. Check the internal temperature of the steak frequently. Flip the steak each time you check. The cool side of a grill radiates heat from the bottom and occasional turning will cook the steak evenly.
   
   
4. When the steak reaches the desired temperature (rare -110°F, medium-rare - 120°F, medium - 130°F), remove it from the grill. Lift the lid and open the vents to get the grill up to high heat. For gas grills, turn the heat to its highest setting.
   
   
5. Rest the steak on a cutting board for at least 10 minutes while the grill comes to temperature.
   
   
6. Quickly put a final sear on the steak on the hot grill.
   
   
7. Remove and allow to rest for a few minutes.
   
   
8. Slice against the grain and serve.

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Slicing the Delmonico

When you come across a cut as special as the legendary Delmonico steak, you want to do it justice. Fortunately, the culinary experts at Snake River Farms have found that the Delmonico fits perfectly into any of our renowned ribeye or NY strip recipes.

Here are some of the best recipes for Delmonico steak:

• Steakhouse Delmonico With Potatoes and Asparagus
  The Delmonico is a steakhouse legend with a storied history. Team SRF member Mandy Tanner has created an awe-inspiring dinner that features the SRF Gold Grade Delmonico. Mandy elevated the classic side dish potatoes au gratin with Yukon Golds and the nutty richness of gouda cheese. To round out the meal, Chef Tanner offers up chilled asparagus with a Dijon lemon butter sauce. To add texture, the veggies are topped with crispy breadcrumbs. > Learn More.
  
  
  
• Sous Vide Delmonico (or NY Strip) With Truffle Butter
  As you might guess from its name, the NY strip is one of the last steaks cut from the striploin end and has collagenous material that can be a little tough. Chef Emmanuel Baiden (@mannyeasts on Instagram) developed a recipe that uses sous vide cooking to help soften the chewy bits.As an elegant touch, the steak is finished with a special compound butter made with shallots, garlic and real truffles. This is a great final touch to try on other steaks. This recipe requires an immersion circulator (sous vide machine).  > Learn More. 
  
  
  
• Steakhouse Delmonico (or Ribeye): Restaurant Steaks at Home
  Here's a simple marinade with the flavors of a classic steakhouse ribeye. Easy to make, this marinade is a great way to elevate Steak Night to mimic restaurant style steak. Sarah Kelly is a Boise native and self-taught chef with broad restaurant experience in restaurant from fine dining to barbeque. She was the executive chef at the Lodge at Cordillera in Vail where she met her husband, DK. Together they moved back to Boise, opened the local legend, Bleubird, closed it in 2017 and opened Petite 4, a French-inspired restaurant which is a cornerstone of the Boise culinary scene. > Learn More. 

Get a USDA Prime Delmonico Steak delivered directly to your door and prepare yourself for a meal fit for royalty.

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