Denver Steak Cooking Guide

Denver steak is a well-marbled steak from the chuck. Sear it hard, stop at medium-rare to medium, and slice it thin across the grain.

What Denver steak is

Denver steak comes from the chuck, the shoulder. It's cut from the serratus ventralis, a muscle under the shoulder blade, and it's highly marbled and fairly tender. The Beef Checkoff introduced the cut in 2008.

It behaves like a small ribeye over fire. It still carries some connective tissue. Cooked past medium, that tissue firms up instead of melting, and the steak loses what makes it special.

Before you cook

Thaw the steak all the way in the fridge. Then keep the prep simple. This cut doesn't need much.

• Take the chill off. Set the steak out about 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly from edge to center.
• Dry it. Pat both sides with a paper towel.
• Season it. Salt and black pepper on all sides is plenty.

How to cook it

In a skillet. Heat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add a little high-heat oil. Lay the steak in and sear it, then flip it and sear the other side. For a richer finish, add butter, garlic and rosemary in the last minute and spoon the butter over the steak.

On the grill. Build a two-zone fire, hot on one side and cooler on the other. Sear the steak over the hot side for 2 minutes per side. Then move it to the cooler side until it reaches the temperature you want.

Times run from about 3 to 8 minutes per side, depending on how thick the steak is and how hot your pan or grill runs. Start checking the temperature at 3 minutes. A one-inch steak can take 6 to 8 minutes per side in a medium-high skillet to reach 130°F.

Doneness and resting

Use a thermometer. USDA says never to judge doneness by color, firmness or time. Put the probe in the thickest part of the steak.

USDA's safe minimum for steaks is 145°F, then a rest of at least 3 minutes.

Denver steak dries out past medium. Pull it at 130°F to 135°F. That sits under USDA's 145°F, so pick the temperature you're comfortable with.

Rest the steak 5 minutes, loosely tented with foil, before you slice it.

How to slice it

Look at the rested steak. You'll see lines running in one direction. That's the grain. Cut across those lines, not along them. Keep the slices thin, and hold the knife at a slight angle.

Ways to serve it

Denver steak is rich enough to stand on its own. Try it:

• Whole or sliced, with garlic butter or a peppercorn sauce
• Sliced thin over a salad
• On a sandwich the next day
• Next to eggs at breakfast
• With chimichurri and roasted potatoes

Quick reference