Glossary

A cut of meat and steak dinner made world famous by Delmonico's Restaurant in New York during the mid 1800's. The original Delmonico steak, is considered to be a boneless top sirloin that is almost 2 inches thick with delicate marbling and cooked rare to well done, depending on the request of the diner. However, over the years it has generally been considered to be a club steak from the short loin of beef prepared as a boneless, very rare steak considered to be one of the finest, most tender and tasty cuts available in New York. Although Delmonico's steak may now refer to different cuts, prepared different ways, in different parts of the country, it is known to represent a wider variety of beef cuts that may be broiled, fried, or grilled. Some of the steak cuts now commonly referred to as Delmonico steak include: 1) a bone-in top loin steak (a triangular-shaped, short loin cut, some suggesting the first cut of the top loin next to the rib end) also known as a club steak, country club steak, shell steak, and strip loin steak; 2) a boneless or bone-in rib-eye steak (some insist it is a rib cut closest to the front end of the ribs while others say any rib-eye); 3) a boneless top loin steak (also known as a New York strip steak, Kansas City steak, strip loin, ambassador, boneless club, hotel or veiny steak); or 4) a boneless top sirloin. In addition to the steak, the original meal also included a potato dish, known as Delmonico's potatoes, that was prepared by making a baked mashed potato-like dish topped with grated cheese and buttered breadcrumbs. The dish was then baked until golden brown and served steaming.