How Baseball Steak Got Its Athletic Name

It's hard to pass up a juicy steak. But just ordering "a steak" isn't specific enough; it seems the options are endless. Each cut of steak has differences in flavor, tenderness, and texture depending on what part of the cow it comes from. And with so many steak cuts available, it's not so easy to know when to prepare each type. To make things even more complicated, there is a cut of steak often available at butcher shops that you've probably never heard of: the baseball steak.

A baseball steak is named after its shape. It's tall and round, so it sits on the plate and slightly resembles a baseball. The steak is cut by taking the circular center of a top sirloin. Top sirloin is commonly regarded as a slightly tougher cut than something like a filet mignon, but with proper preparation, the baseball cut can be juicy and tender as well.

It's not always easy to understand what differentiates steak cuts, but the baseball steak isn't as fatty as a ribeye and uses less muscle than a tenderloin cut, meaning it falls right in between the two in terms of tenderness. Since baseball steaks are so thick, the reverse sear method works well here. This means cooking the steak in the oven first and searing it at the end, rather than searing it first. The oven-baked method lets the center of the steak cook slightly, so it can be seared for less time but will still be properly cooked.

Before oven-baking it, make sure the steak is properly seasoned. You can season it generously with just salt, or you can even coat it in a little olive oil then rub a steak seasoning on it for greater flavor. Since the baseball cut is about three inches thick, you want to cook it low and slow to keep it rare. Heat it for at least 45 minutes at 275 degrees Fahrenheit; it might need up to an hour. From there, sear it on all sides in a cast iron skillet with some oil, then finish it with a little butter.