curious cuts: Spider or Oyster Steak
There’s much more to beef steaks than the popular ones that grace the front rows of our local butchers displays and our local grocer/supermarket. If you look at these displays you’d be hard pressed to find items other than the “money steaks”. These include the Rib Eye, Eye Fillet (Beef Tenderloin), Porterhouse, Sirloin (New York Strip) and T-Bone. Depending on which side of the world you live in, they might be called slightly different things, but the themes are common. Which is why as an unashamed curious cuts lover, I’d like you to expand on your horizons and consider something other than the norm (and maybe even save yourself some money). So today, I bring you the Spider or Oyster Steak (not to be confused with Oyster Blade); the first of my curious cuts posts.
This marvellous specimen which you see above is a MB9+ Australian Fullblood Wagyu Spider Steak. I’m going to sear it hot and fast over hot coals in my Akorn Kamado grill.
something different but without the big price tag
It’s hard to believe, but this special cut cost me no more than a standard Angus Rib Eye per lb/kg. And it is so darn tasty with all the intramuscular fat from the MB9+ marbling. Call me crazy but the Rib Eye is just so ho-hum to me now and I’ve never been a fan of Eye Fillet (Tenderloin) due to the lack of fat/taste. I’m happy that everyone that doesn’t know can keep on paying through the nose for those cuts and leave these curious cuts as a secret just between us :).
The Spider Steak is a marvel to look at. It’s a little semi-circle shaped somewhat like a croissant. It’s named Spider Steak in Australia for the spider’s web weave of intramuscular fat across the top of it. Don’t worry about it being all fat though. It’s relatively thinly spread on the surface, and it creates great flavour when seared over hot coals.
As for the anatomy of the cut, it’s adjacent to each hip bone of the cow. It’s a relatively small cut (average 0.5 lb/250g) and super flavourful, and the MB9+ marbling keeps it very tender.
Just freshly cracked salt and pepper for this beauty. I’ll let the beef and the coals shine here!
method for searing spider steak
- Choose Your Weapon for the grill. This will go great on a hot cast iron pan, on the gas/propane BBQ, might I love a cut like this seared over hot coals. Prepare your grill to make sure you can sear your steak at around 475f (250c).
- Bring it out of refrigeration at least 20 minutes before you plan on having your grill ready to bring it up to ambient temperature.
- When it’s up to temp and ready, throw it on and enjoy the sights and smell!
- I do one minute each side and then around 2-3 minutes per side.
- With an instant read thermometer, keep a check on it and pull it once you’re happy with the sear and the temp. For me that’s once it looks like the above and 135f (57c) (medium-rare).
- This was juicy as heck without butter, so I let it just rest on the wooden board for 10 minutes before slicing up.
- Slice (against the grain as always), salivate and enjoy
Ingredients I used
(Each Spider/Oyster steak serves 1 person)
- 0.5 lb (250g) Wagyu Spider Steak MB9+
- Freshly ground black peppercorns and Himalayan Pink Salt
- (Optional) Butter for resting
TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT I used
- Akorn Jr Kamado Grill
- Char Griller lump charcoal
- Ozito Electric Charcoal starter
- Inkbird 1HT-1 instant read thermometer
- Good quality tongs