Jeff Mauro's Go-To Steak Order (And The Korean Restaurant You Should Order It At)

Steak creates a lot of debate. For something as primally simple as a slice of beef, there are a lot of different choices for cuts of steak, and just as many opinions about the best way to cook them. One person's ideal of a tender filet mignon cooked medium with some au poivre sauce might be heresy to another who thinks a steak should only get salt and pepper and prefers a rich cut of ribeye cooked rare instead.

So there really is no right answer to what the best steak is, but we still look to experts to get insights about the steaks they really love in case we are missing out on some lesser known cut or to learn those little signs you are eating at a great steakhouse. So Tasting Table caught up with TV host, and owner of Mauro Provisions Jeff Mauro at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival to ask his go-to steak order.

Mauro's answer was very selective as he told us, "I reserve steak eating for my own home, because I make one hell of a steak." But when he does decide to order a steak at a restaurant, he says, "I gravitate towards a small portion of Japanese A5 Wagyu." And Mauro even had a specific spot in mind to get the best A5 wagyu, telling us, "A place like Cote in SOBE (South Beach in Miami Beach) offers a large selection of great imported Japanese beef."

Mauro explained that when he orders a steak, he wants "something that melts in your mouth and is special." And there are no steaks quite as special as the ones cut from wagyu beef. You've probably heard a lot of chefs wax rhapsodic about wagyu beef, but what makes the A5 wagyu something that Mauro is so fond of? 

Despite their quality reputation, wagyu does just mean "Japanese cow," and that label covers a wide range of quality. Just like USDA beef cut grades for choice and select, the Japanese government grades wagyu beef, with A5 being the highest level. So while wagyu is already favored for it's excellent flavor and marbling, an A5 cut is the cream of the crop — the kind of steak that can end up going for hundreds of dollars in a restaurant. No wonder Mauro said "small portion."

Cote, which Mauro cited as his steak spot, is a Michelin-starred restaurant from Simon Kim, which opened in New York before the Miami Beach location. The concept is a unique blend of classic American steakhouse and Korean barbeque restaurants where the meat is cooked in front of you. The high-end concept has also opened locations in Singapore and Las Vegas, and if you want to sample Mauro's suggestion a tasting of the restaurant's Japanese reserve cuts will set you back a minimum of $36 per ounce, so maybe save it for a special occasion.