The Steak Cut With The Highest Protein

Steak is a wonderful ingredient. You can cook it in many different ways. It is super flavorful, and it's packed with nutrients to keep your body healthy and functioning well. One of those nutrients is protein, and it's probably the one for which steak is best known. Protein is one of the primary building blocks of muscle, helping it grow and repair from injury, and it keeps the body strong. The macronutrient also supports the immune system, regulates appetite, and boosts energy. So it's pretty important and one of the reasons people love steak. But how much protein is there actually in a piece of steak? Well, that depends on the cut — some cuts are higher in protein than others, so knowing your cuts can help you choose that gorgeous piece of steak that's going to give you the highest protein punch.

One of the top five highest-protein cuts is sirloin, which packs between 0.8 and 0.9 ounces (or 23 to 25 grams) of protein per 3.5 ounces (or 100 grams of steak). It's also one of the leanest cuts, meaning it's healthier for you than a piece of steak with lots of fat. We know, we know — fat is most often associated with more flavor, but sirloin has great flavor, too, even without mounds of fat. So it's a win-win we reckon.

Did you know that there are two types of sirloin, each with a different protein content? Sirloin-tip side steak is the one you want to look out for because it has a higher protein-to-fat ratio than its counterpart, top sirloin (7 to 1 versus 5 to 1). Sirloin-tip side, often referred to as knuckle steak, comes from the hip of the cow, while top sirloin is a cut from the loin.

The best way to cook your sirloin is medium-rare to medium because any longer cooking time and the protein in your steak starts to break down. This leaves you with a lower payload of protein — and nutritional value — than you may be expecting. At a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the collagen (the most abundant protein in the cow) in the steak starts to melt and gelatinize — which means that the meat starts releasing moisture. The more moisture the proteins expel, the dryer and tougher they — and the meat — become. So look at around 130 to 135 degrees Fahrenheit for a beautiful medium-rare piece of meat that's packed with protein and oh so tender. And don't forget the seasoning — seasoning can impact not just the flavor of the meat, but its tenderness too.