FOOD NEWS
What Cut Of Beef Is Coulotte Steak?
By Tom Maxwell
If you're looking for a steak that resembles a New York Strip in shape but is a less expensive, leaner cut with all the beefy flavor of a sirloin, try a coulotte steak.
Its name comes from the French word "cul," meaning backside, and refers to the muscle in the cow's hindquarters. Its names also include top sirloin cap and sirloin cap steak.
You'll probably need to ask your butcher to cut coulotte steaks to order. Ask for steaks that are thick enough to grill (1¼ to 1½ inches) and keep as much of the fat as possible.
You've probably tasted sirloin steak but may have never heard of the coulotte because of the way American butchers tend to trim and divide the sub-primal cut, known as the sirloin.
In Brazil, you can find Picanha, the so-called "queen of steaks," which is the sirloin cap still topped with its generous layer of fat. It's not much different than coulotte steak.
The triangular-shaped coulotte and Picanha roasts are essentially the top sirloin butt, taken from the loin primal cut. The meat is deeply flavorful, especially with the fatty cap.