Prime Cuts Primer

At Ruth's Chris Steak House, every serving of steak is juicy, tender, and sizzling. But when it comes to selecting the perfect cut to please your palate, how well do you actually know your way around a butcher shop? Here's a helpful guide.

Let's Get Down to Basics
Ruth's Chris Steak House only chooses beef that meets exacting standards. We start with the finest beef cattle - Hereford, Angus, or Shorthorn. We make our selections from mid western lots where the quality of the feed and the feeding schedules are carefully orchestrated to produce the tastiest beef you can buy.

Aged to Perfection
Ruth Chris steaks are refrigerated and aged for 24 to 28 days - tenderloins from 14 to 16 days. Why the aging? The process breaks down enzymes to enhance the tenderness. Any beef destined for a Ruth's Chris table is aged according to a formula developed by our culinary experts after years of experimentation and experience. The beef is then sealed to retain natural juices and shipped, refrigerated, to our restaurants, always fresh, never frozen.

Done to a Turn
You'll be surprised at the thickness of a Ruth's Chris steak - we cut it that way because thick steaks don't dry out during cooking. Each restaurant uses a broiler designed just for us that sears the meat at 1800 degrees. We've found that's the perfect temperature to seal in juices and produce an incredibly flavorful steak. We serve our steak on a sizzling platter, topped with a tablespoon of melted butter to enhance the mouthwatering flavor.

We'll cook your steak any way you like, from rare to well. If you order a filet either medium well or well done, expect your server to ask if you'd like it butterflied. That means the meat is cut almost in half and spread nearly flat so the center cooks evenly. We control the cooking to make sure the steak doesn't char but retains its flavor. We've found - after careful experimentation - this is the best way to produce a well-done steak that's tasty, tender, and juicy.

The Kindest Cuts

Ribeye
At Ruth's Chris, Ribeyes only come one way - USDA Prime. This is a tasty and tender steak, cut from the blade roast that lies next to the ribs. Lots of connective tissue, which melts during cooking, gives the meat intense flavor, with the most marbling (fat distributed throughout meat - an indication of tenderness and flavor) of all the prime cuts. We offer both a 16 oz. Ribeye or a hefty 22-oz. bone-in Cowboy Ribeye.

Filet
The most tender beef on our menu, Filets are cut thick from the tenderloin, the strip of the short loin that lies next to the bone. We serve only USDA choice or prime, depending on availability. Our Filets weigh in at 12 oz. We also offer a smaller but equally tender 8 oz. Petite Filet.

NY Strip
This USDA Prime Sirloin Strip is firmer than a Ribeye with a full-bodied taste. Our servings are 16 oz. of pure flavor. T-Bone This classic cut of U.S.D.A. prime beef, from the mid section of the short loin, is really two steaks in one - the New York Strip and the Filet, joined by the famous "T" and served on the bone for added flavor. It's the best of both steaks - full, rich flavor and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness.

Porterhouse for Two
The name derives from the dark beer, porter, that was served alongside this steak in old-time alehouses. Similar to a T-Bone, the Porterhouse is cut from the rear of the short loin and consists of both the tenderloin and sirloin tip. It's an impressive cut of USDA Prime beef. At 40 oz., we recommend sharing!