Sirloin steak

Sirloin steak, served with garlic butter and french fries(chips)

The sirloin steak is beef steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs, continuing off the tenderloin from which filet mignon is cut. Of the steaks typically considered to be premium steaks, the sirloin is the cheapest, because the muscles still do quite a bit of work.

The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is typically what is offered when one just buys sirloin steaks instead of steaks specifically marked top sirloin. The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast, which is generally considered to be a good, if somewhat tough, roast.

Etymology

According to legend, the name sirloin comes variously from a British monarch, possibly Henry VIII, James I or Elizabeth I who dubbed it "Sir Loin" [1]. While versions of this story are often cited as fact, it is more likely that the word actually comes from the old French surloynge, meaning "above the loin."