One of the most flavorful, tender, and delicious cuts of beef available, a properly grilled Teres Major Steak is nothing short of perfection on a plate. Simple seasoning and a quick grill on high heat delivers every time.
🍽️ Why This Works
Exceptional Flavor. You are going to love the beefy steak flavor of this cut. It has enough marbling to have great flavor, but is also a very tender cut.
Easy and Fast. You don’t want this lovely piece of steak to overcook, so a fast sear on high heat yields best results. Have your sides nearly ready because this one doesn’t take very long on the grill.
Oh so tender. Grilled Teres Major steak is compared to Filet Mignon or tenderloin because of it’s texture but fortunately it is not nearly as expensive and worth every penny!
🥩 Ingredients
📝 Ingredient Notes
Teres Major Steak – A small steak perfect for a quick, hot grill. It is a cut primarily found in the United States.
Seasonings – A simple but perfect blend of seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and freshly cracked black pepper give this steak the perfect flavorful finish. We used Penzey’s seasoning salt, but you can use your favorite or whatever you have on hand. Seasoning salt is a blend of salt, herbs and spices and is great for amping up the flavor on your grilled meat.
What is Teres Major Steak?
This small cut of meat comes from the shoulder, above the chuck roast. It is the Teres Major muscle, and yields a perfectly tender and flavorful steak. While not as pricy, it is considered similar in quality to a Filet Mignon and is considered buttery and smooth.
⏲️ Equipment and Tools
Sharp Knife. Never underestimate the value of a properly sharpened knife. We used a chef’s knife but you may find a filet knife useful as well depending on your preference.
Grill. As a point of reference, we use the Kamado-style Big Green Egg. If you are in the market for a grill, it’s a good one. Use what you have.
🔥 Instructions
Step One: Combine ingredients for the steak rub in a bowl or jar and combine well. If you use it from a jar with a lid you can shake it all up and then save the extra for next time.
Step Two: Trim the meat. You don’t want to remove much fat because it helps keep the steak from drying out. But you can remove any silver skin or cartilage you see.
Step Three: Remove the steak from the refrigerator. Liberally cover the steak with seasoning and allow to sit on the counter for 30 minutes.
Step Four: Set grill up for direct high heat. This is best between 450º-600ºF.
Step Five: Place the seasoned steak on the grill and grill for a short amount of time, using a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. Flip the steak halfway through.
Step Six: Let the meat rest before slicing against the grain into medallions. Enjoy your perfectly medium-rare, exceptionally tender and flavorful steak.
❗ Recipe Tips and Tricks
Do not skip step three. Your steak needs to be seasoned and at room temperature before grilling for the best results. Pat the steaks dry to remove any moisture from the surface, then add seasoning. The salt in the seasoning will draw out moisture from the surface of the steak, which will help it brown more quickly. Fast browning (called the Maillard reaction) on the outside keeps you from overcooking the inside — leaving you with a deliciously moist and tender steak on the inside and the best possible crust on the outside.
Preheat your grill. A hot grill and fast browning is essential to get a perfectly cooked medium-rare Teres Major steak.
Do not overcook this cut. For best results, you’ll want the meat to be medium-rare. Rare is better than medium or medium well. It is a tender cut of beef but has moderate marbling so it can overcook easily.
Since the thickness of the steak and the temperature of the grill both affect cooking time your best bet for any steak is to use an instant read thermometer to dictate grilling time.
🧑🍳 Storage and Reheating
Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
If you know you won’t use the leftover meat within two or three days, dice or slice and freeze the steak. You can use this later in a soup, stir fry, or a sandwich. It can be frozen in an airtight container for up to three months.
Whether refrigerated or frozen, you can reheat your grilled Teres Major steak on the grill or in a skillet.
Meal Prep
Since this steak is prepared medium-rare, it works well enough for leftovers the next day. Dice it up and throw it with some onion and veggies in the skillet for a quick one dish lunch. You don’t want overcooked meat, so start the veggies first, and then toss the meat in for a few minutes until hot through.
Prepare the dry rub and get it on the steaks a day before you plan to grill. This saves time on grilling day.
Additions and Substitutions
Any pre-mixed dry rub would work well on this steak. It has incredible flavor, so you can keep it very simple or go fancy.
Add a homemade chimichurri sauce.
This meat works especially well for fajitas! Serve it with tortillas, sour cream, cheese, pico de Gallo, and guacamole for a twist.
Add a pat of butter to your hot steak on the plate for a fantastic finish.
Bourbon salt is great for this steak.
Caramelized onions and mushrooms is also a nice addition.
This steak doesn’t really need any extra flavor, but if you want a little heat you can add a horseradish sauce for dipping or add red pepper flakes to the dry rub.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delectable steak with Sheet Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts Stalks, a fresh salad, or tasty Grilled Baked Sweet Potatoes in Foil. Pair this steak with a Portuguese red or any traditional red wine.
❓ Recipe FAQ
If your goal is a medium-rare steak, it should take about four to six minutes on each side on high heat (450ºF-600ºF). Your target temperature range is 130-135ºF, so your best bet is to use an instant read thermometer. Flip the steak at four to six minutes and then cook it until it reaches the desired internal temperature.
Since it is a specialty cut, you will have to ask your butcher in advance for a Teres Major steak. You might also find it at a specialty meat market. Perhaps the best way to get the steak if you have time is to place an online order for delivery.
No. Leave the fat on for the most moist steak possible. However, if you see silver skin on the exterior of your steak you can trim it off.
No. Beef tenderloin comes from the short loin of the cow, a non-weight-bearing muscle. Teres Major comes from the shoulder clod of the cow, near the chuck steak. While these two cuts of beef come from different sections of the cow they are considered similar in shape and texture.
High heat. Fast sear. Medium-Rare finish. (130-135ºF).
This cut of meat is also known as beef clod, bistro tender, shoulder petite tender roast, and shoulder tender.
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Grilled Teres Major Steak
Equipment
- Grill
Ingredients
- 24 oz Teres Major Steak
Steak Rub
- 4 tbsp Seasoning Salt
- 1 tbsp Onion Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tbsp Cracked Pepper
Instructions
Steak Rub
- Combine ingredients of the steak rub into a bowl and mix well.
Grilled Teres Major Steak
- Remove the steak from the refrigerator. Liberally cover the steak with seasoning and allow to sit on the counter for 30 minutes.
- Set grill up for direct high heat.
- Place the seasoned steak on the grill and grill for about three to four minutes on each side. You'll gauge the time based on the internal temperature, shooting for 135° F for a nice medium rare.
Notes
Nutrition
