Grilled Teres Major Steak

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. A simple homemade seasoning and a quick grill over high heat delivers every time.

The Teres Major cut has an exceptional beefy flavor and I highly recommend this cut cooked to medium-rare to medium. This is one lovely piece of steak you don’t want to overcook.

It’s oh-so-tender when grilled to a perfect doneness but so much more affordable compared to Filet Mignon and tenderloin!

🥩 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.

Homemade Seasoning – A simple but perfect blend of seasoning salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and freshly cracked black pepper gives 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 flank and flat iron steak, near 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. In fact, it’s the second most tender cut after the tenderloin filet although it has a much richer flavor.

You may have heard of it under a different name such as the petite tender, mock tender, or shoulder tender.

Only two Teres Major steaks are available per head of cattle. If you’re having trouble finding this at a local butcher or nearby store, the easiest way to get your hands on it is by ordering it from an online butcher shop.

🔥 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 it to sit on the counter for 30 minutes.

Step Four: Set the grill up for direct high heat. This is best between 450º-600ºF.

Note: It can also be grilled on indirect heat for a more intense smoky flavor although that will lengthen the cooking time. High or medium-high heat works best for this steak as it will allow the outside to sear and caramelize fast while not cooking all the way through.

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 are 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 as we reference in How Long is Steak Good in the Fridge.

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.

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. I always come back to this all-purpose homemade dry rub. It’s easy to make a larger batch and works with pretty much any grilled meat or veggie!

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 and some fresh parsley to your hot steak on the plate for an easy and delicious garnish. You can even make some compound butter!

Bourbon salt is great for this steak but also kosher salt if you want other ingredients to shine.

Caramelized onions and mushrooms are 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

More Steak Recipes and Comparisons

New York Strip vs Ribeye

Ribeye vs Sirloin

Ribeye vs Porterhouse

Prime Rib vs Ribeye

Can You Grill Frozen Steak?

Flank vs Skirt Steak

Porterhouse vs T-Bone Steak

How to Tell if Steak Has Gone Bad

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