The Ultimate Guide To Tom & Jerry Steak
Remember watching Tom and Jerry as a kid, and watching the cartoon cat and mouse war over those enormous steaks with a circular bone in them? Maybe you thought that those oversized pieces of meat were just a figment of the cartoonist's imagination, and that surely a steak that size wasn't actually out there. Well, folks, if you thought that, you'd be mistaken. Tom and Jerry steak, also known as Giant Steak, is a very real thing. These super-sized steaks, which often come in at enormously heavy weights, have recently been taking social media by storm and for meat lovers they seem to offer the ultimate in beefy, smoky goodness.
However, as anyone who's tried to buy a Tom and Jerry Steak in their local supermarket will know, they're usually pretty hard to find. They're also surprisingly difficult to cook, with their size making them not only unwieldy to handle but causing them to be prepared somewhat differently to normal steaks. Plus, where do these huge steaks come from in the first place? We decided that it was high time someone got to grips with these hulking slabs of meat, and gave all you hungry carnivores the lowdown on Tom and Jerry Steak.
What is Tom and Jerry Steak?
It probably won't blow your mind to hear that Tom and Jerry Steak is — yep, that's right! — steak. Indeed, if you didn't have any other visual information for scale, you may well think that Tom and Jerry Steak is the same size as other types out there: It's a circular or oval-shaped cut with a round bone embedded in one side, and kinda looks like any other steak. However, what distinguishes this steak is its sheer size, which comes from the section of the animal that it's cut from. Tom and Jerry Steak is a cross-section cut sliced from the upper end of the cattle's leg. Butchers generally slice them fairly thick, and the combined surface area and size of the steaks mean that they can often weigh in at several kilos.
Tom and Jerry Steaks are also referred to as Giant Steaks, but they may also be sold as bone in arm roasts. The "roast" in the name is pretty telling there. The massive size and fairly tough consistency of Tom and Jerry Steaks mean that they can't really be cooked how other steaks might be, and instead are better suited to slower processes like roasting.
What does Tom and Jerry Steak taste like?
If you're a fan of a classic beefy flavor, then Tom and Jerry Steak is going to hit the spot for you. These steaks are known for their beef-forward, rich taste, and they're definitely punchier in terms of flavor than other, more tender cuts. The reason for this is that the Tom and Jerry Steak comes from one of the most active parts of a cow, the leg. As their legs are in near-constant use, there's a high proportion of muscle to a lower quantity of fat, and this muscle provides that beefy flavor note.
What you gain in beefiness, though, you somewhat lose in texture. The high muscle-to-fat ratio means that Tom and Jerry Steaks can be pretty tough at the best of times, and if they're not properly lubricated they can also be quite dry. This is in contrast to other beef cuts from parts of the animal that aren't exercised so often, like ribeye, which generally has good marbling that melts when it's cooked. While you may well be able to find Tom and Jerry Steaks that are well-marbled, they're not exactly the norm, and so you may need to compensate by employing certain cooking techniques.
Where can you buy Tom and Jerry Steak?
It's no secret that Tom and Jerry Steaks take up a lot of space, and so you shouldn't be surprised if your local supermarket doesn't use its valuable shelf real estate for this fairly niche cut. Instead, you may have to look further afield to find Tom and Jerry Steaks. Heading to your local butcher to find this steak is your best bet. They're not only more likely to have it in stock, but they can cut it to your preferred size and specification. Buying the steak from your butcher will also allow you to ask questions about its origins and quality that you probably wouldn't be able to get the answers to in a supermarket.
However, what do you do if you don't have a butcher shop near you? Luckily, you can still find Tom and Jerry Steak online — if you're lucky. Certain websites stock Tom and Jerry Steak, and ordering it online may also increase your chances of getting higher-quality, tastier Wagyu cuts. Unfortunately, though, online stores can be out of stock of this rare steak fairly regularly, so you'll need to keep an eye on when it's available.
Grilling Tom and Jerry Steak takes time
The image of throwing a massive Tom and Jerry Steak on the grill and watching it sizzle is a pleasing one — but trust us when we say that it's not that simple. Unlike other steaks, which may cook in just a few minutes at a high heat, Tom and Jerry Steak takes a lot of time to get just right. You shouldn't underestimate how thick this steak actually is, and if you're not careful, you'll end up with the majority of it not reaching the correct temperature to ensure that it's safe to eat.
So if you're grilling a Tom and Jerry Steak, you should aim to cook it low and slow, more like how you would a roasting cut. Set your grill's temperature to high, but not so high that it will burn the outside of your steak before the inside is warmed through. It can be a good idea to raise your grill plates as high as they can go on your grill itself, so that the meat isn't subjected to too high of a heat. Keep cooking, flipping every now and again, until your steak's reached your desired internal temperature for the doneness you want. Then, throw the heat up, lower the grill plates, and sear that bad boy until the outside is caramelized.
You can sous vide your Tom and Jerry Steak — but it may not be super tender
For people who like their meat tender, the sous vide method can seem like a good option. Cooking your meat sous vide style ensures that it's subjected to a consistently low temperature, which gently cooks the meat through, breaking down its fat to infuse it with moist, tender goodness. Well, with certain meat cuts, anyway. Generating a moist result from using sous vide to cook meat relies on the meat itself having a high enough fat level, and Tom and Jerry Steak often just doesn't have the fat you need for it to come out juicy and delicious.
As a consequence, cooking Tom and Jerry Steak sous vide style can leave you with a pretty tough end result. It's a delightfully hands-off method, sure, but it might just be a waste of time. You can improve your steak by tenderizing it before you place it in your sous vide bath, but honestly, we'd just recommend grilling it instead.
Although it's tempting to serve Tom and Jerry Steak whole, slicing it is better
Look, we get it. Slapping a massive steak in the center of a table like it's some kind of "Man v. Food" cooking challenge is a pretty fun thought, and part of the joy of Tom and Jerry Steak is its oversized appearance. However, this is the kind of steak that you really wanna slice before serving. This isn't just because Tom and Jerry Steak is clearly way too big for one person to eat on its own. It's also because its fairly tough consistency means that it shines best when sliced into super-thin strips, which stop you from having to chew through endless chunks of fibrous beef.
You can have a lot of fun with those strips, too. We personally love piling strips of Tom and Jerry Steak into steak sandwiches and going to town. This steak works especially well in steak sandwiches because of its extra-beefy flavor, which holds its own against the bread and other ingredients. Plus, adding in loads of condiments can help moisten the steak, which may be much-needed if you've ended up with an especially lean cut.
Because Tom and Jerry Steak can be tough, you may wish to tenderize it before cooking
Tom and Jerry Steaks are full of lean, fibrous beef, which will leave your jaw muscles working overtime when you eat it. The good news, though, is that you don't have to just put up with how tough it is. Tenderizing your meat before you cook it can be a good move with Tom and Jerry Steak, to help break down some of its muscle fibers and give you a better dining experience. Using fruit to tenderize the meat can be a good move, and bathing it in an acidic marinade can both add flavor and improve texture. You can also use a meat mallet or tenderizing needles, or allow a dry rub to do its thing.
However, when you're tenderizing your Tom and Jerry Steak, ensure that you avoid a few key mistakes. Try not to pummel your meat with the mallet too hard, as you'll break down its fibers too much and turn it into mulch. You should also bear in mind that acidic fruit juices will denature the meat and may end up ruining its texture instead of improving it, so use them sparingly and don't leave your meat sitting in it for too long.
You can use Tom and Jerry Steak to make other beef dishes
What do you do with Tom and Jerry Steak? Well, the same thing you do with any other beef cut. Although Tom and Jerry Steak can be eaten like a standard steak, we'd kinda recommend against it. It's too big and too tough to be enjoyed on its own, and even when sliced you may find that you need condiments to get through it.
So, we'd recommend treating it like other roast or chuck cuts and turning it into other beef dishes. After cooking your Tom and Jerry Steak (or before you grill it), slice it into smaller pieces and then braise it to make birria tacos. This will help the fairly rubbery meat break down into ultra-juicy strips, which you can then bathe in flavorful sauce. You can also use a raw Tom and Jerry Steak to make homemade hamburgers, feeding chunks of it into a grinder and then turning them into seasoned patties. If you want, you can also turn your Tom and Jerry Steak into smaller pieces to simmer in a stew or soup for hours. Naturally, you lose the visual impact of the steak when doing all of these, but you'll thank us on the flavor front.
Resting Tom and Jerry steak before and after cooking is essential
All meat should be rested before and after you cook it, and Tom and Jerry Steak is no different. In fact, it's even more crucial to give this cut the necessary resting time around cooking it, due to its massive size. "Tempering" your meat by bringing it up to room temperature before throwing it on the grill ensures that it will cook through more evenly, and you won't end up with the inside being too cool. Because Tom and Jerry Steak is so thick, though, you'll have to give it longer than you think: Some folks recommend taking the steak out of the fridge an hour before you cook it, and chunkier cuts may take even longer.
You should also give your Tom and Jerry Steak time to rest after you've cooked it. Resting your meat after cooking it will allow the juices inside it to settle and redistribute, making everything more tender, which is particularly important for a tougher cut like this. We'd recommend giving your steak 10 to 20 minutes minimum before you start slicing it, but as with resting it beforehand, you may want to give it longer if you're working with a thicker piece of meat.
Tom and Jerry Steak isn't just beef
"Steak" is often synonymous with "beef," but it's important to remember that there are steaks of all kinds out there: Chicken steaks, lamb steaks, salmon steaks, and venison steaks are all delicious and popular options, and many other animals have the same steak cuts that beef does. As such, you can sample Tom and Jerry Steaks in other types of protein like venison. Venison is a natural fit for Tom and Jerry Steak, as deer legs have the required size to produce the hulking servings (although they might be slightly smaller than the beef version), and the red meat makes it an interchangeable visual experience.
However, you shouldn't expect venison Tom and Jerry Steak to taste the same as the beef one. Venison is game meat, and it therefore has a richer flavor. Where beef is meaty, venison has a slight earthiness to it and an altogether heavier taste that can be a little overwhelming in large portions – so you may want to split your steak with someone else. Importantly, too, venison Tom and Jerry Steak is very lean, and so you'll likely need a hefty amount of sauce on the side to moisten things up and a good amount of fat to cook it.
You can dry-age Tom and Jerry steak
Dry-aged beef is definitely an acquired taste, but the people out there who love it, really love it. So they'll be pretty pleased to hear that Tom and Jerry Steak can be dry-aged, just like the rest of 'em. You can either buy dry-aged Tom and Jerry Steak in specialty stores, or do it yourself at home. Bear in mind, though, that finding it for purchase can be pretty tricky, given that the steak is fairly niche to begin with.
If you are dry-aging it at home, you may want to try out the process first with smaller, cheaper steaks, to make sure you're getting it right. Things like not dry-aging it for long enough, having the wrong set-up, or failing to dry-age at a low enough temperature will prevent you from getting the right result. It may also leave you with a steak that's developed spoilage or harmful bacteria that ends up causing sickness. Trust us when we say that doing this isn't for the faint hearted.
For extra flavor, don't forget about the bone marrow
The bone in Tom and Jerry Steak can feel like it gets in the way of your eating experience — but we would argue that it in fact enhances it. As your steak cooks, the bone marrow inside the bone will soften and turn into a creamy, butter-like texture. This meaty topping can then be scooped straight out of the bone, and enjoyed for its deeply rich, savory flavor.
As for what you do with the bone marrow, it's totally up to you. If you're serving your Tom and Jerry Steak with bread rolls on the side, you can spread them onto the bread where it'll act as a savory butter, upon which your steak slices can sit. Alternatively, you can spread the bone marrow directly onto the meat itself, which will give it some valuable lubrication and an even more intense flavor. You can also use it as a topping for other things you might be grilling, like vegetables or burgers, where it will provide an umami kick and make everything taste more luxurious. Just be prepared for people to fight over it — it really does taste that good.